St. Mirren 0-1 Celtic: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

The match's tension built around disciplinary actions and tactical adjustments, with St. Mirren defender Marcus Fraser receiving a yellow card early in the 19th minute for a robust challenge, setting a combative tone. Celtic's Sebastian Tounekti was cautioned in the 41st minute for a similar infraction, adding to the midfield battle, while Alexander Gogić's booking for St. Mirren at 76' highlighted the increasing pressure as the game progressed. A pivotal late substitution saw C. Donovan come on for Celtic at 85', injecting pace that nearly paid dividends.

The decisive moment arrived in the 90th minute when Celtic captain C. McGregor scored a normal goal, assisted by the freshly substituted C. Donovan, breaking the deadlock and securing a crucial victory for the visitors. Impactful changes, such as Yang Hyun-Jun replacing the booked Tounekti at 67' for Celtic and J. Ayunga coming on for D. N'Lundulu at the same time for St. Mirren, altered the dynamics but it was the late strike that proved the turning point in an otherwise cagey affair.

St. Mirren lined up in a solid 3-5-2 formation, emphasising defensive organisation with wing-backs providing width and support to the front pair. The back three, including players like Marcus Fraser and Alexander Gogić, formed a resilient partnership that effectively contained Celtic's attacks for much of the game. Midfield partnerships focused on breaking up play, allowing occasional counter-attacks through dribbling prowess.

Celtic deployed a dynamic 4-3-3 shape, with a strong emphasis on possession and wide play to stretch the opposition. The midfield trio, anchored by figures like C. McGregor, provided control and creativity, while the forward line benefited from overlapping runs from full-backs such as A. Ralston and K. Tierney before their substitutions. This setup facilitated their dominance in ball retention and created opportunities through assists in the attacking third.

Celtic's C. McGregor was the standout performer and deservedly Man of the Match for his leadership and composure throughout, culminating in a crucial goal at 90' that decided the contest. His ability to dictate the tempo in midfield, combined with precise passing that led to the assist opportunity, highlighted his influence despite the team's overall dominance not yielding earlier rewards. McGregor's experience proved vital in a match where fine margins made the difference.

Recent Premiership matches:

• Loss: 0-1 vs Celtic (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Hibernian (H)
• Draw: 2-2 vs Hearts (H)
• Loss: 1-3 vs Dundee United (A)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Aberdeen (H)

Recent Premiership matches:

• Win: 1-0 vs St. Mirren (A)
• Win: 4-0 vs Kilmarnock (H)
• Win: 4-0 vs Falkirk (H)
• Loss: 1-3 vs Hearts (A)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Dundee (A)

St. Mirren find themselves in ninth position with 10 points after this narrow defeat, extending a winless run that includes recent losses to Hibernian and a draw with Hearts, putting pressure on them to bounce back. They face Dundee, who sit just below in 11th with nine points, in a crucial league clash on 29 November at 15:00, offering a chance to climb the table with a positive result against closely matched opposition.

Celtic hold second place with 26 points following this hard-fought win, building on impressive victories over Kilmarnock and Falkirk to maintain their strong form at the top end of the table. Their next challenge comes against Feyenoord on 27 November at 17:45, a fixture that will test their credentials in European competition against opponents whose current standing remains to be confirmed.

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