YELLOW CARDpublished at 13:01 BST 20 August 2016
St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic
Paul Paton, perhaps still smarting from being embarrassed by James Forrest for the third goal, clatters into Tom Rogic just outside the Saints box and is booked.
Summary
FT: Aberdeen 2-1 Partick Th (McGinn, Storey; Erskine), FT: Hearts 5-1 Inverness CT (Cowie 2, Sammon, Nicholson 2; Paterson og)
FT: Rangers 2-1 Motherwell (Miller, Forrester; McDonald), FT: Ross Co 2-0 Kilmarnock (Boyce 2)
FT: St Johnstone 2-4 Celtic (Swanson, pen, MacLean; Griffiths, Sinclair, Forrest, Christie)
YELLOW CARDpublished at 13:01 BST 20 August 2016
GOAL St Johnstone 0-3 Celticpublished at 44 mins
James Forrest
Wonderful individual goal from James Forrest. He picks up the ball wide on the right and drives at Paul Paton, turning the Saints man inside out before caressing the ball past Mannus with the outside of the right boot and into the net.
Stunning goal, although Forrest is booked for celebrating with the Celtic fans.
YELLOW CARDpublished at 43 mins
St Johnstone 0-2 Celtic
Danny Swanson skips by Saidy Janko but the Celtic defender halts his progress and is booked.
GOAL St Johnstone 0-2 Celticpublished at 40 mins
Scott Sinclair
Scott Sinclair has been a big threat during the first-half and grabs his third goal in three domestic games for Celtic.
Tom Rogic plays in James Forrest who is brilliantly denied by Alan Mannus, who springs back to his feet to make an even better save from Leigh Griffiths but Sinclair makes no mistake to fire into the unguarded net from eight yards.
Mountain to climb for Saints now.
YELLOW CARDpublished at 38 mins
St Johnstone 0-1 Celtic
Leigh Griffiths takes a tumble in the penalty area under a Richard Foster challenge, but referee Craig Thomson rules it was a dive and books the Celtic striker.
'A long afternoon for Saints'?published at 12:47 BST 20 August 2016
St Johnstone 0-1 Celtic
Pat Bonner
BBC Radio Scotland pundit at McDiarmid Park"It was getting very frustrating for Celtic. They weren't creating too much despite getting in behind the Saints defence so they needed something. That will probably settle them down and it could be a long afternoon for St Johnstone now. They will have to do something different."
CLOSE!published at 31 mins
St Johnstone 0-1 Celtic
David Wotherspoon almost fires Saints level but his free-kick from the edge of the box is tipped over the bar by Craig Gordon.
GOAL St Johnstone 0-1 Celticpublished at 28 mins
Leigh Griffiths
Leigh Griffiths marks his 26th birthday with the opening goal. Kieran Tierney fizzes a cross into the box which is half-cleared into the path of Griffiths, who takes one touch and lashes the ball in off the underside of the bar with the aid of a slight deflection.
Goal number six of the season for the striker, who has picked up right where he left off from last season.
Postpublished at 26 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Joe Shaugnessy is the man in the right place at the right time for Saints again, blocking Tom Rogic's shot from 10 yards out after neat wing play from Scott Sinclair.
Former Manchester City man Sinclair looks in the mood today.
Postpublished at 21 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
A poor touch from Kolo Toure allows Danny Swanson to get in behind the Celtic defence. The ball eventually drops to Murray Davidson but his shot from the edge of the box is well wide.
Postpublished at 20 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Leigh Griffiths' corner is floated to the back post where Scott Sinclair is lurking but his volley is blocked by Richard Foster.
Image source, SNSImage caption, Richard Foster is making his Saints debut after arriving from Ross County on Friday
CLOSE!published at 16 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Tom Rogic has started the season in fine style and the midfielder's galloping run through the Saints defence is only ended when keeper Alan Mannus rushes out to smother the ball at his feet.
CLOSE!published at 15 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Kieran Tierney is fouled right on the edge of the left-hand side of the box. Scott Sinclair fires a cross/shot into a dangerous area but the ball drifts inches wide of the post.
Postpublished at 13 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Danny Swanson registers St Johnstone's first effort on goal from around 25 yards out but Craig Gordon makes a comfortable save.
Postpublished at 12 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Slick build-up from Celtic as Scott Sinclair sends Kieran Tierney down the left flank. He finds Tom Rogic who squares for Leigh Griffiths in the penalty area but Joe Shaughnessy makes a timely intervention for the home side.
Sainst have barely had a touch so far.
Paton 'man-marking' Rogicpublished at 12:24 BST 20 August 2016
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Pat Bonner
BBC Radio Scotland pundit at McDiarmid Park"It looks as if Paul Paton is almost man-marking Tom Rogic, who is playing in that number 10 position for Celtic. He is almost standing on his heels and that could create gaps that Paton leaves that other players will need to fill."
Postpublished at 8 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
The possession stats make grim reading for the Saints fans in the opening eight minutes:
St Johnstone 10% - 90% Celtic
Postpublished at 6 mins
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Celtic stroking the ball around the sun-kissed McDiarmid Park surface in the opening minutes.
Slight wind at Celtic's back in the first half.
Kieran Tierney's cross finds Scott Sinclair but the striker's control lets him down in the penalty area.
Saints aim to snuff out championspublished at 12:18 BST 20 August 2016
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
And to sum up the size of the task facing Saints today....
Image source, BBC Sport'Ultimate test' for Saintspublished at 12:16 BST 20 August 2016
St Johnstone 0-0 Celtic
Tom English
BBC Sport Scotland at McDiarmid Park"Glorious day in Perth. St Johnstone in great form but this is the ultimate test for them today."