Seven key games that put Celtic on path to title

3 years ago 50

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Celtic have clinched their 11th league title in 12 seasons in their second campaign under Ange Postecoglou.

Comeback wins, derby demolitions, and a few swashbuckling performances have been notched up along the way as the Glasgow side picked up where they left off from last season to further assert their dominance in the Scottish Premiership.

Every game is worth the same three points, but we've picked out seven of the key games on the way to retaining their title.

Reaction as Celtic win second title under Postecoglou

Dundee United 0-9 Celtic - 28 August

A hat-trick apiece for Kyogo and Abada at Tannadice set the tone for the season to come

Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada each scored hat-tricks, Jota grabbed a double, followed by Josip Juranovic and Carl Starfelt also getting in on the act. A record-breaking win, a statement of intent.

The season was only five weeks young and only two points separated Celtic and Rangers, but the former were nine goals ahead come full-time at Tannadice.

After five league games they'd scored 21 goals. Ominous times lay ahead for the rest of the top flight.

Celtic 4-0 Rangers - 3 September

Star man Kyogo went off injured after only three minutes but Celtic were not to be deterred.

This was a game where their sharpness from set-pieces and throw-ins exploited Rangers at every turn.

Already 3-0 up at half-time, six points clear and a sensational 17 goals better off than second place come full-time. A marker was well and truly laid down by Postecoglou's side.

A voracious appetite for goals combined with the quality in their squad opened up a gap on their opponents that would only grow as the season rumbled on.

Hearts 3-4 Celtic - 22 October

In the first weekend involving Video Assistant Referees in Scotland, controversy wasn't hard to come by.

Despite not being awarded a penalty for what their manager called "a clear handball" by Michael Smith when the score was level at 1-1, Celtic ramped up the tempo and began to put together a champions' performance.

A superb Lawrence Shankland display troubled Celtic as he scored a hat-trick, but grinding out results is a necessity when silverware is the goal.

Celtic 4-2 Dundee United - 5 November

In the 87th minute, United drew level through Dylan Levitt. But within five minutes it was 4-2 Celtic thanks to Abada and Kyogo.

Rangers had a game in hand, but the points gap extended to seven and remained that way as St Johnstone beat them the next day.

Every season has potential banana skins for the title-winning side, and a draw against the league's bottom team would have fallen squarely into that category.

Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic - 17 December

Callum McGregor scored a crucial late winner at Pittodrie

Much has been made of Postecoglou's "we never stop" mantra and this may be the game - as much as any during his reign - to highlight its effectiveness.

A late Callum McGregor winner was Celtic's 33rd effort on goal compared to Aberdeen's two. There was 81% possession for the visitors, 452 passes into the final third to Aberdeen's 65. It was total domination, yet the goal wasn't coming.

Step forward captain McGregor, who had been out for two months with a knee injury, to maintain his side's nine-point lead.

Rangers 2-2 Celtic - 2 January

Michael Beale made an impressive start as Rangers manager and almost guided his side to a famous comeback win as Ryan Kent and a James Tavernier penalty cancelled out Daizen Maeda's opener.

But, like clockwork, Kyogo scored a vital goal for Celtic as he levelled proceedings in the 88th minute. The nine-point gap was maintained.