Celtic Retain Scottish League Winners Crown With Late Hearts Winner

Celtic are Scottish league winners again after Osmand scored in the 90+9th minute to seal a dramatic final-day win over Hearts at Celtic Park. The title was decided after a tense match in which Hearts defended for long stretches and Celtic needed one last break to finish the job.

Celtic Park late drama

Osmand finished the decisive move after Celtic broke on a three-on-none counterattack deep into stoppage time. The referee then indicated the game was over, and Celtic celebrated the title retention on the pitch.

Hearts had made the closing stages awkward for the champions. By the 90+3rd minute, they had only two shots on target and one real chance, a sign of how hard Celtic had to work to find the opening they finally got.

McGregor on Celtic resilience

Callum McGregor said the season had been "absolutely mental" and praised the group for staying together through the pressure. He said the team had been mentally strong and added, "This is the best thing I’ve ever won, with everything we’ve come through."

He also said, "We knew we’d get a chance. We just keep going and going. Honestly, it’s a special, special group of people." Those comments fit a match that kept edging toward a late decision, with Celtic forced to stay patient while Hearts tried to protect the game for as long as they could.

Hearts hold on until the end

The final minutes turned scrappy before the winner arrived. Saracchi and Shankland clashed on the touchline in the 90+4th minute and were both booked, Maeda was booked for kicking the ball away in the 90+6th minute, and McGregor was booked in the 90+7th minute before Hearts won a free kick with their keeper coming up.

Rod Stewart was on his feet, grinning and clapping late in the match as the title moved toward Celtic. Martin O'Neill had bent the game his team's way in the second half, and Osmand's finish at 90+9 minutes settled it in the most direct way possible.