Celtic showed “great character” to survive a spirited Aberdeen fightback in a five-goal Scottish Premiership thriller, says Ange Postecoglou.

However, two goals in five second-half minutes from Christian Ramirez and Lewis Ferguson drew the hosts level.

But the visitors responded instantly as Jota drilled in a controversial winner.

“First half, we were really good, we controlled the game,” said the Celtic manager, whose side are now 20 league games unbeaten. “Second half, we were okay, but set-pieces cost us and then the crowd gets involved which gives them confidence.

“We could have maintained our composure better. I thought we were rushing, But this is not an easy place to come and win.”

Stephen Glass’ Aberdeen, whose last Premiership victory came on Boxing Day, drop two places to ninth.

Celtic’s late victory at Pittodrie in October – a first away league win of the season after nearly eight months without one – was a colossal turning point in their campaign.

Four months on, Postecoglou – whose side have since dropped just four points from a possible 57 – will view this result in the same vein.

Aberdeen would have felt they managed the opening exchanges well, but within a blink of an eye they were two down.

O’Riley skipped past David Bates all too easily to bend a ball from the right to the back post. Home keeper Gary Woods and defender Calvin Ramsay looked placed to deal with it, but neither made contact with the ball, allowing Jota to knock in to an empty net.

Just three minutes later, Callum McGregor’s clipped pass was knocked down by Daizen Maeda to O’Riley, who drilled in his first Celtic goal from 20 yards via a big deflection off Bates.

Celtic were cruising at the break against an Aberdeen side that failed to test Joe Hart in a flat first-half showing, but the second-half whistle sparked a manic final 45 minutes.

Glass withdrew Ramsay and Dylan McGeouch for Funso Ojo and Matty Kennedy and the game turned. A well-worked wide free-kick was pulled across goal by Ojo to Ramirez, who finished low from close range with the Celtic defence napping.

Five minutes later, another Ojo set piece, this time from the right, was curled towards the near post for Ferguson to glance past Hart.

Bedlam in the home stands – but only for 64 seconds as Jota decided the game with a controversial effort, drilling a strike into the turf and beyond Woods after Anthony Ralston’s header looped over the defence.

Aberdeen players screamed for a flag from the assistant referee as Liel Abada, who was standing in an offside position, appeared to block centre-back Bates in the build-up.

But the hosts continued to rally as Ferguson diverted another close-range header towards goal, only for Hart to make a crucial stop.

Ferguson then bent a free-kick narrowly over before Ramirez had a side-foot finish from the edge of the area sail off target.

But Celtic would see the game out, benefitting from a slice of fortune that could be pivotal come May.

Man of the match – Jota

What did we learn?

If Celtic’s last two wins against Rangers and Motherwell made you forget about the steeliness Postecoglou has instilled in his side, this was a reminder.

The enormity of this result, and Jota’s contentious winner in particular, carries the same weight as Liam Boyce’s penalty miss away at Hearts a fortnight ago. Two games which Celtic might have drawn were wins. A four-point swing.

Aberdeen’s second-half comeback will tell you otherwise, but the idea Pittodrie is a hard place to go for the Old Firm is becoming tougher to back up.

Harsh or not after their second-half fightback, Aberdeen are now winless in their last 21 home league games against the Old Firm since a 2-1 victory over Rangers in September 2016.

Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie at Motherwell and the eight games before the league splits will define their season, and Glass needs second-half performances like this to translate to 90-minute showings, starting from this weekend.

What they said

Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass: “I’m disappointed not to come away with anything. First half, we didn’t get close enough to a good team, second half we put that right.

“From the side, Abada blocks Bates [for Jota’s winner]. That stops him defending. I think he’s offside as he does it. Even if he’s not, he’s still blocking a player. We continually get done for blocks even when they don’t happen.”

What’s next?

Both sides are in Scottish Cup duty this weekend, with Aberdeen going to Motherwell on Saturday (15:00 GMT) before Celtic host Championship Raith Rovers the following day (16:00).

Sourced From BBC