Motherwell

Scott Mullen at Fir Park
BBC Sport Scotland

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Undefeated Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou sat down with the media at Fir Park to preview his side's Scottish Premiership meeting with Celtic on Sunday.

Here are the key points:

• The Motherwell manager says his team are going to Celtic Park to win.

• He trusts his players to create chances and score goals, and is "convinced" keeping Celtic's chances at a minimum means there's a chance of a positive result.

• When asked if it is a good time to face out-of-sorts Celtic, Askou replied "maybe", but predicts they will be sharper than they were in defeat to Braga on Thursday.

• Motherwell are still growing, but "we haven't really produced anything league-wise yet", with Askou adding: "When the season is over, that's when it counts".

• Captain Paul McGinn is back for the trip to Parkhead. Elijah Just, Tom Sparrow, Callum Hendry and Callum Slattery have been training with the chance one may make it on Sunday.

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• Motherwell remain unbeaten in six Scottish Premiership games this season (W1 D5), their longest unbeaten start to a league campaign since 2012-13 (first seven).

• Celtic are unbeaten in 34 meetings with Motherwell in all competitions (W29 D5) since a 2-1 home league defeat in December 2015 under Ronny Deila.

• Motherwell have lost 14 of their past 16 away games against Celtic in all competitions (D2), conceding 50 goals while scoring just six in this period.

• Celtic have only lost one of their past 44 home league games that have come the weekend immediately after a European game (W38 D5), going down 2-0 to Hearts in December 2023.

• Only Celtic's Benjamin Nygren (11) has created more chances from open play in the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership than Motherwell's Ibrahim Said (10). However, only Rangers' James Tavernier (11) has created more chances overall without yet registering an assist in the competition this term than Said (10).

Motherwell are going to Celtic Park on Sunday to win, says head coach Jens Berthel Askou. (Record), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Jenna Thomson
Fan writer

Another weekend, another win against Aberdeen.

Not only did the men's team beat them back to back, the Women of Steel were able to dispatch the Dons on Sunday too.

I can honestly say we haven't played a game this season where I thought we were lucky to get a point or victory.

The biggest test so far comes this weekend against Celtic, who were frustrated by Hibs last Saturday, and I'm optimistic we can cause them problems at Parkhead.

I won't be angry if we do lose, as long as the scoreline doesn't make a mockery of what we have been producing so far under Jens Berthel Askou.

Normally I view a game against Celtic as a glorified training session due to the massive gap in resources. However, this is genuinely the first time I feel confident we may get something out of it.

That's because our style of football right now is something I've never seen Motherwell be capable of and we are showing no signs of slowing down.

We have transformed so much that Stephen O'Donnell has gone from weekly scapegoat to being applauded again!

I couldn't tell you the last time it felt so good to be a 'Well fan and long may this era continue.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Motherwell were excellent again in the Premiership and finally secured their first league win with two late goals against Aberdeen.

They have two players in my team of the week.

Calum Ward kept Aberdeen at bay with several saves, securing a clean sheet and paving the way for Motherwell's smash and grab at the end.

Elliott Watt has become a key figure in the way Motherwell play their impressive brand of football under Jens Berthel Askou. He sets the tone and dictates the play.

Watch Sportscene analysis of Motherwell's 2-0 win over Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.

Watch all the highlights as Motherwell secured a dramatic late victory over Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Motherwell's 2-0 win against Aberdeen.

Here's what some of you said:

Bruce: Finally getting results. Play is good. Fans entertained. Unbeaten this season and in a semi-final. Life is good again as a 'Well fan.

Mark: Fully deserved result. I would have liked to have seen the ball in the net a bit sooner but who doesn't love last minute winners? That's three points on the board now, as well as a clean sheet at home. I'm so glad Apostolos Stamatelopoulos got his goal- he has been needing it and now he, and all of us, have our just reward for such good football.

Alan: With Elliot Watt and Lukas Fadinger totally controlling the midfield this was an excellent result for Motherwell. Stamatelopoulos worked his socks off and took the penalty with aplomb. With some more fine tuning in the finishing department this could be the best Motherwell team for some time. The new system is working well. The team spirit was also very evident after the second goal.

David: Not our best performance but kept going until the end and and finally got the result that the previous games should have got. Onwards and upwards.

Susan: So impressed with the astounding turnaround at Fir Park. Thoroughly enjoyed it. This new group of players never give up and have such a belief and togetherness. It's a joy to be a 'Well fan at the moment.

Grant: Great result against a poor Aberdeen team who are lacking in belief, if they were on top of their game they would probably have scored a couple themselves, going to miss Stephen Welsh next week but fingers crossed that some players start coming back from injury.

Aberdeen endured another miserable day in their wretched season when Motherwell scored twice in stoppage-time to record their first Scottish Premiership win of the season.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou: "It feels great.

"I think everyone is enjoying the moment right now. We're happy. We enjoyed the performance from the sidelines, the fans were excellent and it seemed like they enjoyed the performance too.

"'When the first goal went in] I felt happiness and joy, the thrill that goes through your body when you score a goal and you know it could be decisive. I was happy on everyone's behalf that we put ourselves in a position where we could win the game. I was even more happy with the second goal because it put a big fat line under how much we invested in winning the game.

"I think we can use all the performances and training sessions we've had since we started this season because every second and pass and tackle and movement we've done so far have brought us to a point where we're producing stable performances and keep the opposition from scoring.

"Now we are winning games and it's about continuing to raise the level because I think we can still be a little bit sharper.

"I think everyone is extremely happy on Apostolos Stamatelopoulos' behalf. He's such a hard worker and today we had to create a penalty where he could score meanwhile he has worked extremely hard for his teammates. He really deserved that."

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James McFadden on BBC Sportsound: I think the manager, his instruction, his belief of how he wants to play, the belief he's given to the players, is massively key for Motherwell.

It's all well and good, but the players still need to step up and it's credit to them because they are willing to take the risk.

Not an outstanding display from Motherwell, but a very good one and finally a victory on the board.

Willie Miller on BBC Sportsound: It wasn't just better, it was much better. Aberdeen in the first half created a number of chances but didn't take them. I think over the course of the 90 minutes, if you take away the two goals at the end, it's a very even game.

I'm sure Jimmy Thelin will be in a situation where Aberdeen fans are not pleased with the result tonight, but I can assure you it was a much better performance.

If this type of performance had been earlier in the season, you'd be hopeful it would turn round. It's cruel for Aberdeen but magnificent for Motherwell.

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Paul McGinn and Elijah Just are the likeliest candidates to return for Motherwell but they will have a similar squad to the one that triumphed at Pittodrie last weekend.

Callum Slattery, Tom Sparrow and Callum Hendry are expected to return after the international break, while Sam Nicholson, Filip Stuparevic (both knee), Eseosa Sule, Jordan McGhee (both thigh) and Zach Robinson (Achilles) are long-term absentees.

Aberdeen have a full squad to choose from with the exception of teenager Kjartan Kjartansson.

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Motherwell are still chasing their first Premiership win under Jens Berthel Askou after five successive draws - but Andy Halliday insists the Steelemen should have full points.

The midfielder says Dane Askou has "ripped apart" the notion that clubs with fewer resources have to play a certain way.

Having secured a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against St Mirren with victory at Aberdeen last weekend, Askou's side host the Dons on Premiership business on Saturday.

"For me, in terms of levels of performance I think we should be sitting with 15 out of 15 points in the league," Halliday, 33, told BBC Scotland.

"I really feel in all five games we have been the better team. Some of them a lot more than others, but we've not quite got the rewards in terms of wins.

"I think it was about time we got our just rewards for our performance levels at the weekend against Aberdeen."

Halliday has been impressed by the style of play the new manager has implemented, and how the Motherwell players have adapted.

"It's been a big change compared to the last two managers we've worked under," he added.

"He wants us to be the team that's the dominant force, the ones in control throughout the game. Even I'm surprised at how well we've managed to do that so far.

"I think it shows the hard work we've put in throughout pre-season.

"The narrative people always talk about is that if you've got a certain budget you can't play a certain way to be successful in Scotland, but I think he's completely ripped that apart."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Defender Stephen Welsh has told how he jumped at the chance to join Motherwell after being told he wouldn't get much game-time at Celtic this season as he eyes up a Scotland call-up in the future.

The centre-back made two appearances for Brendan Rodgers' side last term before heading out on loan to Belgian side KV Mechelen.

And with Auston Trusty, Liam Scales and Carter-Vickers all ahead of him in the pecking order at Parkhead it didn't look like that was going to change this year.

"I knew that I wasn't going to be playing many games at Celtic, that was made clear," the 25-year-old said.

"So my priority was to go out and play as many games as I can."

Even though Welsh has two years left on his contract with the Scottish champions, the defender didn't take much persuading to join Jens Barthel Askou's side on loan.

"The style of play was a massive thing," he added.

"When I spoke to the manager he was big on the way they played. It's about the players that are on the pitch being brave enough to play and listen to what the manager is trying to get us to do. We believe if we stick to that philosophy, good things will come."

Welsh, who has started a couple of matches for the Steelmen since signing on loan at the start of September, is a former Scotland Under-21 captain, but hasn't been capped at full international level.

The defender was coy about the prospect of a call-up from Steve Clarke in the near future.

"That would be the biggest achievement of all, but I'm not thinking about it right now," he said.

"I think it's an old cliche in football terms but I'm going to take it one game at a time.

"Unfortunately I'm not allowed to play next week [against Celtic in the league] which is a bit of a blow.

"So the game against Aberdeen on Saturday is my last game before the next international break."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou is expecting a "desperate" and "dangerous" Aberdeen side to turn up at Fir Park on Saturday evening.

Jimmy Thelin's side sit rock bottom of the Premiership table and are still searching for their first win of the season.

Although Motherwell triumphed 1-0 Pittodrie in last weekend's League Cup quarter-final, Askou feels his side will have to improve this weekend.

"I expect us to actually have to play better than in that game to get a similar outcome," the Dane said.

"We needed a little bit of luck against them at times. Aberdeen are obviously a team that's under a little bit of pressure but a team that's extremely desperate can also be really, really difficult to play."

Askou also thinks the Dons pose an attacking threat despite the fact they've failed to score a league goal this term.

"I expect us to have to perform well in many of the same areas that we did away to Aberdeen, especially defensively, because they still have top players up front," he added.

"They still have a lot of quality. We have to be really, really mindful that we don't give them a sniff of something to go for or give them any easy chances or make it too easy for them to defend."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Saturday's game at home to Aberdeen.

Here are the main points:

• Motherwell knocked Aberdeen out of the League Cup last weekend, but Askou says his side will have to "play better to get a similar outcome".

• The Motherwell boss thinks his side had a bit of luck to keep a clean sheet at Pittodrie, but they'll look to exploit gaps as Aberdeen chase their first win of the season.

• As Motherwell look to follow up cup victory with a first league win, Askou says positive results "won't come easy".

• But the Dane knows Motherwell are going to "need a lot of wins" to "get where we dream of getting" this season.

• He describes bottom club Aberdeen as a dangerous team who are better than they've shown so far, adding teams who are "desperate to win are difficult to play".

• The Dane doesn't expect a lot of changes to the squad from last week although club captain Paul McGinn could be included as he's getting back to fitness.

• On the League Cup semi-final, the boss says it's at the back of his mind at the moment but he thinks it will be a very tight game against St Mirren and a special occasion.

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• After their 2-0 win in January, Motherwell are looking to claim back-to-back home league victories over Aberdeen for the first time since December 2012 (four in a row).

• Aberdeen have won seven of their past nine league meetings with Motherwell (D1 L1), winning 4-1 most recently in March, although were knocked out of the League Cup by the Steelmen last weekend.

• Motherwell have drawn their past six league games (including all five this season) – the longest run of successive draws by any side in Scotland's top flight on Opta's records (from 1998-99).

• Aberdeen are winless in nine league games (D1 L8), failing to score in all five this season; they previously failed to score in six successive top-flight matches in February 2021.

• Only Dundee United (seven) have dropped more points from winning positions in the Scottish Premiership this season than Motherwell (six), doing so in each of their previous three league games.

Jenna Thomson
Fan writer

Is it too early to start calling us the treble-chasing Steelmen?

The stars have aligned and we have been given the perfect draw - avoiding the Old Firm - in the League Cup semi-finals. The only way it can get sweeter is if they announce we are the Saturday game.

Last year felt like a fluke as it had been so long since we qualified for a semi-final. Having now gone back-to-back, I am overjoyed.

My parents weren't alive when we last won the League Cup in the 1950s and I wasn't even thought about yet when we won the Scottish Cup in '91.

I stupidly missed our two finals in the 17-18 season due to youthful ignorance, so you best believe if we beat St Mirren to reach the final, I will be front row at Hampden.

It is slightly unfortunate we will have to shatter Stephen Robinson in the process, but that is just business.

Aberdeen won a cup against all odds last season, so who is to say Motherwell can't do the same?

We asked for your views on Motherwell's 1-0 win against Aberdeen.

Here's what some of you said:

James: Not our best performance by a long shot, but still the better team. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos works his socks off and should have scored, but I'm sure the goals will come for him. Ibrahim Said's best performance so far, but a few outstanding in the team today. Stephen Welsh and Tawanda Maswanhise were tremendous. Hampden here we come.

George: Delighted that we finally got the victory our great play deserved. After years of unattractive, defensive-minded football under a number of managers, we are playing fearless, flowing football.

The players have bought in to the new style and are obviously happy and while, as in every club you will always get the odd dissenter, most fans are well content by the fare being served up and are even beginning to dream.

Norrie: I said when the draw was made that the last time I was at Pittodrie, Motherwell won 1-0 with a Steve Kirk goal and then went on to win the Scottish Cup. Dare we dream again.

John: We're playing the best football in years, just not putting teams away with the chances we've had. Stamatelopoulos is doing everything right except scoring, but it will come for him. An all-round brilliant display against Aberdeen and a fantastic goal from Cookie [Regan Charles-Cook]. We will fear nobody at Hampden.

Stuart: Tight game, but we created the better chances and should have scored more. Good to see a clean sheet and thought the players deserved the win. Hampden here we come.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Regan Charles-Cook is hoping Motherwell can end their 34-year wait to win a major trophy after the winger fired them into the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.

The Fir Park side join St Mirren and Rangers in the last four, with holders Celtic or Partick Thistle meeting on Sunday afternoon before the draw is made.

Motherwell last celebrated a major honour in 1991 when they defeated Dundee United in a Scottish Cup final thriller.

After scoring the only goal away to Aberdeen on Saturday, Charles-Cook said: "I don't see any reason why we can't win the trophy.

"We have got a great group and a shout out to the fans today because they didn't stop singing from minute one, they were like our twelfth man.

"I say 'why not?' We want to give something back to the fans to celebrate and this is our dream, we all want to play at the national stadium and we all want to lift that trophy."

The positivity around Motherwell since Jens Berthel Askou took charge in the summer is continuing to grow.

As well as progressing in the cup, they are unbeaten in their five league games so far, albeit all of those matches have been draws.

Former Ross County star Charles-Cook, 28, joined the Steelmen last month after a spell in Belgian football.

He added: "From the day I spoke to the manager, from the day I walked through the door, when I met all the boys and you had done your first training session and you can see the way we play, I felt like 'this could be really incredible'.

"It's not just that, it's the consistency and how we carry ourselves every day in training and taking ourselves into the game. That's the main thing because the season is very long and as long as you can be consistent for a long period of time special things can happen."

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Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou tells BBC Scotland: "Very delighted. Happy with the defensive performance and some of the attacking play.

"I don't think we played to our full capacity in terms of quality on the ball. We should have scored one or two more goals, but it was exactly the defensive performance we have been looking for. It was more of less flawless, which is what you need in big games away.

"We were well structured and kept it to a minimum of chances against, which is huge credit.

"I thought no matter what they threw at us, I felt the day was going to go our way. The boys were extremely alert and I was quite calm. It was more about keeping the players switched on when we had the ball.

"We deserved it. You could feel how much it meant after the game and we are looking forward to the semi-final. It will be a big moment for us and we need to take it."