Scott Allan believes Alexandro Bernabei was right to not face punishment after catching a Hearts player on the ankle during Celtic's win last on Wednesday.
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson was furious that the defender did not see red for a challenge on Nathaniel Atkinson. VAR official Nick Walsh checked Bernabei's tackle while the Hearts player received treatment but referee Alan Muir was not asked to review the footage and the Argentinian escaped without any punishment.
The scores were level at the time and Ange Postecoglou's side went on to win 3-1 as goals from Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Sead Haksabanovic completed the Premiership leaders' comeback following Josh Ginnelly's early opener. The Hoops retained their nine-point lead at the top of the league after Rangers defeated Hibs at Easter Road 4-1. Neilson raged following the game saying you need to get a "decapitation" against Celtic at Parkhead to get a red card against them.
Allan, a former Celtic and Hibernian midfielder was asked his views on the tackle as well as Neilson's comments. He told Sky Sports: "I think it's a reaction to try and stretch and maybe stop Hearts on the counter attack. I don't think he's meant to catch him on the ankle. I don't know, not for me, I don't think."
On the "decapitation" comments, he added: "I think maybe a small point there but I think he'll just be frustrated with the result. A lot of positives from a Hearts point of view going into the game on Saturday."
Kyogo netted again for the champions bagging his 25th goal of the season and Allan has been impressed with the Japanese striker.
He said: "He's one of the players he makes your mind up, so if you open up he's on the move you play the pass like the pass that Mooy makes last night. It's difficult with Celtic because they play a possession based game, if they are threading that ball through all the time there is a bit of risk involved with that so maybe trying to find the balance and maybe Kyogo could even be on more goals than he is on already.
"When you have someone of his quality you just know, players know now that when they open up he's on the move and it's up to them to find him."
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