Celtic’s 5-1 thrashing of Aberdeen overshadowed by injury concern for Reo Hatate
Celtic’s emphatic 5-1 win over Aberdeen was clouded by a potential injury to Reo Hatate, who was forced off late in the match following a reckless challenge from Papa Gueye.
The tackle occurred right in front of the dugouts, and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was visibly furious. However, when Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin was asked about the incident post-match, his response raised eyebrows.
Speaking to PLZ Soccer, Thelin said, “No, I don’t want to talk about that right now. Like, I have to see the challenge again. I think both were there and tried to fight for the ball. Exactly how it was—I didn’t see.”
Thelin’s remarks were puzzling, especially considering the challenge took place in clear view of the technical areas. While he claimed not to have seen the incident, he still attempted to rationalize the tackle—an inconsistency that suggested a poorly thought-out response under pressure.
Understandably, Thelin was visibly dejected after the heavy defeat, which could explain his testy exchange with the reporter.
Thelin reacts to Aberdeen’s second-half collapse
Despite a promising start and resilience after falling behind early, Aberdeen faltered badly after Hyunjun Yang gave Celtic the lead just before halftime. The floodgates opened, and the Dons never recovered.
When asked whether his team had lost their composure, Thelin struggled to articulate his thoughts: “I think like, some parts was… it’s difficult to say that some parts was not so bad. But we created some chances, we did—we won some balls high up on the pitch. But when they arrived to our box, they were—they were good. And we have to do better in these situations.”
He admitted that while Aberdeen showed flashes of competitiveness, their defending fell apart—particularly at home, where he insisted such a performance was unacceptable.
With the Scottish Cup final looming, Celtic’s dominant showing has undoubtedly added pressure on Thelin and his side, who now face a battle to salvage what once looked like a promising season.
