Celtic’s new arrival Benjamin Nygren needed only two league outings to announce himself, delivering a dazzling display in a 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
The Swedish midfielder broke the deadlock after 27 minutes. Timing his run with precision, he latched onto Kieran Tierney’s curling delivery from the left, slipped ahead of Sivert Heltne Nilsen, and coolly guided the ball into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov stranded.
It was the perfect finish to Celtic’s spell of pressure, much of which flowed through the right flank where Nygren linked sharply with James Forrest and Alistair Johnston.
His presence gave Aberdeen endless headaches, his pace and movement repeatedly stretching their backline.
After the interval, Nygren’s influence grew. He whipped in a superb cross that Adam Idah headed narrowly wide, then later released Reo Hatate with a perfectly weighted pass at the edge of the area. Hatate struck first time, sending a thunderous drive into the top corner to double Celtic’s advantage on 66 minutes.
Nygren’s relentless running and quick thinking continued to create openings. He drew fouls in dangerous areas, carried the ball fearlessly at defenders, and carved out three clear chances for teammates.
His only blemish came late on when Mitov spilled Hatate’s effort into his path, only for him to sky the rebound from close range.
Still, Brendan Rodgers’ decision to trust Nygren over Arne Engels was emphatically justified.
Forrest’s return to the line-up had dominated pre-match chatter, yet it was Nygren who stole the spotlight—an early sign that the 24-year-old could become central to Celtic’s title ambitions.