Hearts 2 Aberdeen 1: Juanma severely dents visitors´ title hopes

Juanma scored twice as Hearts came from behind to defeat Aberdeen 2-1 at Tynecastle in a potentially critical blow to the visitors’ Scottish Premiership title hopes.

Aberdeen came into the game with four wins from five matches, but the defeat in Edinburgh means that champions Celtic can move eight points clear of them when the league splits in two after 33 games if they defeat Motherwell on Saturday.

It had all started well for Derek McInnes’ men when Simon Church slotted in Graeme Shinnie’s cross inside four minutes, but Juanma’s 10th and 11th Premiership goals of the campaign – one in either half – proved decisive. 

First, he converted from close-range after goalkeeper Scott Brown had parried Alim Ozturk’s strike, before he sealed the points with a well-placed header after great wing play from Jamie Walker.

Hearts, who saw their previous game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle postponed as their squad struggled with a virus, still have hopes of catching Aberdeen in second – they are now nine points adrift with the aforementioned match in hand.