Celtic VAR controversy sparks divided verdicts as three pundits give their views

Kasper Høgh thought he had finally ended his frustrating goal drought during Celtic’s narrow 1-0 win over Kilmarnock, only for VAR to deny him his moment of celebration.

The Danish striker had gone 15 matches without finding the net and looked certain to break that unwanted run when he finished from close range in the first half.

Høgh was picked out by Benjamin Nygren before firing past Nico Mantl from around seven yards. However, his celebrations were quickly interrupted when the officials began reviewing the build-up.

VAR identified a possible foul by Mika Baur on Kilmarnock captain Greg Kiltie earlier in the move. Referee John Beaton was subsequently asked to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

After watching the replay, Beaton decided that Baur had committed a foul, ruling out Høgh’s effort and extending the striker’s wait for a goal to 16 games.

Celtic eventually secured the victory through Liam Scales, who found the net in the 26th minute.

However, the disallowed goal became one of the biggest talking points of the afternoon, with different opinions emerging from those who watched the incident.

Three former players offered their verdicts on the controversial VAR intervention.

Simon Donnelly questions the decision

Speaking on Celtic TV, Donnelly admitted he initially believed Baur had made a good challenge to win possession back.

He acknowledged there may have been contact with Kiltie’s foot but felt the decision was harsh, particularly given the quality of the move that led to Høgh’s finish.

Donnelly said he thought Baur had done brilliantly and described the decision as soft.

James McFadden gives his verdict

BBC Sportsound pundit James McFadden also reflected on the incident, admitting that the challenge looked perfectly legitimate when viewed in real time.

He questioned whether Beaton had needed much time to assess the footage, although he accepted that the officials must have seen something significant.

McFadden said the challenge initially appeared clean but suggested the decision must have been relatively clear for VAR to intervene.

Peter Grant backs the officials

Peter Grant offered a different perspective, insisting the officials were right to disallow the goal.

Speaking on Celtic TV, he argued that Baur had failed to make contact with the ball and had therefore committed a foul.

Grant admitted the challenge was difficult to spot at first, explaining that Baur had made it look convincing during the passage of play.

However, after seeing the replay, he felt there was little room to argue against the referee’s decision.

The three pundits therefore offered contrasting assessments of the incident, with Donnelly questioning the severity of the decision, McFadden acknowledging the officials’ intervention and Grant firmly supporting the call.