Celtic 1-0 Dundee United: Late Liel Abada goal narrows gap on Rangers to two points

Liel Abada scored Celtic's winning goal

Celtic narrow the gap on leaders Rangers to two points through Liel Abada's late goal against Dundee United after being reduced to 10 men.

Goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist denied the home side with a series of saves before Nir Bitton's 81st-minute red card.

But Abada fired home from close range as the game entered stoppage time.

Until then, it looked like United were about to do enough to leave Celtic Park with their second draw of the season.

Instead, Postecoglou's side remain unbeaten in 13 games, winning 12 of them, and leave United without a win at Celtic Park in 46 meetings since December 1992.

• Reaction & as it happened

Considering they were looking to pay a winning tribute to title-winning late former manager Wim Jansen, and had just heard that leaders Rangers had dropped a couple of points in Dingwall, Celtic's first-half performance was strangely subdued.

Adrian Sporle's start at left wing-back was one of five changes made by United head coach Thomas Courts and the Argentine flashed an early warning shot across the face of the Celtic goal.

However, Celtic were dominant is possession, as you might expect, but found the United rearguard, in which 18-year-old Lewis Neilson was drafted in because of injuries, stubborn and brave in their denial of a breakthrough goal.

When the home side did manage a sight at goal, Siegrist was in typically obstinate form and saves from Liel Abada and Matt O'Riley came before the latter squandered a great chance when the unmarked recent signing from MK Dons fired wide from 12 yards.

Postecoglou was probably hoping to give Jota and Josip Juranovic a rest ahead of the midweek derby, but the duo were thrown on at half-time.

Jota made an immediate impression, the on-loan Benfica winger setting up O'Riley for a head flick that forced another Siegrist save before laying it on a plate for Giorgos Giakoumakis only for the goalkeeper to somehow divert the striker's shot over the bar from point-blank range.

When Bitton was shown a second yellow card after hauling down United substitute Declan Glass, it looked like Celtic's frustrating afternoon was complete - and there was still time for it to become worse still.

Jota, though, threw in another dangerous cross and, when United failed to clear, Abada made no mistake from close range for his 12th goal of the season to send Celtic Park into a mix of relief and rapturous applause.

Man of the match - Benjamin Siegrist

United goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist had a series of saves to deny Celtic until stoppage time

More to follow.