MOUSSA Dembele scored one goal and set up Kieran Tierney for another to extend Celtic’s winning run against Aberdeen to 10 games – and restore their nine point lead at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership at the same time.

This was an awkward league game for the Glasgow club to play in given that they had taken part in a draining Europa League match against Zenit St Petersburg in Russia on Thursday evening.

The pressure on Brendan Rodgers’s side to triumph in it was increased when their city rivals Rangers defeated Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday to reduce their advantage at the top of the table to just six points.

But a Dembele header in the 37th minute and then – after Celtic had been reduced to 10 men with the ordering off of Mikael Lustig for a second bookable offence - a Tierney strike in the 83rd minute secured an important victory.

Aberdeen’s disappointing afternoon ended when substitute Sam Cosgrove received a straight red card from referee Bobby Madden for a shocking challenge on Celtic skipper Scott Brown with five minutes remaining.

It is now over two years since Aberdeen have triumphed over or even just drawn with Celtic – since Jonny Hayes and Simon Church scored in a 2-1 win at Pittodre in a midweek match way back in February 3, 2016.

Rodgers made just two changes to his starting line-up – Tom Rogic and Scott Sinclair came in for Eboue Kouassi and Callum McGregor - even though his players had only got back to Scotland in the early hours of Friday morning

His opposite number Derek McInnes, meanwhile, made just two alterations to the side which had slumped to a 2-0 loss to Hibs away eight days earlier. Stevie May took over from Adam Rooney up front. Ryan Christie, who is on loan from the visitors, was unavailable for selection. Kari Arnason came in to a far more defensive side.

But the home side could certainly not be accused of sitting deep, inviting their opponents onto them and seeking to score on the counter attack. They took the game to their rivals from kick-off and were nearly rewarded for their positive approach with an early goal. Kari Arnason was inches away from connecting with a Kenny McLean free-kick in just the sixth minute.

Celtic’s play was often sloppy early on. In the 18th minute May intercepted an underhit Scott Brown pass to Olivier Ntcham just outside the Celtic area. Only some good work by Kristoffer Ajer prevented Aberdeen from capitalising on the mistake. The centre half won possession and cleared the danger.

But Aberdeen had to defend well themselves to stay level as their rivals gradually came into the game well. Just a minute later Arnason tackled Dembele as the striker was poised to shoot inside their penalty box and then Freddie Woodman did well to save Rogic shot.

Ntcham sent his central midfield partner Brown clear with a defence-splitting pass in the 20th minute. The Celtic captain showed great athleticism to get upfield and get a shot away even if his effort was well over.

McInnes’s men, though, responded well to those near things. McLean shelled a diagonal ball into the Celtic six yard box in the 25th minute from fully 30 yards out on the right touchline. May broke clear of his marker and was desperately unlucky not to get a foot on the end of the cross.

Ntcham, operating in his usual position as a deep-lying midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation, was at the heart of all of Celtic’s best attacking moves. In the 32nd minute he teed up Rogic for a header which Woodman palmed to safety and then tested the keeper with a shot three minutes later.

But it was, as has so often been the case this season, James Forrest who created the opening that the Scottish champions netted from. The winger jinked past Aberdeen left back Andrew Considine in the 37th minute before supplying Dembele. The forward did well to get in front of his markers and head in from close range.

Aberdeen pushed hard for an equaliser in the second half. Dorus de Vries did well to deny McLean in the 71st minute, then Niall McGinn had a shot blocked on the line and then Mikael Lustig headed a Chidiebere Nwakali shot to safety.

Ajer injured himself in an accidental collision with his team mate Jozo Simunovic in the build-up to those chances and he required to have his head bandaged by Celtic medical staff before play could continue.

Lustig, who had endured a difficult night against Zenit, was sent off for his second foul on Gary Mackay-Steven and his second yellow card of the afternoon in the 76th minute.

Rodgers put on McGregor for Rogic, Jack Hendry for Forrest and Edouard Odsonne for Sinclair while McInnes replaced May with Sam Cosgrove and Nwalki with Rooney.

Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, Celtic went two ahead when Dembele set up Tierney for a shot which the left back drilled in confidently.