Osmand and Nygren doubles send Celtic four points clear with 7-1 Hearts win

Celtic moved four points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a 7-1 home victory over Hearts on Sunday. Callum Osmand and Benjamin Nygren each scored twice as Martin O'Neill's side built a 5-1 half-time lead, according to the Press Association match report published by The Irish News.

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Kieran Tierney opened the scoring in the seventh minute and Nygren added the second three minutes later, both from Mika Baur corners. Liam Scales helped the first delivery towards Tierney, while Dane Murray kept the second attack alive for Nygren. Celtic's early set-piece success put Hearts two goals behind before they had settled.

Osmand then struck in the 36th and 38th minutes, with Camilo Duran involved in both goals. Laurent Mendy replied for Hearts in the 41st minute, but Jamie McCart's own goal restored Celtic's four-goal advantage before the interval. Duran scored shortly after the restart and Nygren completed the scoring in the 83rd minute.

Celtic Quick News described Duran's role in Osmand's double: he supplied the pass for the first finish, then followed up his own saved effort to cross for Osmand to head home. Its report also recorded Haissem Hassan hitting a post earlier in the half. The chances kept coming for Celtic even beyond the moves that produced goals.

O'Neill made changes once the lead was secure. According to Celtic Quick News, Jota replaced Osmand at half-time, and Callum McGregor, Tierney and Duran came off on the hour for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Landon Emenalo and Kasper Hogh. James Forrest subsequently replaced Hassan. Hogh later provided the pass for Nygren's second goal, giving a substitute a direct role in the final scoring move.

The result followed a reshuffle announced by Celtic before kick-off. The club confirmed four changes from the team beaten by Benfica in Lisbon on Thursday, bringing Scales into defence, Nygren into midfield and Osmand and Hassan into the starting attack. Both newly selected goalscorers finished with doubles as Celtic returned to league action with a decisive win.