Scotland: Celtic cruise to a win at Easter Road
Hibernian 0 - 2 Celtic
A brilliant goal from Callum McGregor helped Celtic secure a comfortable Scottish Premiership victory over Hibernian at Easter Road.
Nicolas Kuhn opened the scoring within three minutes, capitalising on a mistake by Hibs’ goalkeeper Josef Bursik, who failed to deal with Kyogo's initial shot.
McGregor, who had announced his retirement from international football earlier in the week, then doubled Celtic's lead with a stunning left-footed strike from 25 yards, capping off an excellent first-half performance.
Brendan Rodgers’ side could have added more goals if not for the woodwork, but they will be satisfied with taking three points from a ground where they have struggled at times under Rodgers' management.
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The home side were booed off at half-time, having failed to register a single shot, although they improved somewhat in the second half. Striker Kieron Bowie came close to scoring on his debut, only to see his effort denied by the crossbar.
Despite that brief moment of promise, Hibernian were never really in the game and have now suffered back-to-back defeats in the league under their new manager, David Gray.
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Celtic's new keeper looking pleased with his work.
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Rodgers named an unchanged line-up from the team that convincingly beat Kilmarnock last weekend, and Celtic’s strong start to the season continued in Edinburgh.
They played some attractive football in the first half, flooding the box with players and moving the ball quickly.
Kuhn was brimming with confidence after his early close-range finish. Celtic found space behind the Hibs defence almost at will in the opening stages.
Their pressing game was key to their control of possession, and they created chances regularly.
McGregor, who dominated the headlines with his unexpected international retirement, provided the highlight with a thunderous shot that soared past Bursik into the top corner.
With McGregor leading by example, Celtic look like the team to beat this season. They played with such fluidity and confidence that they hardly needed to break a sweat to secure the three points.
Hibs well off the pace
Hibernian 0 - 2 Celtic
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Kyogo was given far too much room to shoot from the edge of the box, and Bursik’s failure to clear the ball properly led to an early and soft goal, setting the tone for the match.
The Hibs midfield was largely ineffective, with Josh Campbell, Joe Newell, and Dylan Levitt struggling to make any impact.
When Hibs did manage to get hold of the ball, they quickly lost possession again, leaving Mykola Kuharevich to feed off scraps in attack.
They failed to register a single shot on target before the break, raising concerns about Gray’s approach and what Hibs are trying to achieve on the pitch under his management.
Although there was some improvement in the second half, it would have been difficult for them to play any worse, and Celtic eased off slightly.
The one bright moment for Hibs came from substitute Kieron Bowie, who showed determination by shrugging off Cameron Carter-Vickers and curling a shot past Kasper Schmeichel, only to be denied by the bar from a tight angle.
Gray will be hoping that the Scotland Under-21 striker can provide a much-needed focal point in attack in the coming weeks, starting with another encounter against Celtic next Saturday in the League Cup.
