Scotland, Celtic and Rangers prepare for Glasgow Derby with comfortable victories
St Mirren 0 - 3 Celtic
Celtic secured a convincing 3-0 victory over St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, maintaining their perfect start to the season with three wins from three games.
The champions were in control from the outset, with Callum McGregor scoring within the first three minutes. Reo Hatate added a second goal before halftime, and Alistair Johnston completed the scoring in the second half, following a strong performance from Nicolas Kuhn.
Despite the ongoing transfer saga involving Matt O'Riley, who is close to joining Brighton, Celtic's midfield performed exceptionally well. Paulo Bernardo stepped in for O'Riley, but it was the established players, McGregor and Hatate, who led the charge. Hatate was particularly impressive, creating five chances and showcasing his ability to fill the void left by O'Riley.
St Mirren struggled to break through Celtic's relentless pressing and managed only one shot in the first half. Although they showed some improvement after halftime, the hosts were unable to seriously threaten Celtic's dominance. Despite the loss, St Mirren's defensive resilience and the performance of goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe were positives for the team to build on.
Celtic's win keeps them at the top of the table, while St Mirren sits in seventh place. The match highlighted Celtic's strength in depth, even as they face potential departures, and demonstrated their intent to continue their dominant domestic form.
This was great preparation for next week's Glasgow Derby against Rangers. Next weekend's opponent's weekend victory was even more comfortable.
Rangers 6 - 0 Ross County
A tough afternoon at Hampden Park. pic.twitter.com/s0p341Y7Yv
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) August 24, 2024
Cyriel Dessers and Rabbi Matondo delivered outstanding individual performances as Rangers secured a six-goal victory over Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.
Philippe Clement's team put on a terrific display, potentially their last league match at Hampden, just a week before they face Celtic.