Nygren's penalty miss kept Celtic's win to one goal

Celtic beat Kilmarnock by a single goal after Benjamin Nygren missed a penalty, and the chances behind their win were weaker than usual.

Celtic were a goal up when the referee pointed to the spot 17 minutes from time, after the video assistant referee (VAR) had reviewed the incident. A second goal would have settled the afternoon. Benjamin Nygren took the penalty three minutes later and missed it, so the margin stayed at a single goal until the final whistle.

Liam Scales had given Celtic that lead in the 26th minute, with Camilo Durán credited with the assist. Earlier, a Celtic goal by Mika Baur at 15 minutes had been ruled out after a VAR review, which kept the scoreboard blank for another eleven minutes. Kilmarnock conceded one goal, against the 2.3 they usually let in on the road, so their defence let in fewer than it normally does away from home.

Celtic had 59% of the ball, close to the 60.4% they average at home, so their share of possession was ordinary. They also took 20 shots, against an average of 20.3. The chances were weaker than that shot count suggests: expected goals, a measure that gives each chance a value depending on how close and clear it was, came to 2.29, against a home average of 2.91. Scales' goal was the only one to go in, and the attacking return was below their usual level all round.

Kilmarnock had 41% of the ball, short of their away average of 45.3%, and took seven shots against the 11.7 they usually manage on the road. Their expected goals came to 1, below the 1.51 they average away from home. Across the league, a typical match has 2.9 goals and each team takes 14 shots, so both sides finished this game under that line. N. Mantl made four saves for Kilmarnock, one more than S. Johnstone managed at the other end, which makes him the busier of the two keepers.

Kilmarnock were booked five times, starting with a yellow card in the ninth minute, and committed 12 fouls to Celtic's seven. Celtic received one caution all afternoon, Yang Hyun-Jun's at 82 minutes. That gap in discipline sits alongside a match in which Kilmarnock had less of the ball and fewer shots than they usually do.

Liam Scales finished with the highest rating of the afternoon, 7.9, and Camilo Durán created chances with four key passes, the kind that lead straight to a shot. Scales did the job that mattered most, while Durán was the link that set it up. Neither was flashy about it, but the goal came from their work together.

Celtic stay top of the table on 28 points from 12 matches, with nine wins from those 12. Kilmarnock are 12th on nine points, having won only twice in their 12 games.

Player of the matchL. Scales1 goal7.9

C. Durán1 assist7.7

S. Johnstone3 saves7.5

C. Carter-Vickers2 chances created7.4