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

Kilmarnock 0-5 Celtic: Visitors run riot to keep up 100% start
_126312479_20515900.jpgMoritz 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

_126312480_20515863.jpgTake 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

Kilmarnock

Squad number2Player nameMayo

Squad number25Player nameAlebiosu

Squad number5Player nameTaylor

Squad number3Player nameDorsett

Squad number20Player nameWalker

Squad number15Player nameMurray

Squad number11Player nameArmstrong

Squad number22Player nameDonnelly

Squad number4Player namePower

Squad number9Player nameShaw

Squad number7Player nameMcKenzie

Squad number18Player nameWaters

Squad number27Player nameCameron

Squad number17Player nameLyons

Squad number31Player namePolworth

Squad number28Player nameLafferty

Celtic

Squad number17Player nameJota

Squad number7Player nameGiakoumakis

Squad number3Player nameTaylor

Squad number6Player nameJenz

Squad number20Player nameCarter-Vickers

Squad number8Player nameFuruhashi

Squad number11Player nameAbada

Squad number88Player nameJuranovic

Squad number38Player nameMaeda

Squad number33Player nameO'Riley

Squad number4Player nameStarfelt

Squad number42Player nameMcGregor

Squad number1Player nameHart

Squad number13Player nameMooy

Squad number14Player nameTurnbull

Squad number49Player nameForrest

Line-ups

Kilmarnock

Formation 4-4-2

20Walker

25Alebiosu5Taylor2Mayo3Dorsett

15Murray4Power22Donnelly7McKenzie

28Lafferty9Shaw

20Walker25Alebiosu5Taylor2Mayo3DorsettSubstituted forWatersat 40'minutes15MurraySubstituted forArmstrongat 62'minutesBooked at 78mins4PowerSubstituted forLyonsat 80'minutes22DonnellyBooked at 42minsSubstituted forPolworthat 79'minutes7McKenzieBooked at 21mins28LaffertyBooked at 60minsSubstituted forCameronat 79'minutes9Shaw

Substitutes

11Armstrong17Lyons18Waters19Wright21McInroy23Sotona27Cameron31Polworth50Woods

Celtic

Formation 4-3-3

1Hart

88Juranovic20Carter-Vickers6Jenz3Taylor

33O'Riley42McGregor14Turnbull

17Neves Filipe8Furuhashi38Maeda

1Hart88Juranovic20Carter-Vickers6JenzSubstituted forStarfeltat 55'minutes3Taylor33O'Riley42McGregorBooked at 85mins14TurnbullSubstituted forMooyat 66'minutes17Neves FilipeSubstituted forForrestat 80'minutes8FuruhashiSubstituted forGiakoumakisat 66'minutes38MaedaBooked at 61minsSubstituted forAbadaat 66'minutes

Substitutes

4Starfelt7Giakoumakis11Abada13Mooy16McCarthy25Bernabei31Siegrist49Forrest56RalstonReferee:David DickinsonAttendance:9,162

Live Text

Match ends, Kilmarnock 0, Celtic 5.

Second Half ends, Kilmarnock 0, Celtic 5.

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

Foul by Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock).

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

Corner, Kilmarnock. Conceded by Greg Taylor.

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

Foul by Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic).

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

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ryan Alebiosu.

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

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

Foul by Liam Polworth (Kilmarnock).

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

Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).

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

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.

Foul by Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic).

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

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

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