Celtic crushed Kilmarnock 5-1 at Rugby Park, with Kasper Høgh scoring a first-half hat-trick in a dominant display. The win keeps Celtic on a five-game winning streak, finishing third in last season's Premiership with 67 points (21W-4D-8L), just three behind leaders Heart of Midlothian.
Høgh, Celtic’s £11m record signing, stole the show with three superb goals. Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan added to the tally, while Michael Schjønning-Larsen scored Kilmarnock’s lone goal in the 56th minute. Acting manager Shaun Maloney praised the team’s relentless mentality, saying, "We started at full throttle and never eased up."
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Kilmarnock exposed Celtic’s defensive vulnerabilities, particularly when playing direct balls. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty struggled, and Alistair Johnston’s half-time withdrawal highlighted depth issues. Maloney acknowledged the need for improvement, especially with European opponents looming.
With Martin O’Neill recovering from a minor procedure, Maloney will continue guiding the team as they aim to close the three-point gap to Heart of Midlothian. The focus now shifts to tightening defensively while maintaining their attacking prowess, which has seen them score 59 goals last season with a +24 goal difference.
