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We did not witness at their home ground, as it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club possess a real serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over the visitors, whom they comfortably swatted aside. The challenge is now for others.

Key Moments in the After the Break

Three second-half minutes were key, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the rest of the game was for the Tynecastle team. The Greek winger doubled the lead, moving infield before thumping a right-footed shot past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Braga for a foul that Lawrence Shankland slotted home. Rodgers looked dejected; challenges abound for him.

The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.

Hoops' Reaction

Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. The defender, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to panic when trying to remove a Shankland cross. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pass for level terms.

Solid Backline

The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.

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