Summary

  • Bodgan replaces injured Marciano and thwarts Morelos

  • McAuley flashes wide for Rangers & Stevenson clears off line

  • Shaw blazes over twice as Hibs respond

  • Ralston forces in from close range & Sinclair converts penalty for Celtic

  • Johnston replaces injured Edouard and flashes in third

  • Captain Brown makes 500th Celtic appearance

  • GET INVOLVED #bbcsportscot

  1. GOOD SAVEpublished at 20:12 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic 0-0 Motherwell

    What a chance for Celtic's Scott Sinclair. The forward gets the ball in the box just to the left of the goal, gets his shot away, but it's well blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Mark Gillespie.

  2. Celtic lacking intensitypublished at 20:09 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic 0-0 Motherwell

    Martin Dowden
    BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park

    Motherwell may have expected Celtic to come out all guns blazing after defeat at Easter Road but it did not materialise.

    The visitors have been allowed to settle, maintain shape and organisation to keep Celtic at arms length for the most part.

    Only Olivier Ntcham has created a genuine chance which he was unfortunate to see deflect narrowly wide. The midfielder is playing quite advanced, tucked in behind Odsonne Edouard with Callum McGregor sitting deep.

    Motherwell will be content with this so far.

    Curtis Main holds off Celtic defender Anthony RalstonImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Motherwell striker Curtis Main holds off Celtic defender Anthony Ralston

  3. Postpublished at 20:08 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic 0-0 Motherwell

    Celtic are playing some nice stuff at the moment... up until the final third. Anthony Ralston again finds space on the right after some very neat passing, but his high cross evades everyone.

  4. Postpublished at 20:07 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Hibernian 0-0 Rangers

    It's all a bit cat and mouse at the moment, with Rangers sitting back waiting for a mistake to pounce on.

    Hibs remain patient but it's rather slow and deliberate as they switch play from flank to flank.

    No goalmouth action to speak of yet...

  5. 'Sluggish' start for Celticpublished at 20:03 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic 0-0 Motherwell

    Pat Bonner
    Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

    Quote Message

    Celtic have only really had one chance. It took a little deflection resulting in a corner. It's been a fairly sluggish start

  6. CLOSE!published at 20:00 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic 0-0 Motherwell

    Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham does a couple of step-overs on the edge of the box and unleashes a low shot, but it whistles past the post.

  7. Change of goalie for Hibspublished at 19:59 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Hibernian 0-0 Rangers

    Ofir Marciano trudges off disconsolately and Adam Bogdan is on for Hibs... Bogdan has played most of the matches this season, so should have his eye in.

    Adam Bogdan and Ofir MarcianoImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Adam Bogdan replaces injured Hibernian goalkeeper Ofir Marciano

  8. Postpublished at 19:58 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Hibernian 0-0 Rangers

    Ofir Marciano has just got his place back in the Hibs team but the keeper looks to be in trouble as he points to his calf after gathering a cross ball.

    Will the hosts need a change in between the sticks?

    Ofir MarcianoImage source, SNS
  9. Postpublished at 19:55 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic 0-0 Motherwell

    Motherwell striker Curtis Main chases down a ball over the top, Craig Gordon comes charging out and misses it completely, but the keeper's blushes are spared as it trundles out for a goal kick.

  10. 'Rangers content to counter'published at 19:54 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Hibernian 0-0 Rangers

    Lee McCulloch
    Former Rangers, Wigan & Scotland midfielder on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound

    Quote Message

    You can see already that Rangers are going to be playing counter-attacking football, using Coulibaly's energy to get in touch with Morelos up front

  11. Postpublished at 19:51 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Hibernian 0-0 Rangers

    Stevie Mallan is sloppy in possession and Rangers are quick to spring an attack. Eros Grezda has a go from distance but it's any easy save for Ofir Marciano.

  12. Postpublished at 19:50 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic 0-0 Motherwell

    Anthony Ralston makes an immediate impact on his first start of the season as he drives into the box and fires the ball across goal, but there are no takers for Celtic.

  13. Postpublished at 19:50 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Hibernian 0-0 Rangers

    Florian Kamberi finds himself in lots of space as he approaches the Rangers penalty area. The striker tries to curl a low shot into the corner but Allan McGregor is able to watch it slip wide.

  14. Postpublished at 19:48 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Hibernian 0-0 Rangers

    Well, that's over a minute played and Hibs haven't scored yet. The home side are behind the standards they set on Sunday... Both sides are pinging the ball around at a brisk pace.

  15. KICK-OFFpublished at 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    And we're away at Celtic Park, just about there at Easter Road...

  16. More twists to come...published at 19:44 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    With Aberdeen trouncing Dundee last night for a third successive victory, there is just one point covering the top four going into this evening's matches.

    Rangers went top at the start of December by beating Hearts then stumbled against Aberdeen and Dundee. Can they stick around a bit longer this time?

    It looked like Celtic had sent out a resounding message when they destroyed Kilmarnock to go back to the summit but then they were given the runaround by Hibs.

    Scottish Premiership TableImage source, BBC Sport
  17. Home form welcome for Celticpublished at 19:41 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic v Motherwell (19:45)

    Martin Dowden
    BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park

    Celtic’s margin for error seems to be getting squeezed ever so slightly as they close in on the halfway point of the league campaign.

    That’s down to away form that has derived just three wins from nine. It is a startling statistic given Brendan Rodgers’ side have yet to travel to Ibrox or Pittodrie.

    Conversely, it has been business as usual at home with a 100% record. The champions will see it as essential to maintain that tonight.

    Motherwell arrive with a shot at extending their comfort zone over 10th placed Hamilton and arrive off the back of a very positive outcome against an in-form St Johnstone.

    They can also take confidence from a late leveller when these two sides met at Fir Park a fortnight ago.

  18. 'When you fall, you get up and go again'published at 19:38 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic v Motherwell (19:45)

    Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is ready to put Sunday's defeat to Hibernian firmly behind him.

    "It happens, when you fall over, you get up and go again," he tells BBC Sportsound. "It's a perfect night for us against a good side who will make it hard for us but our aim is to get three points."

    Rodgers added Anthony Ralston coming in will allow his team to play in a more familiar formation.

    "He gives us that balance at right-back. He's obviously not featured for a while but trained very well and he's played in the reserve games and he's well over the injury that curtailed him for a little while."

    On the tight title race... "Our players have set a standard that I think has made the other teams react and look to improve. The competition is great, but you can only focus on yourself. There's a very long way to go, we've got four games in 13 days and we want to finish off very positively."

    Brendan RodgersImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Rodgers greets Celtic fans on his way inside the stadium

  19. 'It’s about being positive at the right times'published at 19:35 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Celtic v Motherwell (kick-off 19:45 GMT)

    Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson tells BBC Sportsound: "Any game here is always a difficult occasion. But we come confident. We had a very good performance against an in-form St Johnstone.

    "In the last eight games we’ve won four and drawn one. We’re in decent form. We’ve had a few bad results along the way that have maybe disguised how good we’ve been."

    Explaining his five changes after a great result, he adds: "I’ve got a squad in which all the players deserve to play. We’ve got three games in a week. The changes I’ve made are positive changes.

    "People try and come and sit in but they wear you down. It’s about being positive at the right times and being disciplined. A good team like Celtic can pick you off.

    "We have to be at the top of our game. The goalkeeper has to have a good night and you need a little bit of fortune along the way."

    Stephen RobinsonImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Motherwell Manager Stephen Robinson arrives at Celtic Park

  20. Gerrard wants 'clinical' Rangerspublished at 19:31 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2018

    Hibernian v Rangers (19:45)

    Manager Steven Gerrard is urging his team to be ruthless in their approach as they take on Hibernian for the first time this season.

    He told RangersTV: "We need to be a bit more clinical in the final part of the pitch and really put them teams away, ideally as early as possible so we can look to the coming games and try and protect people.

    "There was a lot about the performance [against Hamilton] we liked but certainly things jumping out at us that we need to improve on. The three points were the most important thing.

    Steven GerrardImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Gerrard will be in the visitors' dugout at Easter Road for the first time