Scottish Premiership: Celtic 4-1 Aberdeen
- Published
Celtic moved to the top of the Scottish Premiership with a comprehensive victory over last season's runners-up, Aberdeen.
The champions' early domination led to Leigh Griffiths' driven opener.
Ruthless finishing from Adam Rooney exposed defensive frailty to give the Dons a surprise equaliser.
James Forrest's clever finish and Scott Sinclair's penalty - after the sending off of Mark Reynolds - secured the win before Tom Rogic curled in a fourth.
The victory in Brendan Rodgers' first home league game as Celtic manager takes his side a point ahead of city rivals Rangers with a game in hand.
Dorus day
Dorus de Vries, who played for Rodgers at Swansea City before being brought to Celtic by the new manager, came into the team for Craig Gordon.
Rodgers' rationale, from what we can decipher, was that he likes his team to build from the back and that the Dutchman is a better distributor than the Scotland keeper.
There was little evidence that De Vries is any better in that department. Shortly before half-time, he gifted a ball to Kenny McLean and had to be bailed out by Kolo Toure.
His use of the ball wasn't convincing. Gordon could understandably look at his successor's performance and wonder why he had been dropped.
The beauty of this Celtic team, though, is in their huge firepower. Even when tired, as they were at times following their midweek Champions League qualifying success, they still won in a canter.
Ruthless finishing
Rogic, a huge Celtic asset, had smashed one off the Aberdeen crossbar early on, but when the goals started going in, they were delicious.
Griffiths' nutmeg on McLean and his subsequent thumping finish was glorious. Then, utterly against the run of play, Rooney curled in a fine equaliser after Toure's clearance fell to the Aberdeen striker.
Forrest's goal, after 42 minutes, was clinical too. Rogic played him through and the winger put it away with the outside of his right foot. The revitalised Forrest has scored three goals this season - one more than all of last season.
Who can silence Celtic's attack?
Aberdeen's record at Celtic Park is lamentable. Coming here, they had 22 consecutive losses in the league in 12 years and 62 goals conceded in that time.
They huffed and puffed in the second half, but their accuracy was nowhere good enough. And they paid for it.
Those awful statistics at the home of the champions got significantly worse late on when Reynolds, already on a yellow, bundled over Sinclair in the box. Reynolds got a red, Sinclair took the penalty - and scored.
A fourth came when Rogic thundered home a free-kick - another thumping strike from a man who has a kick like a mule.
Only four games into this league campaign and you have to wonder who in the Premiership has the capacity to silence this relentless Celtic attack. Their nearest challengers from the last two seasons were routed.
- Published27 August 2016
- Published27 August 2016
- Published27 August 2016