CALLUM McGREGOR was forced to endure the full 90 minutes-plus of Celtic’s 2-0 nosedive the last time the champions played Motherwell at Fir Park.
It was the final game of 2025 – a dismal year in which the Hoops had lost two domestic Cup Finals – and the misery piled up in North Lanarkshire as the visitors were totally outplayed by Jens Berthel Askou’s team.
Wilfried Nancy stared down the barrel of a fifth defeat in seven games in charge of the Parkhead club.
Kieran Tierney and Daizen Maeda, Sunday’s two-goal hero against Danny Rohl’s Ibrox also-rans at Parkhead, were a bit more fortunate than their skipper – their agony lasted only 45 minutes.
BEST FOOT FORWARD…Callum McGregor challenges Motherwell midfielder Elijah Just in Celtic’s last visit to Fir Park in December.
With Celtic toiling 1-0 adrift, Nancy hooked them both at the interval to put on Luke McCowan and Shin Yamada. The double change didn’t work and the hosts scored another as they coasted to victory, their first over the same opposition at their venue since April 2013.
Fast forward five months and McGregor and Co will return to the scene of the crime with a vastly different mindset.
For a start, misfit Nancy is nowhere to be seen. The fumbling Frenchman followed up his loss at Fir Park with another reverse – this time 3-1 at home to Rangers – and got the boot after only 33 wretched days in charge.
Martin O’Neill is back in control in an interim capacity for the second time and Scotland’s title kings are just two wins away from a fifth successive championship and a record 56th crown overall.
Reflecting on the derby triumph and the manner in how it was achieved, McGregor said: “It was a huge win, but they are all at this stage of the season.
“There was huge expectation and we had to get three points.
SUNDAY BEST…captain Callum McGregor applauds the Celtic fans following the champions’ 3-1 derby win at Parkhead.
“The manner we did it was outstanding, considering the circumstances and context of the season. To win big games, you have to peak at the right time.
“In the last few weeks, have started to look more like ourselves.”
The club captain and influential onfield leader, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “It’s in our hands and we approach the games like we have always done.
“We need to take the same running and effort into Wednesday night. If we can win that, it then sets us up for the end of the week.
“We will recover, go again and see where it takes us.”
Everything is ticking down to a winner-takes-all encounter with Hearts, who are a point ahead and scheduled to play Falkirk at Tynecastle, at Parkhead for Saturday’s 12.30pm kick-off.
McGregor is determined to make certain he and his team-mates continue the feelgood factor and ensure history does not repeat itself at Fir Park tomorrow night.
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