Hearts ‘rocked’ by Celtic – but did the red card play a ‘massive role’ in the draw?

There is clear evidence to support Hearts’ view that they should have secured a third league win over Celtic this season.

They had more shots, more efforts on target – and their expected goals rating was higher too – and they had 31 touches in the Celtic penalty area compared to just 13 for the champions at the other end.

Celtic had just 45% of possession, an impressive statistic for a club that has been accustomed to monopolizing the ball and trophies in Scotland for the last 15 years.

Kasper Schmeichel made two brilliant saves to deny Alexandros Kyziridis and Braga, and more importantly, Hearts succeeded in getting the ball rolling again.

Including throw-ins, Hearts have scored 18 goals from set-pieces in the league this season, four more than any other team.

Stuart Findlay’s header at the back post and Braga’s finish, which came from a knockdown from Oisin McEntee after a Harry Milne free-kick, sealed the equaliser.

“In terms of the chances created and the overall space, it looked like we were the better team and were more likely to win it,” McInnes told BBC Scotland.

“It was a fantastic free-kick by Celtic to take the lead, but we gathered ourselves well.

“The game went the way we wanted it to go. We upset Celtic, but we wasted chances.

“We’re a bit disappointed we didn’t get the three points. Most teams would have been happy with a point against a team like Celtic, but we upset them.

“It’s not often you see Celtic wasting time and trying to waste time. It shows the character of extracting a point without key players.”