Livingston 2-4 Celtic: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Livingston 2-4 Celtic in the Premiership on Saturday, 27 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Celtic beat Livingston 4-2 in a lively encounter at Almondvale Stadium. The game burst into life early when Cristian Montano put Livingston ahead in the 3rd minute, but Benjamin Nygren levelled for Celtic just three minutes later, assisted by Daizen Maeda. Montano struck again in the 8th minute with an assist from Scott Pittman to restore Livingston’s lead, only for Hyun-jun Yang to equalise two minutes after that, thanks to Johnny Kenny’s setup. Celtic then took control before the break, with Nygren grabbing his second in the 31st minute off a Kieran Tierney assist, followed by Arne Engels converting a penalty in the 39th after a VAR check on Daizen Maeda.

The second half saw fewer goals but Celtic maintained their dominance, building on their recent wins against Aberdeen and Dundee despite back-to-back losses prior to that. Livingston, who have now lost four of their last five league games including this one, pushed for a comeback with substitutions like Jeremy Bokila replacing Lewis Smith at half-time, but couldn’t find a way back. Mahamadou Susoho picked up a yellow card in the 81st minute after coming on, summing up a frustrating day for the hosts as Celtic’s quality shone through.

Celtic’s 66% possession underlined their control of the game, allowing them to dictate the tempo while Livingston relied on counter-attacks to stay competitive with their 34% share. The hosts edged corners 11-4, showing threat from set-pieces, but Celtic’s 64 successful dribbles compared to Livingston’s 44 highlighted the visitors’ superior ability to beat defenders and create openings. Assists favoured Celtic at 3-1, reflecting better final-third play, and their single penalty success came without reply from Livingston, who also picked up the game’s only yellow card.

Substitutions saw Livingston use all five slots, starting with Jeremy Bokila replacing Lewis Smith at 46’, followed by Robbie Muirhead for Tete Yengi at 68’, Mahamadou Susoho for Stevie May at 74’, and a double change at 78’ where Joshua Brenet came on for Cristian Montano and Samson Lawal for Macaulay Tait. Celtic were more conservative with three changes: Reo Hatate for Benjamin Nygren and Colby Donovan for Hyun-jun Yang both at 71’, then Paulo Bernardo for Johnny Kenny at 82’. No red cards or injury-time goals disrupted the flow, keeping the match focused on open play.

The match turned on a frantic opening spell, with Cristian Montano’s 3rd-minute goal for Livingston quickly cancelled by Benjamin Nygren’s 6th-minute equaliser, before Montano scored again in the 8th and Hyun-jun Yang replied in the 10th to make it 2-2. Celtic pulled ahead decisively in the 31st when Nygren netted his second, and Arne Engels sealed the lead from the penalty spot in the 39th following a VAR review involving Daizen Maeda. Livingston’s half-time switch of Jeremy Bokila for Lewis Smith aimed to inject energy, but it couldn’t prevent Celtic from holding firm.

Later substitutions like Robbie Muirhead replacing Tete Yengi at 68’ and Mahamadou Susoho for Stevie May at 74’ gave Livingston fresh legs, though Susoho’s 81st-minute yellow card for a late challenge hampered their late push. Celtic’s changes, including Reo Hatate for Benjamin Nygren and Colby Donovan for Hyun-jun Yang at 71’, helped manage the game out, with Paulo Bernardo replacing Johnny Kenny at 82’ to see off any threat.

Livingston set up in a 4-3-3 formation, relying on partnerships like Cristian Montano’s forward runs and Scott Pittman’s assisting role to create threats early on. Players such as Stevie May and Tete Yengi pushed the attack before making way in the second half, while Macaulay Tait and Lewis Smith contributed in midfield until their substitutions.

Celtic deployed a 3-4-2-1 shape, with Benjamin Nygren and Hyun-jun Yang operating effectively behind the front line to exploit spaces, supported by assists from Daizen Maeda, Johnny Kenny and Kieran Tierney. Arne Engels anchored the midfield and stepped up for the penalty, while later introductions like Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo maintained their structure.

Ladbrokes’ Man of the Match went to Cristian Montano for his brace in the 3rd and 8th minutes, despite Livingston’s defeat. He delivered two goals without assists of his own, created no big chances but managed one key pass, standing out as the hosts’ brightest spark before being replaced by Joshua Brenet in the 78th minute.

Recent Premiership matches:

• Loss: 2-4 vs Celtic (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs St. Mirren (A)
• Draw: 2-2 vs Dundee (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Motherwell (A)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Aberdeen (H)

Recent Premiership matches:

• Win: 4-2 vs Livingston (A)
• Win: 3-1 vs Aberdeen (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Dundee United (A)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Hearts (H)
• Win: 1-0 vs Dundee (H)

Livingston have just suffered a 2-4 home defeat to Celtic, extending their poor run with only one draw in their last five league outings and four losses. Sitting 12th on nine points, they face a tough trip to Dundee United, who are eighth on 21 points, on 30 December 2025 at 19:45 – a win could help them climb away from the bottom but they’ll need to tighten up defensively to avoid further slips.

Celtic have just secured a 4-2 away win over Livingston, bouncing back from two recent defeats with three victories in their last five league games. Currently second on 38 points, they face Motherwell, who sit fourth on 30 points, on 30 December 2025 at 20:00 – three points here would keep the pressure on at the top and solidify their title challenge.

Ladbrokes brings you the most exciting betting promotions and the latest betting offers to enhance your experience.

For the best Premiership outright predictions, explore our Outright Betting guide.

Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.