Match ends, Dundee 0, Celtic 5.
Dundee 0-5 Celtic: Rampant champions go second with huge win
- From the section Scottish Premiership
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Five players scored for rampant Celtic as the champions dismantled bottom side Dundee to climb within four points of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts.
Tom Rogic, Scott Sinclair - from the penalty spot - James Forrest and Odsonne Edouard gave the ruthless visitors a 4-0 half-time lead.
Ryan Christie neatly slotted a fifth early in the second period.
Dundee have now lost all three games since Jim McIntyre became manager with an aggregate score of 12-0.
They have only one win from 11 league outings but are still just a solitary point behind second-bottom St Mirren, who were beaten in Paisley by Motherwell on Wednesday.
Brendan Rodgers, in pursuit of a third straight domestic treble, oversaw his 100th competitive victory as Celtic boss.
Halloween horror show for beleaguered Dees
This was a brutally one-sided humiliation, a game where Celtic toyed with Dundee like a cat with a mouse, capable of inflicting mortal damage at any moment.
Rogic got them going after 20 minutes, when the Australian was afforded a comical amount of space to trot forward and bend a beautiful arcing shot beyond Jack Hamilton from the edge of the box.
At that point, a deluge beckoned. Edouard and Filip Benkovic could have made it two, and Sinclair did from 12 yards after Ryan Inniss connected rashly with Mikael Lustig.
It was the Englishman's second penalty in four days and finished just as ruthlessly as his spot-kick at Murrayfield in the League Cup semi-final against Hearts.
Dundee were ravaged every time they picked up a loose ball or tried to keep possession, hooped jerseys swamping them immediately.
Celtic's third was a beauty. Callum McGregor sent Kieran Tierney scampering up the left, Tierney's one-touch pass put it back across the box, where the onrushing Forrest arrived to hammer it into the net.
Edouard flicked in a fourth with the outside of his boot with virtually the last act of the half, but the interval brought little respite for McIntyre's beleaguered Dundee.
Three minutes into the second period, Christie raced on to Edouard's through ball and caressed a sumptuous left-foot finish beyond Hamilton.
Tierney could have scored a sixth after being teed up by Daniel Arzani, the Australian whose debut was cut short by an injury in the 78th minute. Reports suggest the 19-year-old winger could face nine months on the sidelines with knee ligament damage.
Celtic are revving now - ominously for the rest of the league - with four consecutive Premiership wins and 18 goals in their past four domestic matches.
Dundee still haven't scored under McIntyre. They've taken three beatings since he took charge, 4-0, 3-0 and now 5-0, two of them at Dens. A mountainous task lies ahead.
Free-scoring Celtic go up a gear - analysis
BBC Scotland's Martin Dowden at Dens Park
Even without captain Scott Brown, midfield playmaker Olivier Ntcham, and the option to field poacher Leigh Griffiths, Celtic strolled into Dundee and dismantled their compliant hosts.
They seem to be moving up a gear domestically, turning their customary consistency of past seasons into effective, free-scoring performances with their sights on the Premiership summit. Hearts, seen off in the League Cup semi-final, visit Celtic Park next and the timing looks perfect.
There were so many positives for Rodgers. Christie and Sinclair excelled and scored again, as they did at Murrayfield. Rogic delivered in considerable style.
Fringe players are getting game time which is important given Celtic's schedule, balancing domestic football with Europa League demands. The only negative was that injury to Arzani.
For Dundee and McIntyre this was undeniably sore. The new manager knew he faced a tall order but he might have expected more resilience than this. Perhaps he is finding out things about his squad that will be telling come January when the transfer window opens.
'I still believe we can win matches' - reaction
Dundee manager Jim McIntyre: "No positives at all. The second goal isn't a penalty, but none of us claim. That's disappointing. I don't know if that's the mindset of 'poor us' rather than being aggrieved at the decision, which they should be, because it's not a penalty.
"We're shooting ourselves in the foot and it's draining confidence. We've just got to keep encouraging them. But I still believe there's a nucleus of a squad there that can win matches."
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "Our technical level in the game was very high. Good movement, good combination play, and scored some wonderful goals.
"It's about getting back to how we know we can play, and we're starting to see that now. The creativity, the scoring of goals, but also not conceding any. The level of our game is definitely improving."
Line-ups
Dundee
- 1Hamilton
- 2Kerr
- 15InnissBooked at 33minsSubstituted forBoyleat 45'minutes
- 6O'DeaBooked at 54mins
- 5Kusunga
- 7DeaconBooked at 51minsSubstituted forLambertat 69'minutes
- 8Kamara
- 28Spence
- 27CurranBooked at 75mins
- 19KallmanSubstituted forMoussaat 45'minutes
- 20Miller
Substitutes
- 9Moussa
- 10Ngwatala
- 11Mendy
- 12Parish
- 14Nabi
- 23Boyle
- 47Lambert
Celtic
- 1Gordon
- 23Lustig
- 32Benkovic
- 20BoyataSubstituted forAjerat 70'minutes
- 63Tierney
- 49Forrest
- 42McGregor
- 18RogicBooked at 54minsSubstituted forMorganat 57'minutes
- 11Sinclair
- 17Christie
- 22EdouardSubstituted forArzaniat 57'minutesSubstituted forat 80'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Hendry
- 14Arzani
- 15Hayes
- 16Morgan
- 29Bain
- 35Ajer
- 73Johnston
- Referee:
- Alan Muir
- Attendance:
- 7,960
Match Stats
Home TeamDundeeAway TeamCeltic
- Possession
- Home48%
- Away52%
- Shots
- Home2
- Away20
- Shots on Target
- Home0
- Away7
- Corners
- Home0
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away13
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Dundee 0, Celtic 5.
Attempt missed. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jack Lambert.
James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Andrew Boyle (Dundee).
Attempt saved. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Foul by Filip Benkovic (Celtic).
Genséric Kusunga (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Darren O'Dea.
Foul by Scott Sinclair (Celtic).
Cammy Kerr (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Cammy Kerr (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. James Forrest (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Daniel Arzani went off injured after Celtic had used all subs.
Delay in match Daniel Arzani (Celtic) because of an injury.
Daniel Arzani (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jesse Curran (Dundee).
Booking
Jesse Curran (Dundee) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ryan Christie (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Jesse Curran (Dundee).
Foul by Daniel Arzani (Celtic).
Lewis Spence (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).
Genséric Kusunga (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Celtic. Kristoffer Ajer replaces Dedryck Boyata.
Substitution
Substitution, Dundee. Jack Lambert replaces Roarie Deacon.
Foul by Daniel Arzani (Celtic).
Glen Kamara (Dundee) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Andrew Boyle.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Darren O'Dea (Dundee) because of an injury.
Foul by Lewis Morgan (Celtic).
Cammy Kerr (Dundee) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Kieran Tierney (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left.
Foul by Ryan Christie (Celtic).
Roarie Deacon (Dundee) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Kieran Tierney (Celtic).
Sofien Moussa (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Lewis Morgan (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.