Aberdeen 2-3 Celtic: League leaders survive second-half comeback in five-goal thriller

Jota's controversial winner, just a minute after Aberdeen's equaliser, settled a pulsating encounter

Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic continued their relentless form after surviving a spirited Aberdeen fightback in a breathless five-goal thriller.

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.

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 David Bates in the build-up.

It is another massive win on the road for Ange Postecoglou's title hopefuls, who are now 20 league games unbeaten.

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

• Reaction & as it happened

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 were incensed at Abada's involvement, both in the dugout and on the pitch, but they 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

Regardless of whether the winger's winner should have stood, the on-loan Benfica man was again at the heart of Celtic's attacking play and his two goals at Pittodrie takes his tally into double figures this season

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 is your 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.

If Boyce converts at Tynecastle and the linesman raises his flag on the 62nd minute at Pittodrie, it is potentially four points dropped for the current league leaders, who are just a point ahead of Rangers.

While Celtic's brilliance has saw them rise to the summit, breaks of luck like that over the course of a 38-game season can be the difference in tight title races.

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 Glass' side 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 final eight league games before the split will of course define the Dons' season, but also Glass' tenure so far.

The Aberdeen boss needs second-half performances like this to translate to 90-minute showings, starting from this weekend.

What did they say?

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou: "First half, we were really good, we controlled the game. Second half, we were okay, but set-pieces cost us and then the crowd gets involved.

"We could have maintained our composure better, I thought we were rushing, but this is not an easy place to come and win, so great character and a good reaction to get the third goal."

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).