Jota comeback helps Celtic lift gloom in strong response
Celtic FC secured a 2-0 victory against Motherwell, returning to the top of the Scottish Premiership. The match was highlighted by the return of winger Jota, who played his first minutes after an 18-month injury layoff.
Why it matters
The win provides a significant morale boost for Celtic after a period of poor form and internal club tension.
Image source, SNS Image caption, Jota (right) suffered a cruciate ligament injury at Tannadice in April 2025
After weeks of acrimony at Celtic, the full-time scenes at Fir Park on Sunday provided welcome cheer for a disgruntled fanbase.
Off the back of three straight defeats before the international break - two of them inflicted by rivals Rangers - Martin O'Neill's side returned to winning ways as they deservedly beat struggling Motherwell 2-0 and returned to the Scottish Premiership summit.
Camilo Duran fired the visitors in front early on and midfielder Benjamin Nygren made sure of victory in the second half.
On top of the performance and result, influential winger Jota made his long-awaited return from injury after almost 18 months on the sidelines and it was the Portuguese who led the post-match celebrations.
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