This fixture has often thrown up goals and did so again as Celtic coasted to a big win over capital opposition.
Celtic pounded Hibs with all their might on a night of Parkhead dominance as they cruised to a 4-1 victory.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Oh received Celtic’s move early on as the defender made his way to David Marshall in front of the South Korean striker. Brendan Rodgers drew with Hibs in October and demanded more from his side after a lacklustre first half at St Johnstone. , and they gave it to him here while Nick Montgomery’s look was left in the dust.
Matt O’Riley raced into the Hibs box and Luis Palma’s penalty after the break put the game out of doubt. Oh scored an adorable double before Christian Doidge’s shot took the distance away from him.
Celtic have lost a home league game for almost 3 years. In this one, they never looked like they were relinquishing that imperious form as they maintained their clever eight-point hole in the most sensible spot in the league.
Celtic XI: Hart, A. Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, Tomoki, O’Riley, Palma, Oh, M. Johnston Substitutes: Bain, Phillips, Kyogo, Turnbull, Holm, Tilio, Bernardo, Forrest, Ralston.
Hibs XI: Marshall, Miller, Rocky, Fish, Stevenson, Levitt, Newell, Campbell, Tavares, Boyle, Youan Submarines: Wollacott, Hanlon, Vente, Jeggo, Doidge, Harbottle, Molotnikov, Whittaker, Landers.
The stakes are high and you can experience the excitement with us as we bring you all the updates from Celtic Park.
Chris Sutton believes the race for the name has begun after the Rangers fought back and pulled off a gutsy win over Hearts.
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Brendan Rodgers made a direct request to Mikey Johnston and told the winger he needed to do more for a regular Celtic player.
The winger lasted an hour but failed to shine after an impressive second-half appearance at St Johnstone on Sunday. Rodgers’ men cruised to a 4-1 win over Hibs on Wednesday night thanks to Oh, replacing Kyogo up front, scoring a brace. header from Matt O’Riley and penalty from Luis Palma.
A half-time blast in Perth has put some of the Celtic stars on edge but most have stepped up and took the gaffer’s message on board when given the chance. But Rodgers told Sportsound Johnston has to got to do more.
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Tomoki misses a late chance but it doesn’t matter as Celtic run out comfy winners in Glasgow.
Oh’s brace, O’Riley’s header and Palma’s penalty gave the Hoops back the winning tactic at home, something Hibs never let slip away.
They’ll just hope Carter-Vickers is ok on what would be the only real negative.
Perhaps a sign of how the striker has been in goal lately.
Johnston with a great ball over the most sensible and Kyogo can only score from a few meters away.
But it regroups him beyond Marshall’s goal. Maybe I’ll write it down if it’s more accurate.
Tomoki cancelled out a sure goal as Hibs slept at the far post.
Celtic came up short, with the away side still organising themselves and the drop of his shoulder near the post almost allowed him to get through.
It would have been high praise for a performance.
More magic from O’Riley, this time without praise.
His ball inside the box narrowly eluded the attackers and Hibs cleared it. But it was a great game to get him into a danger zone.
Magnificent save by Marshall when Palma is denied a shout.
He curls it low but at a good height for Marshall. He scrambles across to the corner to avert a certain goal otherwise.
It’s a punt at one end and triggers an attack at the other.
Phillips headed in a Hibs free-kick when Johnston put Palma on his bike.
He committed a foul and won a Celtic free kick from 25 yards.
Joe Hart takes the armband off McGregor as he leaves to take a break.
Bernardo replaces him as Hibs throw youngster Whittaker into the fray for some senior exposure at the home of the champions.
This now has a training ground feel to it.
It is possible that Hibs will have a comeback, but the comeback is not planned. A big thing for the hosts from now on will be to get more shots.
One for Kyopass’ damage to Rodgers. McGrepassr enters the box but Miller sees him pass out.
A lengthy VAR confirms that Hibs’ goal will be met.
There was an offside check, but we don’t know exactly what they were looking for. Celtic took to the pitch to respond, but Tavares did well to win a free-kick.
One back for Hibs!
Youan has looked the likely threat for the away team all night. He leaves Phillips in a daze to tee up Doidge for a tap-in.
If ever there’s a style for responding to a managerial rocket, it’s this one.
After a sloppy first half in Perth, the Hoops responded with seven unanswered goals and may have more until the end.
Strong things and what Rodgers expects.
Paul Hanlon is in favor of Hibs as he seeks to experiment to check and stem the tide here.
It’s a physically and mentally exhausting upgrade that’s far from over. Trust may simply diminish if the situation worsens.
There are calls for handball by Hibs.
Scales treated the ball in the opinion of some Hibs players after some passes with Ralston, but they were told to keep playing.
Youan threatens to get in trouble.
A provocative ball from Johnston almost deserved the fifth, but no one can come close.
The Palma centre didn’t work either, but it wasn’t much bigger for Hibs.
Kyogo is on for Oh. M Johnston meanwhile is replaced by Tilio.
The home side are now simply laughing and playing with Hibs, whose confidence is eroding with each defensive effort.
Oh, it twists and turns on the edge of the box, but Hibs pulls it off. It’s causing all sorts of disruptions to Hibs.
The fourth goal came through a Celta rotation.
Taylor is off and in his place comes Ralston, who looks to be going to left-back.
Doidge and Jeggo Boyle and Levitt.
Oh double!
McGregor throws a brilliant ball to Hibs’ line. Fish was battered through the attacker, who finished with aplomb into the back corner.
There’s no debate about that and the Hoops start to go crazy.
Hibs gives Phillips the first one and he handles it well.
The corner in Celta’s box was threatening but he took advantage of his frame to clear the danger and Palma won a loose shot.
And it’s high and into the corner by Palma!
There’s no stuttering or shaking as he blasts it powerfully, Marshall.
That’ll be it for this contest.
And Beaton quickly makes his decision!
Palma up to take and make amends for his effort against Motherwell…
VAR will keep an eye on him when Celtic come close.
A Johnston crashes into his own box, but Beaton doesn’t give up anything after O’Riley’s clever work.
Palma almost scored from the centre but that can come back.
There’s some fear for Parkhead because the defender can’t get out of the locker room.
Phillips joins Scales in what is a rare outing for him. Fans are hoping this is a precaution and not something else to worry about ahead of a busy period.
We’re on our way to Parkhead.
Celtic kick this half off and retain the ball, as they look to add more goals to their tally over the next 45 minutes.
He’s been having the time of his life lately, and very few have been able to figure out how to take care of O’Riley.
25 yards, in the box, a header, is a game of everything in front of goal and Hibs discovered it to his detriment.
If the Player of the Season was announced tomorrow, there would only be one winner.
A dominant, controlled Celtic side gave them a two-goal lead over Hibs before heading to the dressing room.
The visitors didn’t put many gloves on Celtic and the hosts were clinical when opportunities arose. Rodgers will be delighted.
A smart chance for Tavares but it went wide from a Hibs corner.
This is to no avail, as Celtic eliminate the danger without any problems. This was not what they expected.
A stampede on the goal line largely avoided danger for Hibs.
Carter-Vickers is at the other end and his move must pass through Marshall, then he wants to take him out to prevent him from entering the net.
Relentless stuff from the champions.
It’s almost a calamity in a corner, component 3 for Celtic, as danger is about to be averted.
Just like when goals were conceded against St Johnstone and Motherwell, a corner on top of Hart causes chaos but the hosts eventually clear.
He’s been a bystander so far, but it’s a great save from Hart.
Youan is and isn’t offside, but his effort is a cannon into the block that deflects.
Palma goes in search of the third and Marshall is called to act to reject him.
A Celtic third before the break would take that away from the visitors and open up the possibility of a scoreline that Aberdeen have struggled with lately.
O’Riley doubles Celtic’s lead!
Just as the pace slowed down, the Hoops activated the style. Palma flips Miller around and O’Riley’s ghosts enter to come home.
A long return for the visitors now.
They are doing well in this game, but the risk with which Celtic started this game has faded slightly.
They pass side by side and enter the box for Oh and the incoming running backs, but Hibs turns out to have adapted to that, even if he doesn’t get the ball much on offense.
Tavares’ pace was used for the first time, but Carter-Vickers accompanied him until the end.
The winger aims to race away and is easily outmuscled by the centre-back as Celtic move back up the park.
Oh has been busy this part and once again he is looking for a goal.
He turns around and has only one idea in mind 25 yards from goal. But his effort largely failed.
Some bizarre defending at the other end almost gives Celtic a second.
Miller falls over as he tried to stop Palma’s advances and the Honduran’s pass across goal is awkwardly put behind for a corner by Rocky.
Hibs work some passes together for the first time and they are almost in behind.
A Johnston kept an eye on the ball and allowed Youan to get it, but the offside flag prevented any redness. A slight nudge to show that the foot can’t be taken off the accelerator.
A clever save from Marshall prevented his former Scotland teammate from scoring.
McGregor covered one from 25 yards and sent the veteran into the palm. The corner is useless.
It’s a great opportunity for Oh and he deserves to have enjoyed it more.
Johnston’s clever ball was delightful and he controlled to touch just a few yards from Marshall’s goal.
He swells his and Hibs breaks free.
Was it his? Was it Oh’s? In fact, it’s like the last case, but the defender didn’t know about it and walked away celebrating.
Now, they hope that more objectives will follow, since so far they have all the territory.
M Johnston was the last to cross into the Hibs box, but he finished off and on the other side of the pitch.
Celtic had bodies in the box but to no avail, but they’re getting them back now as Hibs struggle to get out of the game from behind.
Montgomery will be seething about how easily his side are allowing Celtic to pick them off at corners.
Two others entered the Hibs area and wore their home shirts, as efforts went over the crossbar. They want to ease some of the tension in the face of the Celtic threat.
It was almost another tasty opening for Oh as they opened Hibs at will.
Taylor cuts and lobs a lovely ball over the defense but the striker fails to make contact. Johnston then appears but is blocked.
Celtic won the ball back and Oh went deep to send the ball back into the defence.
Palma fed McGregor, but Fish did well and Taylor’s effort was wide deflected.
Celtic can now get back into the groove with Hibs’ game plan going up in smoke after 4 minutes.
Now they have to attack at some point if they need to be successful at that point in the game and that can open up more space.
Celtic almost provoked someone else when Oh put pressure on Marshall, but the crisis was averted.
It’s the best start for the Hoops!
Carter-Vickers made the connection, but Oh claimed it when the defender’s header from a Palma corner deflected off him and into the net.
It’s a terrible first goal for the visitors to lose, but it’s the quick start Rodgers demands.
O’Riley gets the ball on the edge of the box and plays it on to M Johnston.
He plays it to his namesake behind him at right-back but the ball ends back at the halfway line, and the attack comes to nothing.
The fit is underway with Levitt starting with the purple dress.
Hibs went on the attack but Celtic had the ball returned.
Here comes the teams as Celtic go looking to equal a stat that would rank the Hoops side of now with Martin O’Neill’s.
They are unbeaten in 52 league games at home, and if they lose tonight they will equal O’Neill’s record of 53.
A small incentive for Rodgers and company.