Hibs 2-0 Aberdeen: Second-half goals seal Easter Road win

Hibernian build on derby momentum

Hibernian continued their positive run with a 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Easter Road in the Scottish Premiership, following up their Edinburgh derby triumph with another significant result. The match was settled by second-half goals from Thibault Klidje and Junior Hoilett, as the home side stepped up their intensity after the interval and found a way through a subdued Aberdeen team.

In front of an attendance of 18,848, Hibs produced a performance defined by patience in the first half and a more purposeful approach in the second. The victory kept the fifth-placed Hibees in touch with Motherwell and Rangers above them, while also moving them six points clear of Aberdeen, who dropped to seventh after a difficult afternoon.

Early chances but a quiet opening period

The first half offered moments rather than sustained pressure, with both sides producing one notable opportunity each in the early stages. Hibs threatened in the seventh minute when Warren O'Hora played a ball over the top that released captain Martin Boyle. Boyle attempted to lob the goalkeeper, but his effort dropped just over the crossbar.

Aberdeen responded at the other end when Alexander Jensen met Stuart Armstrong's cross, heading over from six yards. Despite that chance, the contest settled into a low-key rhythm, with neither team able to impose consistent attacking control before the break.

Jesper Karlsson later tested Hibs goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger with an angled shot, which Sallinger pushed behind. It was one of the few moments of danger in a first half that drifted to a goalless conclusion.

Injury blow for Hibs as Boyle goes off

The main setback for Hibs came in the 33rd minute when Boyle was forced off injured. The captain went down without anyone in close proximity, and after treatment he could not continue. Elie Youan was sent on in his place, a change that would prove influential after half-time as Hibs increased the tempo and began to create clearer openings.

While the injury was a concern for the home side, the match itself remained balanced at the interval, with the decisive period still to come.

Second-half pressure shifts the game

Hibs emerged for the second half with renewed purpose and quickly began to ask more questions of Aberdeen’s defence. In the 47th minute, Klidje slipped the ball through to Campbell, whose square pass across the six-yard box was scrambled behind by Jensen, with Youan lurking nearby.

Youan then went close himself, thumping an angled effort just wide of the far post. Moments later, Josh Mulligan hit a rising shot that was beaten out by Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov. The pattern was becoming clearer: Hibs were pushing higher, moving the ball with more urgency, and forcing Aberdeen into reactive defending.

Klidje breaks the deadlock

The breakthrough arrived on the hour mark. The move began with Youan playing a one-two with Jamie McGrath as he drove into the box. Youan then slid a low delivery across the face of goal, and Klidje forced the ball home from six yards to give Hibs a deserved lead based on their second-half dominance.

The goal reflected the sharper edge Hibs had shown after the break: quicker combinations around the penalty area, more runners arriving in finishing positions, and a willingness to sustain pressure rather than settling for isolated attacks.

Hibs stay on the front foot

Rather than protecting their advantage, Hibs continued to press for a second goal. Kanayo Megwa headed over from a McGrath cross, while substitute Hoilett also had an opportunity after being teed up by Youan, blasting over the bar.

Those chances underlined how much of the play belonged to the home side in the latter stages. Aberdeen, by contrast, struggled to offer a consistent response as an attacking force after the interval, with their threat limited and their momentum difficult to build.

VAR rules out Aberdeen equaliser

Aberdeen finally produced a moment of real danger in the 84th minute. Substitute Kevin Nisbet turned in Jensen’s cross from six yards, a finish that briefly suggested a late twist. However, the goal was ruled out for offside following a lengthy VAR check. The decision preserved Hibs’ lead and left the visitors with little time to regroup and find another opening.

For Hibs, it was a significant reprieve at a stage when matches can swing quickly. Instead of being pulled back into a tense finish, the home side were able to reset and look for a way to close the game out on their terms.

Hoilett seals it in stoppage time

Hibs made the result safe in stoppage time when Hoilett scored the second goal. After a pass from Mulligan, Hoilett struck a low angled shot that Mitov allowed to squirm beneath him. It was a decisive moment that ended Aberdeen’s hopes of salvaging anything from the match and confirmed Hibs’ control of the second half.

What the result means

The 2-0 win strengthened Hibernian’s position in the Premiership table, keeping them in touch with the teams above and extending the gap to Aberdeen. For Aberdeen, the defeat was a frustrating one, particularly given their limited attacking impact after the break and the disallowed goal that might have changed the dynamic late on.

For Hibs, the afternoon combined a strong result with one major concern: the first-half injury to Boyle. Even so, the response after half-time, the influence of Youan off the bench, and the finishing contributions from Klidje and Hoilett ensured the points stayed at Easter Road.

Match summary

• Competition: Scottish Premiership
• Venue: Easter Road
• Attendance: 18,848
• Score: Hibernian 2-0 Aberdeen
• Goals: Thibault Klidje (60'), Junior Hoilett (stoppage time)
• Key incident: Kevin Nisbet goal disallowed for offside after VAR check (84')
• Notable injury: Martin Boyle forced off in the first half