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Scottish Premiership
KilmarnockKilmarnock0CelticCeltic5

Kilmarnock 0-5 Celtic: Visitors run riot to keep up 100% start

By Andrew PetrieBBC Sport Scotland
Moritz Jenz fires in an acrobatic effort for Celtic's third
Moritz Jenz fires in one of two acrobatic Celtic finishes during their victory

Celtic ran riot at Rugby Park as they swatted Kilmarnock aside to continue their unbeaten start in the Scottish Premiership.

Kyogo Furuhashi netted an early opener before Jota's 30-yard screamer and Mortiz Jenz's acrobatic effort made it three by the break.

Carl Starfelt then scored his first Celtic goal, with Georgios Giakoumakis' overhead kick completing the rout.

Celtic are now 35 games unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership.

Meanwhile, Kilmarnock are still looking for their first win back in the top flight.

Ange Postecoglou said he felt no need to change the side which ended up winning at Ross County last weekend.

His decision was justified within seven minutes as Greg Taylor - looking increasingly comfortable as Celtic's first-choice left-back - slipped in Daizen Maeda. He cut back to the onrushing Kyogo, who finished a straightforward move off the post.

Jota got the second, firing spectacularly into the top corner from distance - although there was a question mark over whether Killie keeper Sam Walker could have done better.

There wasn't much he could do about the third though. Gathering a cleared corner, Callum McGregor fired the ball towards goal. It fell kindly to Jenz, who swivelled and hooked the ball over his shoulder to get his second Celtic goal in as many weeks.

It took the visitors longer to find their fourth, with Kilmarnock content to let the game fizzle out in the second half. That wasn't to be though, as Walker's save from a Celtic corner allowed Starfelt to prod home.

If there was debate about whether Jenz's goal was an overhead kick, there was none about Giakoumakis' effort. A crossed ball looped into the sky, the Greek striker watched it on to his foot and bicycle-kicked it through the legs of Walker for a classy fifth.

Man of the Match - Jota

Jota celebrates
Take your pick. It really could have been anyone in green and white.

Celtic look unstoppable as Killie cut to ribbons

There's still a mighty long way to go this season, but Celtic have started in a fashion that will leave Postecoglou confident of retaining the title.

They were relentless at times, pinning Kilmarnock into their own 18-yard box and toying with them like a cat with a ball of string.

Of course, they are yet to face the test of two games a week, but that will start with the Champions League group stage in September. However, the depth they had on the bench this afternoon suggests rotation isn't the threat it used to be.

It was an ominous message for the other teams in the league. Derek McInnes changed Kilmarnock's formation to try and match Celtic in a 4-3-3. It simply didn't work as individually Celtic's stars showed too much quality in finding and creating space for themselves.

What they said

Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes: "We talked about the importance of the start of the game. I do think that first goal is self-inflicted. It felt like a gimme, and it lifts them. You don't need to give them any encouragement to play their football.

"Celtic controlled the game as we expected but when the ball arrived in our box, it was nothing to do with their level of player. It was the type of goal we shouldn't be losing and three or four of the goals are avoidable."

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou: "We just wanted the intent of playing our football and not letting these things stop us. Obviously there were times we couldn't do it as fluently as we'd like but the boys' attitude was first rate.

"In all our games so far, the subs have made a massive impact and that's something we need to keep up. We've got the luxury of one game a week at the moment but pretty soon that won't be the case and we need more than 11 players to be ready to go."

What's next?

Celtic host Hearts next Sunday, while Kilmarnock travel to Ross County the day before, with both sides in search for their first league win (both 15:00 BST).

Player of the match

JotaJota

with an average of 8.50

Kilmarnock

  1. Squad number2Player nameMayo
    Average rating

    5.18

  2. Squad number25Player nameAlebiosu
    Average rating

    5.08

  3. Squad number5Player nameTaylor
    Average rating

    4.95

  4. Squad number3Player nameDorsett
    Average rating

    4.89

  5. Squad number20Player nameWalker
    Average rating

    4.85

  6. Squad number15Player nameMurray
    Average rating

    4.78

  7. Squad number11Player nameArmstrong
    Average rating

    4.60

  8. Squad number22Player nameDonnelly
    Average rating

    4.52

  9. Squad number4Player namePower
    Average rating

    4.41

  10. Squad number9Player nameShaw
    Average rating

    4.33

  11. Squad number7Player nameMcKenzie
    Average rating

    4.27

  12. Squad number18Player nameWaters
    Average rating

    4.18

  13. Squad number27Player nameCameron
    Average rating

    4.00

  14. Squad number17Player nameLyons
    Average rating

    3.83

  15. Squad number31Player namePolworth
    Average rating

    3.76

  16. Squad number28Player nameLafferty
    Average rating

    3.39

Celtic

  1. Squad number17Player nameJota
    Average rating

    8.50

  2. Squad number7Player nameGiakoumakis
    Average rating

    8.47

  3. Squad number3Player nameTaylor
    Average rating

    8.31

  4. Squad number6Player nameJenz
    Average rating

    8.25

  5. Squad number20Player nameCarter-Vickers
    Average rating

    8.18

  6. Squad number8Player nameFuruhashi
    Average rating

    8.17

  7. Squad number11Player nameAbada
    Average rating

    8.12

  8. Squad number88Player nameJuranovic
    Average rating

    8.10

  9. Squad number38Player nameMaeda
    Average rating

    8.02

  10. Squad number33Player nameO'Riley
    Average rating

    7.91

  11. Squad number4Player nameStarfelt
    Average rating

    7.88

  12. Squad number42Player nameMcGregor
    Average rating

    7.79

  13. Squad number1Player nameHart
    Average rating

    7.78

  14. Squad number13Player nameMooy
    Average rating

    7.64

  15. Squad number14Player nameTurnbull
    Average rating

    7.54

  16. Squad number49Player nameForrest
    Average rating

    7.41

Line-ups

Kilmarnock

Formation 4-4-2

  • 20Walker
  • 25Alebiosu
  • 5Taylor
  • 2Mayo
  • 3DorsettSubstituted forWatersat 40'minutes
  • 15MurraySubstituted forArmstrongat 62'minutesBooked at 78mins
  • 4PowerSubstituted forLyonsat 80'minutes
  • 22DonnellyBooked at 42minsSubstituted forPolworthat 79'minutes
  • 7McKenzieBooked at 21mins
  • 28LaffertyBooked at 60minsSubstituted forCameronat 79'minutes
  • 9Shaw

Substitutes

  • 11Armstrong
  • 17Lyons
  • 18Waters
  • 19Wright
  • 21McInroy
  • 23Sotona
  • 27Cameron
  • 31Polworth
  • 50Woods

Celtic

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Hart
  • 88Juranovic
  • 20Carter-Vickers
  • 6JenzSubstituted forStarfeltat 55'minutes
  • 3Taylor
  • 33O'Riley
  • 42McGregorBooked at 85mins
  • 14TurnbullSubstituted forMooyat 66'minutes
  • 17Neves FilipeSubstituted forForrestat 80'minutes
  • 8FuruhashiSubstituted forGiakoumakisat 66'minutes
  • 38MaedaBooked at 61minsSubstituted forAbadaat 66'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Starfelt
  • 7Giakoumakis
  • 11Abada
  • 13Mooy
  • 16McCarthy
  • 25Bernabei
  • 31Siegrist
  • 49Forrest
  • 56Ralston
Referee:
David Dickinson
Attendance:
9,162

Match Stats

Home TeamKilmarnockAway TeamCeltic
Possession
Home27%
Away73%
Shots
Home12
Away20
Shots on Target
Home3
Away11
Corners
Home2
Away8
Fouls
Home18
Away11

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Kilmarnock 0, Celtic 5.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Kilmarnock 0, Celtic 5.

  3. Post update

    James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock).

  5. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Calum Waters (Kilmarnock) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lewis Mayo.

  6. Post update

    Corner, Kilmarnock. Conceded by Greg Taylor.

  7. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Daniel Armstrong (Kilmarnock) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Liam Polworth.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic).

  9. Post update

    Innes Cameron (Kilmarnock) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  10. Post update

    Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ryan Alebiosu.

  11. Post update

    Offside, Kilmarnock. Calum Waters tries a through ball, but Innes Cameron is caught offside.

  12. Post update

    Greg Taylor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Liam Polworth (Kilmarnock).

  14. Booking

    Callum McGregor (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).

  16. Post update

    Liam Polworth (Kilmarnock) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  17. Post update

    Attempt saved. Oli Shaw (Kilmarnock) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daniel Armstrong with a cross.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic).

  19. Post update

    Innes Cameron (Kilmarnock) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Post update

    Offside, Kilmarnock. Ash Taylor tries a through ball, but Oli Shaw is caught offside.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Celtic330010199
2Rangers33008179
3Hearts32107347
4Motherwell32015416
5Livingston32014316
6Hibernian31113304
7Aberdeen31026603
8St Mirren310225-33
9St Johnstone310226-43
10Dundee Utd301226-41
11Kilmarnock301218-71
12Ross County300326-40
View full Scottish Premiership table

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