Celtic's Title Hopes Dented by Motherwell's Draw in Europe
Motherwell's impressive start under Alfred Johansson continued as they secured a 1-1 draw away to HJK Helsinki in the first leg of their Conference League third qualifying round tie. The Lanarkshire side's new Swedish boss briefly looked on course for his fourth consecutive victory at the helm after Tawanda Maswanhise's penalty gave the Steelmen the lead just after the hour.
What Happened?
The hosts had the only two notable chances of an evenly contested but largely uneventful first half. Leonel Montano saw a header from close range pushed behind by goalkeeper Alex Paulsen in the 18th minute after Pyry Mentu had lobbed the loose ball back into the danger area following a corner. Paulsen was called into action again two minutes after the break to deny Mads Borchers after Montano's cutback from the left broke to the forward on the angle of the six-yard box.
Why it Matters for Celtic
Celtic's title hopes are dented as Motherwell secure a 1-1 draw against HJK Helsinki in the Conference League third qualifying round tie. The draw leaves Celtic three points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian in the title race.
What Comes Next?
Well, who lost Alex Lowry and Regan Charles-Cook to injuries in the closing stages, will return home feeling they have a good chance of setting up a glamour play-off round showdown with Europa League runners-up Freiburg later this month. HJK, who thrashed Coleraine 8-0 on aggregate in the previous round, went into the match on the back of a 3-0 Veikkausliiga defeat at SJK on Monday that had left them fourth in the table.
Recent Form
Celtic are currently on a 5-game winning run, with a recent form of 5W-0D-0L (WWWWW, most recent first). They have scored 59 goals and conceded 35 this season, with a goal difference of +24. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 3rd in Premiership, 67 pts, 21W-4D-8L from 33 games, recent form WWWWW.
Last Result
Celtic's last result was a 3-1 win over Heart of Midlothian on May 16, 2026. The draw leaves Celtic three points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian in the title race. Recent form (last 5): 5W-0D-0L (WWWWW, most recent first); on a 5-game winning run.
