By Callum McFadden at Fir Park.
Celtic returned to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership with a 2-0 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park, ending a run of three consecutive defeats before the international break and moving back to the top of the table.
Both sides entered the contest looking to get their seasons back on track, with Motherwell also having gone three games without a victory. However, it was Celtic who made the brighter start, quickly establishing control and taking an early lead.
The visitors struck in the ninth minute through Camilo Duran, who finished off a neat attacking move involving Callum McGregor and Colby Donovan. Their combination opened up the Motherwell defence, allowing Duran to collect the ball on the edge of the penalty area before drilling a low effort beyond the outstretched Alex Paulsen.
Celtic threatened to double their advantage just five minutes later when Mika Baur connected with a half-volley, forcing Paulsen into an excellent save to keep the hosts within touching distance.
Motherwell struggled to gain a foothold in the contest, repeatedly giving possession away in midfield and finding it difficult to cope with Celtic’s intensity. The home side eventually fashioned their first meaningful opportunity in the 26th minute when Lukas Fadinger drove forward and into the penalty area before unleashing a shot at goal.
Viljami Sinisalo could only parry the effort away, but McGregor reacted quickly to prevent Motherwell from capitalising on the rebound, turning the ball behind for a corner.
That opportunity offered the hosts some encouragement, and they gradually grew into the game as the first half progressed. However, despite enjoying spells of possession, Motherwell struggled to translate their improvement into clear-cut chances, with Celtic maintaining their advantage at the interval.
Celtic emerged for the second half with renewed purpose and almost extended their lead within a minute of the restart. Sebastien Tounekti cut inside from the left flank before curling an effort towards the top-right corner, only for Paulsen to produce another impressive save.
The pressure continued to mount, and McGregor came agonisingly close to making it 2-0 moments later. The Celtic captain unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area, but a deflection off Motherwell defender Martin Moormann sent the ball narrowly wide.
Celtic’s sustained pressure eventually paid off just before the hour mark as they doubled their advantage with a clinical counter-attack. Baur drove forward to initiate the move before bringing Kasper Høgh into play. The striker advanced into a dangerous position inside the box before squaring the ball for Benjamin Nygren, who finished from close range to give the visitors some breathing space.
With a two-goal cushion, Celtic continued to look for opportunities to put the result beyond doubt. McGregor and Shim Mheuka both had chances to add to the visitors’ tally, but neither could find the net.
The closing stages brought an emotional moment for the travelling support as Jota made his first appearance for Celtic in 533 days following a serious injury. His introduction was greeted with a roar usually reserved for a goal, underlining the affection in which the Portuguese playmaker is held by the Celtic faithful.
The final whistle confirmed a welcome return to winning ways for Celtic, who climbed back to the summit of the Scottish Premiership ahead of their Europa League meeting with Benfica.
For Motherwell, the defeat extended their winless run to four matches, leaving them ninth in the table as they turn their attention to their next fixture against Kilmarnock.
Motherwell: Paulsen, Sparrow, O’Donnell (Girdwood-Reich, 83), Moormann, Longelo, Hodge, Fadinger, Levitt (Kanga, 71), Lowry (Maswanhise, 83), Vogt (Said, 59), Palmer-Houlden (Bjorgolfsson, 71)
Substitutes: Connelly, Girdwood-Reich, Knight-Lebel, McGhee, Kanga, Bjorgolfsson, Maswanhise, Said, Booth.
Celtic: Sinisalo, Donovan, Murray, Scales, Tierney (Lotomba, 83), McGregor, Baur, Nygren (Sorensen, 78) Tounekti (Jota, 73), Duran (Hassan, 73), Hogh (Mheuka, 73)
Substitutes: Johnstone, Lotomba, Trusty, Jota, Sorensen, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hassan, Mheuka, Forrest.