Celtic vs St. Johnstone. Scottish Premiership.
Celtic ParkAttendance58,600.
Match report as Celtic drew blank against stubborn St Johnstone; visiting goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov produced an inspired performance to frustrate Brendan Rodgers' side; Matt O'Riley squandered Celtic's best chances; Rodgers: "If you draw at home to St Johnstone you deserve stick"
Saturday 26 August 2023 23:43, UK
Celtic dropped their first points of the new campaign after being held to a frustrating 0-0 draw with defiant St Johnstone, who had goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to thank for a string of superb saves.
St Johnstone broke their Scottish Premiership duck as a result, earning their first point of the season, while Brendan Rodgers' side reclaim top spot by virtue of goal difference - locked on seven points with Motherwell.
Despite dominating throughout, the reigning champions were guilty of haste and carelessness in front of goal as Mitov produced an inspired display, denying Matt O'Riley on three occasions, as well as saving from Liel Abada and Sead Haksabanovic.
The hosts also needed two excellent second-half saves from Joe Hart to prevent the Perth side pulling off a shock win, rejecting efforts from both Dara Costelloe and Stevie May.
Boos rang out around Celtic Park at the sound of the final whistle, with the home side's flat performance failing to garner any further support for Rodgers' cause, after crashing out of the Viaplay Cup six days' ago with a limp 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock.
"If you draw at home to St Johnstone you deserve stick," Rodgers accepted post-match.
Not many teams travel to Celtic Park and emerge unscathed, least of all sides who have already proved defensively vulnerable this term - St Johnstone had shipped four goals in two games before arriving in Glasgow.
Mitov, who celebrated his first call-up to the Bulgaria squad this week, was equal to all five of the shots Celtic mustered on target, with O'Riley squandering the best of the lot.
Alistair Johnston set up the first chance, which Kyogo Furuhashi swept just wide first time, before David Turnbull's deft corner was met on the volley by O'Riley, only for Mitov to push the ball over the crossbar.
O'Riley had his best chance early in the second half when Johnston's cutback found him unmarked, but the midfielder was again outwitted by Mitov, who rebuffed with an outstretched leg.
It was clear Celtic were lacking spark, and energy, which was provided by the introductions of Anthony Ralston, Haksabanovic and Abada on the hour mark, but none could unearth the elusive breakthrough.
Haksabanovic, playing in a number 10 role, soon set up O'Riley but that strike missed the target entirely, before Saints nearly had the last laugh when Costelloe flicked the ball over Liam Scales on the byline and volleyed an effort at Hart, which he got fingertips to.
Eight minutes of stoppage time did not help either, as the final whistle was greeted by a chorus of boos among some sections of home support, who continue to make their feelings of discontent for the return of Rodgers to the Celtic hotseat clear.
Asked about the reaction of supporters by BBC Scotland, Brendan Rodgers said: "I totally understand it.
"To not score or get three points is clearly not what we want or the supporters expect. You play or manage a club like this here, you have to have that personality to gain results.
"If not the flak will come your way and you have to take that and work to make it better. It's early in the season but there's lots of work to do."
When asked if he expected incomings, Rodgers added: "Hopefully. I think it's clear... I have said before we have improved the squad with some of the players we have brought in, but we have lost starters. So we need to improve the team.
"And it's always a challenge coming off the back of a season where you have won the treble. You have got to go again the following season where there is a greater expectation on you and more pressure.
"The fans will expect and rightly so. They were disappointed after the game and I am fully aware that if you draw at home to St Johnstone you deserve that bit of stick."
Steven MacLean, who handed debuts to three new loan signings and fielded eight summer arrivals in total, was delighted with what he saw: "All the new players we had, the way they worked, the togetherness of them, the work ethic, they did what we wanted them to do to the letter.
"You never know quite what you're going to get. You see them doing good things in training but until you pitch them in, you never know.
"I'm delighted for them as well. They're young, hungry players who want to kick on and play at a higher level. Hopefully we can help them to do that."
Celtic head to Rangers for their next Scottish Premiership match with first Old Firm clash of the season, live on Sky Sports, on September 3; kick-off 12pm.
St Johnstone's next league match is at home to Dundee on September 2; kick-off 3pm.
