Iheanacho’s 98th-minute penalty seals Celtic win, sets up dramatic Scottish title decider

Kelechi Iheanacho scored a stoppage-time penalty in the 98th minute to give Celtic FC a dramatic 3–2 victory over Motherwell FC at Fir Park on Wednesday night, a result that has thrown the Scottish Premiership title race into a final-day showdown.

The win sparked wild celebrations among Celtic supporters, with a pitch invasion following the final whistle as the Glasgow side kept their title defence alive and set up a decisive clash against league leaders Heart of Midlothian FC this weekend.

Celtic entered the match knowing that defeat—or even a draw—could hand Hearts the championship, after the Edinburgh side earlier secured a 3–0 win over Falkirk.

Motherwell struck first through Elliot Watt in the 17th minute, but Celtic responded with goals from Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren to take control of the contest.

However, the momentum shifted again in the 85th minute when Liam Gordon equalised for the hosts, a goal that briefly left Celtic staring at a title slip in real time.

With the match deep into stoppage time, a Celtic cross into the box led to a VAR review after the ball was judged to have struck Sam Nicholson’s raised arm. Referee John Beaton awarded a penalty following the intervention.

Under intense pressure and a hostile home atmosphere, Iheanacho stepped up and calmly dispatched a low finish into the bottom corner in the 99th minute, sealing a crucial away victory.

“It’s scary, to be fair, but I don’t know what I was thinking,” Iheanacho said after the match. “I just kept cool and brave. Thank God we got the win today.”

The result means the Scottish Premiership will be decided on the final matchday, with Celtic hosting Hearts in what is effectively a winner-takes-all encounter.

Hearts currently sit top of the table, with Celtic just one point behind heading into the decisive fixture.

For Hearts, a win or draw would secure a first league title in 66 years, while Celtic must win at home to retain the crown.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill praised his team’s resilience, while Hearts boss Derek McInnes criticised the late penalty decision, describing it as “disgusting” amid growing frustration over the result.

With Iheanacho’s last-minute intervention, attention now turns to Glasgow this Saturday, where the Scottish title race will reach its climax in one of the most anticipated finales in recent Premiership history.