Alfredo Morelos and Moritz Jenz shine for Old Firm – what we learned in Scotland
Aberdeen and St Johnstone claimed wins while Hearts and Hibernian took a point apiece from the first Edinburgh derby.
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Your support makes all the difference.Celtic and Rangers are the only two teams in the cinch Premiership with 100 per cent records after the second round of matches.
Aberdeen and St Johnstone notched their first wins of the campaign, while Hearts and Hibernian took a point apiece from the first Edinburgh derby.
Here the PA news agency looks at five things we learned from the weekend’s fixtures.
Moritz Jenz makes a name for himself
The German was drafted in for Celtic after Stephen Welsh dropped out through illness and with Carl Starfelt only just back from hamstring trouble.
He showed poise and purpose in possession but had some difficult moments – being outjumped for Ross County’s equaliser and then giving away a free-kick on the edge of his box before being rescued by Joe Hart.
But he made himself an instant hero by rising to head home Celtic’s crucial late second goal in a 3-1 win.
No instant turnaround at Motherwell
Steven Hammell was asked to take on a Motherwell squad short of confidence, fitness and balance after Graham Alexander left in the wake of their 3-0 defeat by Sligo Rovers and the caretaker boss was looking to follow up a resilient opening-day win against St Mirren.
A four-point return in the circumstances would have been as much as anyone could have expected but Motherwell somehow lost to Stevie May’s goal despite equalising against St Johnstone in stoppage time.
The club aim to appoint a new manager in the coming days.
Alfredo Morelos is back
The Colombian marked his first appearance since tearing a thigh in March with a poacher’s goal off the bench to seal a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock.
Antonio Colak had earlier opened his Rangers account and manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst now has a big decision to make over who starts up front as Gers look to overturn a 2-0 Champions League deficit against Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday.
Jim Goodwin’s Aberdeen revival gathers pace
Defeat at Celtic Park on the opening day temporarily calmed the feelgood factor building at Pittodrie this summer after an eye-catching recruitment drive and an impressive Premier Sports Cup group stage.
But the Dons rolled St Mirren over 4-1 on Saturday with a performance that suggested the hype around manager Jim Goodwin’s rebuild is justified, with all the goals scored by new signings, including a double from exciting North Macedonia striker Bojan Miovski.
Fairy-tale return for Martin Boyle
Hibernian could – and arguably should – have been in downbeat mood, licking their wounds after what would have been a third consecutive Edinburgh derby defeat.
Hearts, despite only winning by one goal, looked comfortable and on course for a win at Easter Road until Martin Boyle, who only returned to the club on Saturday, popped up with an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time, sparking some of the most delirious scenes Easter Road has witnessed in a long time and preserving their unbeaten start to the season.
The Australia international has the talismanic ability to make the difference between a good season for Hibs and a bad one.
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