🍀 Jota and Bernabei put Celtic in pole position ahead of Glasgow derby | OneFootball

Celtic re-established their nine-point lead atop the Scottish Premiership ahead of next week’s derby with a narrow win in Dingwall on Sunday afternoon.

Scorers: Jota (PEN) 40+4′, Bernabei 90+5′

Cameron Carter-Vickers missed a huge 10th minute chance for the opener when Alistair Johnston flicked across for him but he headed over from close range.

The Hoops struggled to create many more clearcut openings for the remainder of the first half, with an unlikely source in Greg Taylor coming up with their best, firstly curling off the post from the edge of the box with his right foot before being denied by Ross Laidlaw from close range.

But with the game appearing to have ended for half-time, a VAR check then took place for a handball in the Ross County area, with Alex Iacovitti penalised for his flailing arm connecting with the ball, allowing Jota to blast home down the middle.

Ross County started the second half brightly and came close to an equaliser with a strike from the edge of the area which ended up inches wide of the upright before Kyogo missed in extremely uncharacteristic fashion, somehow skewing wide from eight yards out when under no pressure.

Taylor then worryingly exited with an injury ahead of next weekend’s Glasgow derby before Hyeon-gyu Oh zipped one just past the post after showing slick strength and control to spin his man with ease on the halfway line and race clear.

Jota curled one off the bar in the eight minutes of injury-time which were added and although it seemed generous, it proved enough time for the champions to get their insurance goal when Taylor’s replacement Alexandro Bernabei blasted a beauty in from the edge of the area to net his first Celtic goal in style.

Ange Postecoglou’s side do move nine points ahead of Rangers, who they face in the east end of Glasgow next Saturday.