CELTIC returned to the top of the William Hill Premiership this afternoon with a comfortable victory over Hibernian at Easter Road that was secured thanks to first half Nicolas Kuhn and Callum McGregor strikes.
Kuhn opened the scoring in just the third minute after Hibs goalkeeper Josef Bursik had palmed a Kyogo Furuhashi shot to the feet of James Forrest. The winger squared across goal and his fellow wide man was unmarked as he netted from close range.
The second in the 19th minute was a screamer. McGregor, who this week announced his retirement from international football, received the ball from Kuhn and whipped an unstoppable shot beyond Bursik from fully 25 yards out.
Hibs, who had been beaten 3-0 by St Mirren in Paisley on the opening weekend of the new league season, failed to seriously trouble their opponents and are now rooted to the bottom of the table after a second successive loss.
Here are five talking points from a one-sided encounter.
Champagne Celtic
Brendan Rodgers named an identical starting line-up to the one which had taken to the field in the Premiership opener against Kilmarnock seven days ago – and Celtic produced another dominant display.
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The defending Scottish champions have very much picked up this season where they left off last term. They were solid defensively, controlled possession in the middle of the park, worked tirelessly from kick-off until the final whistle and attacked in numbers whenever play allowed.
The only negative was they failed to convert more of the opportunities they carved out in the final third. But the fact that winger Mikey Johnston took over from Furuhashi told a story.
Celtic fans have been concerned by the lack of transfer activity this summer. But new signing Paulo Bernardo came off the bench to replace Reo Hatate and striker Adam Idah is expected to return imminently. They should only improve further as reinforcements arrive. It is a sobering thought for their domestic rivals.
Hibs’ woes
David Gray was far from impressed with Hibs’ performance through at the SMiSA Stadium last Sunday and his unhappiness with what he witnessed was reflected in his team selection today.
Mykola Kuharevich replaced Dylan Vente up front and made his first start since returning from Swansea on loan. Elsewhere, Dylan Levitt took over from Nathan Moriah-Welsh in central midfield.
But keeping faith with the same defence did not go well. Lewis Miller, Marvin Ekpiteta, Warren O’Hora and Jordan Obita failed to close down Furuhashi or Forrest quickly enough before the opener and stood off McGregor in the build-up to the second.
Levitt, Joe Newell and Josh Campbell were just as culpable, if not more so, than the back four. They were completely overrun by Hatate, McGregor and Matt O’Riley in midfield.
Hibs acquitted themselves far better in the second half. New arrival Kieran Bowie came on for Kuharevich and struck the woodwork with seven minutes of regulation time remaining.
But they will have to raise their game considerably to avoid another heavy reverse when they travel to the East End of Glasgow for a Premier Sports Cup tie next Sunday. It already looks like it is going to be another long and difficult season for them.
McGregor off the mark
Scotland manager Steve Clarke was in attendance in the main stand along with his assistant John Carver and he was given a stark reminder of the talent he will be without during the national team’s forthcoming Nations League campaign.
McGregor, who claimed his first league goal since February and opened his account for the new season, was unlucky not to bag a double. He saw an attempt deflected onto the right post during the second half.
The Celtic captain’s assured personal showing augurs well for the months ahead. He should be able to avoid any dips in form due to the regular breaks he will get when his country is in action.
Maeda boost
Daizen Maeda returned to the Celtic squad for the first time since limping off in the 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea in a pre-season friendly in Indiana last month.
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The fans’ favourite was cheered by the occupants of the away end as he warmed up during the match and received a rousing ovation when he took over from Forrest after an hour.
The Japanese internationalist was unable to add to his side’s tally or create any opportunities for his team mates during the half hour he was involved. Still, he will benefit from his involvement. His availability is positive for Rodgers.
Fan farce
Celtic and Rangers fans only really have themselves to blame for their ticket allocation for Easter Road being cut by the Hibs hierarchy. Their conduct at the Leith ground has left much to be desired in recent seasons. At times, it has been nothing short of deplorable.
It was, though, still sad to see large sections of the South Stand covered in sheeting today. Limiting the number of spectators who are allowed in to a stadium was detrimental to the atmosphere. It was, too, not a good look with the Sky Sports cameras there.
Celtic and Rangers settled their differences over the number of briefs which away fans received for derby games at Parkhead and Ibrox last season after the satellite broadcaster made their unhappiness known. Will they try to end this form of capital punishment? It would maybe be no bad thing if they intervened.
The new safe standing section in the bottom tier of the Famous Five Stand, however, is a great addition to Easter Road. The rail seats were filled by hardcore Hibbees and they made their presence felt before kick-off. They did not have a great deal to shout about when proceedings got underway.
