Motherwell vs Celtic: form, goals and key statistics

Game details

Motherwell played against Celtic in Premiership (Scotland). The game was played on December 30, 2025. Final score: 2:0.

Recent form

Motherwell has 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss over its last five games, averaging 1.60 points per game. Celtic has 3 wins, 0 draws and 2 losses, with 1.80 points per game.

Scoring records

Motherwell scores 1.37 goals per game and allows 0.84. Celtic scores 1.83 and allows 0.89. Games in this league average 2.58 goals.

BTTS and goal totals

Both teams score in 47% of Motherwell's games and 44% of Celtic's. The Over 2.5 rates are 37% and 61%, compared with league averages of 51% for BTTS and 51% for Over 2.5.

xG and shots

Celtic has the higher season xG average, 1.98 to 1.44 per game. Motherwell takes 12.2 shots per game, while Celtic takes 17.4.

First-half and second-half trends

Motherwell leads at halftime in 37% of its games and scores 0.79 goals per game after halftime. Celtic leads at halftime in 44% and scores 1.00 after halftime.

When the teams score

Motherwell's most productive scoring window is minutes 16-30 (7 goals). For Celtic, it is minutes 76-90+ (10 goals). These are past scoring patterns, not predicted goal times.

League scoring profile

Premiership games average 2.58 goals. Both teams score in 51% of games, and 51% finish with at least three goals.

Head-to-head record

Before this game, one previous meeting was available. The record was 0 home wins, 0 draws and 1 away win. Those games averaged 5.00 goals, with both teams scoring in 100% of them.

Stats by half

1 : 0
First half
1 : 0
Second half

Game stats

43Possession (%)57
MotherwellCeltic
11Shots8
MotherwellCeltic
6Shots on target3
MotherwellCeltic
1.35xG1.08
MotherwellCeltic
1Corners3
MotherwellCeltic
32Dangerous attacks49
MotherwellCeltic
7Fouls14
MotherwellCeltic
0Cards4
MotherwellCeltic

Pre-game profilewhat do the season numbers say?

This team profile combines season stats and recent form. In-game statistics appear after the final whistle.

1.37Goals scored / game1.83
MotherwellCeltic
0.84Goals allowed / game0.89
MotherwellCeltic
60%Average possession71%
MotherwellCeltic
4.16Shots on target / game5.5
MotherwellCeltic

Team statswho is more efficient?

Compare both teams' attacking and defensive records this season.

12.21Shots per game17.39
MotherwellCeltic
4.16Shots on target5.5
MotherwellCeltic
11.2%Shot conversion10.5%
MotherwellCeltic
60%Possession71%
MotherwellCeltic
1.44xG for1.98
MotherwellCeltic
1.29xG against0.96
MotherwellCeltic

Shooting quality

Motherwell: BalancedCeltic: Dominant
MotherwellCeltic
Accuracy (shots on target)34%32%
Chance quality (xG per shot)0.120.11
Finishing (goals per shot on target)0.330.33

xG per shot around 0.08 usually means long-range attempts; 0.15+ usually means box chances. The style label comes from possession, shot volume and conversion.

* xG (expected goals) says how many goals a team should score from its chances. If actual goals are above xG, finishing is above average; if below xG, chances are being missed.

Team formwho is in better shape?

Last five games and season record, overall, at home and away.

Celtic is 13% better for: last-5 form.

1.6 pts / game - Motherwell · 1.8 pts / game - Celtic

Motherwell
DWDWL
Season result split
37% W47% D16% L
Season (W-D-L)
7-9-3
1.58 pts / game · goal difference +10
Last 5 (W-D-L)
2-2-1
1.60 pts / game
Record at home (W-D-L)
5-3-1
Last 5 at home
4-1-0
WWDWW
Last 5 games - averages
Goals scored: 0.8Goals conceded: 0.2xG: 1.50Opponent xG: 1.42BTTS: 0%Over 2.5: 20%
Celtic
WLLWW
Season result split
67% W11% D22% L
Season (W-D-L)
12-2-4
2.11 pts / game · goal difference +17
Last 5 (W-D-L)
3-0-2
1.80 pts / game
Record away (W-D-L)
5-1-3
Last 5 away
3-0-2
LWWLW
Last 5 games - averages
Goals scored: 2.0Goals conceded: 1.4xG: 2.21Opponent xG: 1.14BTTS: 80%Over 2.5: 80%

Goalshow do both teams score and concede?

How many goals both teams score and concede, plus how often they keep a clean sheet or fail to score.

Celtic is 34% better for: goals scored per game.

1.37 goals / game - Motherwell · 1.83 goals / game - Celtic

Motherwell is 6% better for: goals allowed per game.

0.84 goals / game - Motherwell · 0.89 goals / game - Celtic

Motherwell scoring profile: mixed

Motherwell scores in 74% of games (14 of 19 meczów), while Celtic keeps a clean sheet in 50% (9 of 18 meczów).

Celtic scoring profile: strong

Celtic scores in 83% of games (15 of 18 meczów), while Motherwell keeps a clean sheet in 47% (9 of 19 meczów).

26Goals scored (season)33
MotherwellCeltic
16Goals conceded (season)16
MotherwellCeltic
2.21Average goals per game2.72
MotherwellCeltic
4Goals scored (last 5)10
MotherwellCeltic
1Goals conceded (last 5)7
MotherwellCeltic

How often they score at least...

74%1 goal83%
MotherwellCeltic
47%2 goals50%
MotherwellCeltic
16%3 goals33%
MotherwellCeltic
0%4 goals17%
MotherwellCeltic

How often they concede at least...

53%1 goal50%
MotherwellCeltic
21%2 goals33%
MotherwellCeltic
11%3 goals6%
MotherwellCeltic
0%4 goals0%
MotherwellCeltic

* Statistics include both teams' home and away games this season.

Both teams scored (BTTS)how often do both teams score?

How often games involving these teams produce goals at both ends, compared with the league average.

Goal patterns

11%BTTS at half-time17%
MotherwellCeltic
11%BTTS in both halves6%
MotherwellCeltic
32%Scored in both halves28%
MotherwellCeltic

BTTS and goal count

32%Min. 3 goals and BTTS44%
MotherwellCeltic
5%Min. 3 goals without BTTS17%
MotherwellCeltic
0%BTTS - last 580%
MotherwellCeltic

Goal count (Over/Under)how often do these games cross the goal lines?

See how often games involving these teams clear each goal line, for the full game and each half.

1st half

58%Min. 1 goal before half-time67%
MotherwellCeltic
21%Min. 2 goals before half-time33%
MotherwellCeltic
0%Min. 3 goals before half-time6%
MotherwellCeltic

2nd half

74%Min. 1 goal after half-time72%
MotherwellCeltic
47%Min. 2 goals after half-time50%
MotherwellCeltic
11%Min. 3 goals after half-time28%
MotherwellCeltic

Game halveswhen do the teams score more often?

How teams split performance between first and second half: goals, points, clean sheets and half-time state.

Celtic is 9% better for: first-half form (half-time points).

1.63 pts / game - Motherwell · 1.78 pts / game - Celtic

Motherwell - half-time state
37% leading53% draw11% trailing
Celtic - half-time state
44% leading44% draw11% trailing

Before half-time (1st half)

1.63Points per game (1st half)1.78
MotherwellCeltic
0.58Goals scored (1st half)0.83
MotherwellCeltic
0.21Goals conceded (1st half)0.39
MotherwellCeltic
0.79Average goals (1st half)1.22
MotherwellCeltic
79%Clean sheet before half-time72%
MotherwellCeltic
53%No goal before half-time44%
MotherwellCeltic

After half-time (2nd half)

1.37Points per game (2nd half)1.83
MotherwellCeltic
0.79Goals scored (2nd half)1
MotherwellCeltic
0.63Goals conceded (2nd half)0.5
MotherwellCeltic
1.42Average goals (2nd half)1.5
MotherwellCeltic
58%Clean sheet after half-time61%
MotherwellCeltic
42%No goal after half-time44%
MotherwellCeltic

Motherwell - second-half results

32% W42% D26% L
31
Half-time points
11
Half-time goals
+7
Goal difference (1st half)
26
Second-half points
+3
Goal difference (2nd half)
1.63
PPG before half-time
Lead holding100%

Leads at halftime in 37% of games and wins 37%. Also wins some games without leading at halftime.

Defense after halftime+0.4

Allows 0.4 more goals per game after halftime, a sign that the defense becomes less effective later in games.

Celtic - second-half results

50% W33% D17% L
32
Half-time points
15
Half-time goals
+8
Goal difference (1st half)
33
Second-half points
+9
Goal difference (2nd half)
1.78
PPG before half-time
Lead holding152%

Leads at halftime in 44% of games and wins 67%. Also wins some games without leading at halftime.

Defense after halftime+0.1

Allows 0.1 more goals per game after halftime, a sign that the defense becomes less effective later in games.

Motherwell - last 5 games by half
1st half2nd half
Points per game1.401.60
Goals scored / game0.20.6
Goals allowed / game0.00.2
Average goals per game0.20.8
1 goal20%60%
2 goals0%20%
3 goals0%0%
Clean sheet100%80%
No goal80%60%
Goal difference+1+2
Half-time: 20% leading - 80% draw - 0% trailing
2nd half: 40% won - 40% draw - 20% lost
BTTS at half-time (last 5): 0% - Half-time goals total: 1
Celtic - last 5 games by half
1st half2nd half
Points per game2.401.20
Goals scored / game1.40.6
Goals allowed / game0.60.8
Average goals per game2.01.4
1 goal100%60%
2 goals20%60%
3 goals20%20%
Clean sheet60%40%
No goal20%60%
Goal difference+4-1
Half-time: 80% leading - 0% draw - 20% trailing
2nd half: 20% won - 60% draw - 20% lost
BTTS at half-time (last 5): 20% - Half-time goals total: 7

* Table colors show frequency: green is common, yellow is moderate and red is rare. They are not team ratings.

Goals by minutewhen do goals arrive?

The parts of a game in which both teams score and allow the most goals.

Motherwell
ScoredConceded
0
1
0-15
7
3
16-30
4
0
31-45
4
3
46-60
4
5
61-75
7
4
76-90

Most dangerous in minutes 16-30 (7 goals). Concedes most in 61-75 (5). Late-goal balance (76-90): +3 - wins late phases.

Celtic
ScoredConceded
6
3
0-15
5
1
16-30
4
3
31-45
4
5
46-60
4
3
61-75
10
1
76-90

Most dangerous in minutes 76-90 (10 goals). Concedes most in 46-60 (5). Late-goal balance (76-90): +9 - wins late phases.

* Buckets 31-45 and 76-90 include added-time goals.

Additional team indicatorswhat do xG, efficiency and form show?

A comparison of chance quality, results and trends from completed games this season.

Game profile

2.46
Estimated goals
attack vs. opponent defense
1.1 : 1.3
Estimated goal split
home : away
96%
Pace vs league
100% = league average
46%
Both teams scored (BTTS)
average from both teams' seasons
+103%
Derby effect
H2H goals vs typical matches
61%
BTTS estimate
from both teams' scoring frequency
4%
0:0 risk
about 1 in 25 matches
0-1
Most common goal range
attack vs. defense for both teams

Motherwell

Net xG balance
Difference between the quality of chances created and allowed per match.
+0.15
Results compared with xG
Difference between the actual goal balance and the balance suggested by xG.
+0.38
Points compared with goal balance
Comparison between collected points and the points implied by the team's goal balance.
-11.3 pts
Finishing efficiency
Does the team convert chances? Positive means it scores more than the quality of chances suggests.
-0.07
Defensive efficiency
Does the defense or goalkeeper outperform the chances allowed? A positive value means the team allows fewer goals than its xGA suggests.
+0.45
Attack vs league
How much the team scores compared with the league average for this role. 120% means 20% above average.
95%
Defense vs. league
Goals allowed compared with the league average. An 80% score means 20% fewer goals allowed.
74%
Form trend
Compares points from the last five games with the full-season average.
+0.02
Stronger second half?
How many more goals the team scores after half-time than before it.
+0.2
Late goals
27% of this team's goals come in minutes 76-90. For comparison, 0% come in the first quarter-hour.
27%

Celtic

Net xG balance
Difference between the quality of chances created and allowed per match.
+1.02
Results compared with xG
Difference between the actual goal balance and the balance suggested by xG.
-0.08
Points compared with goal balance
Comparison between collected points and the points implied by the team's goal balance.
-5.7 pts
Finishing efficiency
Does the team convert chances? Positive means it scores more than the quality of chances suggests.
-0.15
Defensive efficiency
Does the defense or goalkeeper outperform the chances allowed? A positive value means the team allows fewer goals than its xGA suggests.
+0.07
Attack vs league
How much the team scores compared with the league average for this role. 120% means 20% above average.
161%
Defense vs. league
Goals allowed compared with the league average. An 80% score means 20% fewer goals allowed.
62%
Form trend
Compares points from the last five games with the full-season average.
-0.31
Stronger second half?
How many more goals the team scores after half-time than before it.
+0.2
Late goals
30% of this team's goals come in minutes 76-90. For comparison, 18% come in the first quarter-hour.
30%

* The estimated goal total and split, BTTS estimate, 0:0 risk and goal range use public season averages and frequencies for both teams. This is a statistical game profile, not a private model prediction or betting pick. The remaining indicators describe completed games from the season.

League contextis this a high-scoring league?

How both teams compare with league-wide averages (Premiership).

Teams vs league

MotherwellLigaCeltic
Average goals per game 2.212.58 2.72
Both teams scored 47%51% 44%
Min. 3 goals (Over 2.5) 37%51% 61%
Clean sheets 47%29% 50%
Goal before half-time 58%74% 67%
Goal after half-time 74%79% 72%

^ green = above league average, ˇ red = below league average. This shows direction of the gap, not a team rating.

2.58
Average goals per game
51%
Both teams scored
51%
Min. 3 goals (Over 2.5)
29%
Clean sheets
1.44
Home goals / game
1.14
Away goals / game
+26%
Home attack advantage
+21%
Home defensive advantage
+12%
Total home advantage
Goals in 1st half (whole league)
74%
1 goal
32%
2 goals
8%
3 goals
1%
4 goals
Goals in 2nd half (whole league)
79%
1 goal
44%
2 goals
13%
3 goals
3%
4 goals

Lineups and player events

Verified starters, substitutes and recorded player events for this match.

Match timeline

Goals, cards and substitutions arranged in chronological order.

  1. MotherwellGoalIbrahim Sa’idAssist: Stephen O'Donnell
  2. CelticYellow cardAuston Trusty
  3. CelticYellow cardReo Hatate
  4. CelticYellow cardAnthony Ralston
  5. MotherwellGoalElliot Ward
  6. CelticSubstitutionOn: Colby DonovanOff: Anthony Ralston
  7. CelticSubstitutionOn: James ForrestOff: Hyun-Jun Yang
  8. CelticYellow cardLiam Scales
  9. MotherwellSubstitutionOn: Callum HendryOff: Elijah Henry Just
  10. MotherwellSubstitutionOn: Mbule Longelo EmmanuelOff: Oscar Priestman

Referee and managers

Open their season profiles to compare match records, goals and disciplinary trends.

Referee context

See how often this referee shows cards, awards penalties and how their matches tend to finish.

Kevin ClancyMatches officiated: 13
3.38Cards per match
0Penalties per match
1 / X / 262%Home wins15%Draws23%Away wins

Head-to-head

Record from Motherwell's perspective: 0 wins, 0 draws and 1 loss against Celtic. Games average 5.00 goals, and both teams scored in 100% of them.

Celtic FC
3 : 2
Motherwell FC

FAQ

What was the result of Motherwell vs Celtic?

The Premiership match finished Motherwell 2:0 Celtic. Full match statistics, the half-by-half breakdown and head-to-head are on this page.

What do the goal statistics show before Motherwell vs Celtic?

Motherwell score 1.37 goals per game on average and Celtic 1.83. The Premiership average is 2.58 goals, with Over 2.5 landing in 51% of games. Both teams score in 47% of Motherwell's matches and 44% of Celtic's.

What form are Motherwell and Celtic in?

Over the last 5 games Motherwell have a 2-2-1 record (1.60 points per game) and Celtic 3-0-2 (1.80 points per game).

Where can I find a betting tip and analysis for Motherwell vs Celtic?

The statistical background for Motherwell vs Celtic — form, head-to-head, goals, BTTS and Over/Under — is on this page. The tip with full reasoning and a value assessment is in the NoFluffPicks app.