FT: Kilmarnock 0-1 Aberdeen
Charlotte Cohen
BBC Scotland at Rugby Park
Somehow Aberdeen held on for a much-needed three points that surely takes a bit of pressure off Jimmy Thelin but my oh my did they have to work hard for it in that second half. They won't care though, a win's a win and they are now just five points behind third-placed Rangers.
A tough one to take for Killie, who probably deserved something from the game.
Image source, SNSFT: Hibernian 0-1 Rangers
Jack Butland has now saved six of the past seven penalties he's faced, which is incredible.
Image source, SNSFT: Hibernian 0-1 Rangers
Michael Stewart
Former Hibs midfielder on BBC Sportsound
Apart from the penalty, Hibs didn't work Jack Butland nearly enough.
For all the pressure they were mounting. I don't think they created enough.
Rangers started brightly and it's on to Sunday now with a lot more confidence. It's a huge win for them.
FT: St Mirren 2-2 Hearts
Steven Naismith
Former Hearts head coach on BBC Sportsound
Fantastic entertainment. It was like a basketball match. Every time a team attacked, they got a ball in the box or had a shot.
FT: Celtic 4-0 Falkirk
Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park
It wasn't vintage Celtic but it was a more than welcome outcome for them after the most turbulent of weeks.
The sight of Martin O'Neill in Celtic's dugout again was surreal to say the least but the bounce they craved arrived.
Cutting Hearts' lead at the top to six points was the cherry on top heading into the League Cup semi-final against Rangers.
Image source, SNSA massive three points for Aberdeen as they pick up their second successive away win for the first time since September 2024.
Jimmy Thelin's men had to fight for their lives after Stuart Armstrong gave them an early lead, with Kilmarnock piling the pressure on in the second half.
That's now three defeats on the bounce for Stuart Kettlewell’s side, who are joined on 10 points by the visitors.
Image source, SNSMotherwell head to Hampden on the back of two consecutive victories - the first time this season they've achieved such a feat - after downing Dundee United at Fir Park.
Goals in either half from Tawanda Maswanhise and Elliot Watt were more than enough to see off United, who put in an insipid display in the first half.
Jens Berthel Askou's side face St Mirren on Saturday in a Premier Sports Cup semi-final full of confidence, after another performance that won both plaudits and points.
Image source, SNSElliot Watt scored his first Motherwell goal in style
A massive three points for Rangers. Danilo's goal after five minutes wins it.
Hibs, who were aiming to make it a year unbeaten at home in the league, will rue their wastefulness in front of goal. Thibault Klidje should have scored from mere yards out and Jamie McGrath had a late penalty saved by Jack Butland.
Rangers move up to third and end a run of 24 away games without a clean sheet as Danny Rohl makes it two wins from two in the Premiership.
Image source, SNSWhat a game in Paisley.
Hearts' six-game winning run comes to an end at St Mirren.
An enthralling encounter could have gone either way, with both sides having goals ruled out.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren 2-2 Hearts
Ooft, Pierre Landry Kabore connects beautifully on the volley.
That looks like it's going in, but a St Mirren boot gets in the way.
Kilmarnock 0-1 Aberdeen
Absolute bodies on the line stuff here from Aberdeen. They're holding on for dear life.
Hibernian 0-1 Rangers
Hibs substitute Josh Campbell somehow heads a phenomenal cross wide from six yards.
The flag goes up and he does look a shoulder offside. Rangers are hanging on, but are so close now.
Kilmarnock 0-1 Aberdeen
The ball just won't go in for Kilmarnock.
They've been piling bodies into the box and there are screams for a penalty after Marcus Dackers is brought down by Stuart Armstrong, but referee Duncan Nicolson's having none of it.
A comfortable win to mark the return of Martin O'Neill.
A Johnny Kenny double put Celtic in command, before Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti rounded things off in the second half.
Falkirk showed promise in the second half, but were always up against it when the second went in.
Now the interim boss can turn his attention to a Premier Sports Cup semi-final on Sunday.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren 2-2 Hearts
Yep, this one is a straightforward decision for the VAR team.
Oisin McEntee was clearly offside in the build-up.
Image source, SNS
Pierre Landry Kabore
Pierre Landry Kabore eventually smashes in after countless last-ditch blocks from the St Mirren defence.
But Oisin McEntee is surely offside?
Image source, SNSHibernian 0-1 Rangers
A poor spot-kick from Jamie McGrath is pushed away by Jack Butland.
He does love a penalty save, Butland. He's faced three this season and kept them all out.
That edges Rangers towards a long awaited clean sheet away from home.
St Mirren 2-2 Hearts
There have been 27 shots and four goals in this gripping game.
Will we get another? Five minutes of regulation time remaining.
Hibernian 1-1 Rangers
Junior Hoilett is bundled over by Connor Barron...
Kilmarnock 0-1 Aberdeen
Killie fans are getting a first look at new striker Tyreese John-Jules.
Brad Lyons makes way, with Zac Williams also coming off for Rory McKenzie.
Are we in for a late goal?
Johnny Kenny's double sent Celtic on their way to a comfortable win
At a glance
O'Neill wins his first game as Celtic manager in 20 years as he returns as interim
Kenny first-half double puts hosts in command after an open start
Nygren turns in third just before the hour with Tounekti's fine run and finish rounding things off
Celtic narrowed the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership to six points as interim manager Martin O'Neill delivered an emphatic victory in his first game in charge in 20 years.
Johnny Kenny's first-half double, followed by Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti strikes, earned a comfortable victory for a side who had suffered successive league defeats.
The shock resignation of Brendan Rodgers on Monday and subsequent fallout only compounded what has been an increasingly turbulent campaign for Celtic.
Pre-match fan protests and the presence of principal shareholder Dermot Desmond in the main stand, after his statement pointed blame at Rodgers for the negativity surrounding the club, only added to what has been an unprecedented circus.
Banishing anxiety & restoring confidence - O'Neill's Celtic return
Who are the leading candidates for the Celtic job?
On the park, they have struggled, falling eight points adrift of Hearts after being humbled at Tynecastle on Sunday. A bounce was badly needed against a Falkirk side who came into this off the back of two wins.
O'Neill reverted to experience, with three changes in defence and James Forrest deployed down the right flank.
A familiar pattern emerged, with Celtic showing intent, but they struggled to trouble goalkeeper Scott Bain at first.
The breakthrough came via the, at times wasteful, Nygren. He saw his strike bounce of a post with Kenny alert to fire in the rebound.
Falkirk came close to an immediate leveller when Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi was denied by Kasper Schmeichel but, from there, Celtic took a firm grip.
Kenny seized on Nygren's knock down to net his double, then Nygren capitalised on Bain's poor parry and Tounekti seized on his chance to finish from close range.
It could have been more as Celtic enjoyed welcome relief from everything that has engulfed the club ahead of a crucial cup semi-final against Rangers.
This played out pretty much as well as O'Neill might have hoped. In this most turbulent week for the club, a two-goal cushion was a dream outcome at the break and they built on that.
The intent to get forward quicker was there. It was clear there was instruction to change that.
One thing Celtic have lacked is a goalscoring focal point. Kelechi Iheanacho threatened a solution before injury but Kenny, finally, took his chance. He looked sharp and hungry for more.
A welcome boost to him and the team in general as was the substitute appearance of Daizen Maeda after injury.
If Nygren could finish more clinically, who knows how many he could net, but he gets into some wonderful positions consistently and did so from a central position repeatedly.
There's a long way to go for Celtic to be fully back on track but this was a really positive step that lifted the mood ahead of Sunday's League Cup semi-final against Rangers.
Falkirk had chances and again showed they can play. They stuck at it and look a capable Premiership side. It just began to run away from them.
They've started the season in a positive fashion and can feel good about what they've delivered so far, albeit they will not have enjoyed this outcome too much.
O'Neill delighted with Celtic victory
Celtic interim manager Martin O'Neill: "I'm really pleased to win in the manner we did, and we played some delightful stuff. Could have scored a couple more, too.
"My anxiety has calmed somewhat. When you get a few goals in front you can perhaps enjoy the last 10 or 15 minutes, and it kind of brought me back.
"I've not seen Celtic often, not live, to make criticism of this side. A restoration of confidence was great."
Falkirk boss John McGlynn tells BBC Scotland: "For 30 minutes I thought our guys played really well. The longer the half went, the more we were having to defend and then lose two goals and have a mountain to climb.
"This match won't define our season. We won't be fighting for the first four positions. We've got a huge game against Kilmarnock on Saturday and that's more important. We just need to bin this game."
Celtic move onto a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden on Sunday (14:00 GMT).
Falkirk continue their Premiership campaign with a home fixture against Kilmarnock on Saturday (15:00).
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 9 | 15 | 26 |
| |
| 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 20 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 15 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 14 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 14 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 13 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 12 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 15 | -3 | 10 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 10 |
| |
| 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 10 |
| |
| 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 15 | -6 | 9 |
| |
| 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 20 | -9 | 6 |
|
Manager: Martin O'Neill
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: John McGlynn
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Martin O'Neill
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: John McGlynn
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Scottish Premiership
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Celtic are unbeaten in their last 14 meetings with Falkirk in all competitions (W12 D2) since a 0-1 league defeat in March 2007 under Gordon Strachan. This will be the first league game between the two clubs since March 2010, when the Bhoys won 2-0 under Tony Mowbray.
Falkirk have lost 14 of their last 16 away games at Celtic in all competitions (D2) since a 2-0 victory in October 1994 under Jim Jefferies. They did draw their last league game at Celtic Park 1-1 in January 2010, though.
Celtic have won 17 of their last 18 league games against newly promoted opponents (D1) since a 1-2 defeat to Hearts in July 2021. At home, the Bhoys have won each of their last 13 league games against promoted sides by an aggregate score of 46-4.
Celtic have lost just one of their last 77 home league games against sides other than Old Firm rivals Rangers (W66 D10), going down 0-2 to Hearts in December 2023.
Falkirk have won two of their four away league games this season (L2); during their last top-flight campaign (2009-10), the Bairns only won three of their 19 away games across the entire season (D7 L9).
