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Celtic strolled to an incredible record-breaking away league victory by humiliating beleaguered Dundee United to climb back to the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Ange Postecoglou's side looked utterly irresistible in attack as they scored nine goals for the first time in 12 years to inflict United's worst ever home defeat.
Hat-tricks from Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada blew away their hosts at Tannadice, with Jota, Josip Juranovic and Carl Starfelt also scoring.
It means Celtic are two points clear of Rangers at the summit of the Premiership, while Jack Ross' side have now lost five on the spin to sit anchored at the bottom with a solitary point from the opening day.
It took Celtic 15 minutes to open the scoring, slicing United apart on the first of many occasions. Abada split the home defence with a through ball, finding Jota, whose cross met an unmarked Kyogo.
Carljohan Eriksson then produced a few fine saves, but his afternoon would only go downhill from there. The second goal was perhaps the pick of the bunch, Kyogo curling in a first-time effort from 25 yards straight into the top corner.
Matt O'Riley combined with Abada to create the third, once again finding Kyogo - who had the freedom of Dundee to tap home his hat-trick.
There was still time in the first half for a fourth. Another tap in, this time for Jota, who may have been offside.
The half-time whistle was sweet relief for United, if only for 15 minutes. Abada got his first soon after the restart when, yet again, Celtic ruthlessly cut their hosts open. Jota found O'Riley who squared across for the winger to add the fifth.
The sixth was comical. Celtic's free-kick routine resulted in O'Riley drilling the ball into a crouched Reo Hatate, but the ball came back to Josip Juranovic off his team-mate to then drive into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Hatate set up the next goal, this time deliberately. Once again, Celtic waltzed through a gaping United defence, with the Japanese midfielder squaring for Abada to finish with ease.
The Israeli scored his hat-trick when he got onto the end of substitute Daizen Maeda's deflected cross, to dink over Eriksson with his final touch of the game.
Not content with eight, defender Starfeldt got in on the act, nodding in a corner to break a record which has stood for 34 years - when they beat Hamilton Accies 8-0 away from home.
Man of the Match - Matt O'Riley
Unstoppable Celtic batter bruised United in record-shattering victory - analysis
Ange Postecoglou said before kick-off that when Celtic are at their best, they are hard to stop. He might have been selling his team short.
Time and time again his side sliced open a porous United defence who looked shell-shocked, conceding eight goals in an hour of football.
Some of the build-up play as Celtic crept towards the box was almost menacing, such was the inevitability of a goal.
They were untouchable, insatiable, irresistible. United had been warned this is what Celtic can do, after Kilmarnock were similarly eviscerated. They did not pay heed.
Twenty one goals in five games. The record for a league season is 116.
What's next?
Both sides are in midweek League Cup action as the competition reaches the round of 16. United travel to Livingston, whilst Celtic travel north to Ross County (both 19:45 BST).
Player of the match
FuruhashiKyogo Furuhashi
with an average of 8.85
Dundee United
Squad number13Player nameEriksson
Squad number19Player nameLevitt
Squad number6Player nameGraham
Squad number12Player nameEdwards
Squad number9Player nameFletcher
Squad number15Player nameMiddleton
Squad number22Player nameFreeman
Squad number2Player nameSmith
Squad number17Player nameMeekison
Squad number3Player nameMcMann
Squad number23Player nameHarkes
Squad number18Player nameMcGrath
Squad number10Player nameClark
Squad number7Player nameNiskanen
Squad number14Player nameSibbald
Celtic
Squad number8Player nameFuruhashi
Squad number11Player nameAbada
Squad number17Player nameJota
Squad number33Player nameO'Riley
Squad number41Player nameHatate
Squad number20Player nameCarter-Vickers
Squad number38Player nameMaeda
Squad number42Player nameMcGregor
Squad number4Player nameStarfelt
Squad number3Player nameTaylor
Squad number88Player nameJuranovic
Squad number14Player nameTurnbull
Squad number13Player nameMooy
Squad number1Player nameHart
Squad number49Player nameForrest
Squad number25Player nameBernabei
Line-ups
Dundee Utd
Formation 5-3-2
- 13Eriksson
- 22Freeman
- 2Smith
- 12Edwards
- 6Graham
- 3McMann
- 17MeekisonSubstituted forMcGrathat 58'minutes
- 19Levitt
- 23HarkesSubstituted forSibbaldat 58'minutes
- 9FletcherBooked at 4minsSubstituted forClarkat 58'minutes
- 15MiddletonSubstituted forNiskanenat 63'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Birighitti
- 4Mulgrew
- 7Niskanen
- 10Clark
- 14Sibbald
- 16Behich
- 18McGrath
- 28Anim Cudjoe
- 32Watt
Celtic
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Hart
- 88Juranovic
- 20Carter-Vickers
- 4Starfelt
- 3Taylor
- 33O'RileySubstituted forTurnbullat 62'minutes
- 42McGregor
- 41HatateSubstituted forMooyat 62'minutes
- 11AbadaSubstituted forBernabeiat 78'minutes
- 8FuruhashiSubstituted forForrestat 62'minutes
- 17Neves FilipeSubstituted forMaedaat 62'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Jenz
- 13Mooy
- 14Turnbull
- 16McCarthy
- 25Bernabei
- 31Siegrist
- 38Maeda
- 49Forrest
- 56Ralston
Referee:Steven McLean
Attendance:11,087
Live Text
Match ends, Dundee United 0, Celtic 9.
Second Half ends, Dundee United 0, Celtic 9.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Kieran Freeman.
Attempt missed. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Greg Taylor.
Attempt blocked. David Turnbull (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Aaron Mooy.
Attempt missed. Carl Starfelt (Celtic) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by David Turnbull with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jamie McGrath.
Attempt blocked. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Liam Smith.
Attempt blocked. Alexander Bernabei (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by James Forrest.
Goal! Dundee United 0, Celtic 9. Carl Starfelt (Celtic) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by David Turnbull with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Scott McMann.
Substitution, Celtic. Alexander Bernabei replaces Liel Abada.
Goal! Dundee United 0, Celtic 8. Liel Abada (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Daizen Maeda.
Attempt missed. Daizen Maeda (Celtic) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Aaron Mooy.
Foul by Carl Starfelt (Celtic).
Nicky Clark (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Josip Juranovic (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ilmari Niskanen (Dundee United).
Carl Starfelt (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.