Celtic beat Motherwell 4-0 when they gained tactics again despite a functionality below the torque in the Premier League Scottish.
After drawing a blank at Dundee United last time out, the Hoops were looking to move further clear at the top of the table with a 15th league win of the season.
A heartbreak begins for the champions with Motherwell calling for a penalty when Tawanda Maswanhise fell under a challenge from Hyun-Jun Yang early on but Var cleared the striker.
Yang then won Celtic a penalty just before the break when he collided with Well ‘keeper Aston Oxborough. The spot-kick was confidently converted by Arne Engels.
Daizen Maeda nodded in his game after the break, with Nicolas Kuhn and Reo Hatate coming off the bench to go up to make the score more comfortable.
Celtic remains transparent in the most sensible of the table in 47 themes. Motherwell is 21 problems in the fifth.
Both managers made four changes for the first Boxing Day game at Celtic Park since 2010.
Celtic recovered Cameron Carter-Vickers from injury while Liam Gordon was one of those who were moved to the Motherwell bench.
The first flash point occurred in and around Celtic’s area when Yang collided with the back of Tawanda Maswanhise, who fell. Referee Ross Hardie cautioned the Motherwell striker to simulate and he progressed quickly.
There was a long var check at the other goal after Kofi Balmer raised his hand as a cross flew in for a purpose shot. The referees took their time looking for a handball but no obvious touch.
Oxborough made the first 20 -minute stop after Maeda sent a loose ball to the goal.
The Premier League leaders had a better chance after Motherwell missed two sets chances in succession and Lennon Miller’s slip inadvertently sparked a counter-attack.
Oxborough stored Maeda’s shot with his foot and the goalkeeper and several defenders even though everything put the ball safe.
Motherwell seemed forged and Adam Idah may not be the maximum of the two means handle.
The team’s half-time conversations were replaced when Hardie pointed into the top corner after Yang leapt past Oxborough, kicked the ball down the line and crashed to the ground as the goalkeeper stuck out his arms to retrieve a deflected cross.
The prize came here after a VAR and Engels check sent Oxborough the way from the point.
There’s more penalty charm after the break with Balmer gets away with a daily touch to Maeda, while the winger came out of the box here and Maswanhise was strongly drawn to the opposite handball to the Vickers Carters.
Celtic had a huge let-off when former Hoops striker Tony Watt inadvertently blocked Marvin Kaleta’s header on the goal line and the hosts soon scored from their own corner in the 57th minute. Liam Scales flicked on Engels’ delivery and Maeda ran in to head home from close range.
If Motherwell’s players were still hoping to get something out of the game, the sight of Kuhn, Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi arriving on the pitch in a 63-minute three-pointer substitution may have tested their confidence.
Kaleta showed plenty of ambition with an explosive run to set up Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, however the Mother Sub dragged his shot wide.
All doubt was extinguished in the 74th minute when Kuhn collected Anthony Ralston’s square ball and fired a shot from 25 yards which took a major deflection off Balmer and deceived Oxborough.
Hatate came on in the 81st minute. The Japanese midfielder scored from 22 yards out after a pair of quick passes and fired into the back corner.
Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers, talking to Sky Sports News:
“I’m really pleased, we had to be persistent today. I thought that Motherwell were very well organised in that first half and we had to move them and work them. When a team is in fresh then of course it’s the long game that you’re playing.
“They gave us a penalty before the break, which is an intelligent moment to score. Arne finishes it very well. In the second half, I thought we dominate the game, increased the rhythm and had the opportunity to score goals.
“We did do that and could have had a few more. So, overall, to keep the clean sheet, score four, create the chances that we did and dominate like we did, then it’s very pleasing.”
Motherwell Boss Stuart Kettlewell on Sky Sports News:
“We know we gave up the ball, but I thought we defended resolutely, we were well organised. We were fine, out of possession.
“Celtic were obviously awarded a penalty at the time – on first view I felt it was really, really soft. I’ll maybe see another couple of angles of it, but I certainly didn’t feel that there was enough to warrant the way that the Celtic player went down.
“It’s a big moment for them, isn’t it, the stroke of half-time. And I was frustrated with goals two and three.
“We need to park this one very quickly because it becomes a different game. It’s equally a massive task to play against Rangers in a couple of days’ time.”