Sunday October 26th 2025
Hearts vs Celtic kick-off 12 noon.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Katie Gregory
It would be impossible to ignore the different atmospheres present as the teams met for the first time this season. Top of the table and unbeaten, Hearts had grown in confidence with each match. Trailing behind them, reigning champions Celtic, would need a miracle if they were to match Hearts’ quality.
Hearts were immediately fierce on the attack, and a corner within the first few minutes looked particularly dangerous for the visitors – but too many bodies in the box stopped Hearts from this early goal-scoring opportunity.
Only a few minutes later, Alexandros Kyziridis squared the ball to his skipper, and Lawrence Shankland saw his shot go just past the post.
In the eighth minute, a goalmouth scramble saw Dane Murray’s attempted clearance soar into the top corner, and the own goal gave the hosts an early lead.
Hearts were defensively seamless, and Celtic had a few bright moments in the beginning stages but couldn’t really capitalise on their hard work. This was until Johnny Kenny made an excellent run and found his captain Callum McGregor right in front of goal. Their first real moment of cohesion was rewarded instantly, as McGregor shot expertly and equalised for his side in the tenth minute.
As both sides searched for their second goal, Kieran Tierney was instrumental in progressing play with long balls up the pitch, which were received gratefully by Reo Hatate and Sebastian Tounekti.
Tounekti was the next man to try and infiltrate the Hearts defence and looked set to score before the intervention of Beni Baningime and Oisin McEntee – who linked up nicely together to clear any danger.
In an attempt to avoid a crowded midfield, Tounekti tried again, this time on the left. With his speed, Tounekti posed a real threat until McEntee made himself known once again and beat him to the ball.
In the 36th minute, Stephen Kingsley dismantled the Celtic defence and found Harry Milne just to the right of the goal. Kingsley’s long ball was sent a touch too far, and so ultimately came to nothing.
Half-time arrived with a level playing field, but the confidence with which Hearts started the second half suggested the match was already theirs.
In the 52nd minute, Kyziridis caused real trouble for Celtic and escaped his marker on the left. Free to roam, Kyziridis unleashed a powerful shot, which beat Kasper Schmeichel and sent the Tynecastle crowd into raptures.
Only two minutes later, Claudio Braga was brought down in the box, and the hosts were awarded a penalty and thus their next big chance. Stepping up to the spot was Shankland, who slotted the ball in neatly – as Tynecastle erupted for the third time that afternoon.
The man of the match had not yet been awarded, but as the Hearts fans sang out “We’ve got Lawrence Shankland” – the sentiment was crystal clear.
The hosts were comfortable for the rest of the match, and relished their lead. What started as a rainy day ended brightly for Hearts as the sun came out over Tynecastle.
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