Brendan Rodgers and co begin the defence of their Scottish Premiership title against Kilmarnock. Celtic clinched a third consecutive SPFL crown last season, their 12th in 13 years.
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00:00Forrest, Celtic upping the ante in their quest for goal number three.
00:09It almost came from the man who scored goal number two.
00:31Kyogo McGregor.
00:39O'Reilly.
00:41Hatate.
00:46Forrest.
00:52Kartavikas.
00:55O'Reilly.
01:00O'Reilly.
01:01use of the ball Celtic the way they've maneuvered the ball in this game has
01:12been really really excellent midfield players draw opposition midfield onto
01:19them and then Kiyoko comes into the little spaces
01:25for Kennedy can Kilmarnock offer something here? Pollworth
01:33Kennedy isn't getting to that. That pass sums up Kilmarnock in the final third
01:40real lack of composure and when those moments have been there they've had
01:47opportunities to slide a pass or put decent balls in. The service has been really
01:53miserable they've been miles off it. Here's Nicholas Kuhn again and Kilmarnock
02:00a little short rather exposed. Nicholas Kuhn deflected and in and there it is it was
02:10coming from the moment the second half started
02:15an opening day statement of intent from the champions of Scotland
02:24that's quite the preseason Nicholas Kuhn gotta say the ball from Kiyoko just
02:29dropping into those spaces the sensational. You can see he's onside I think Lewis
02:35Mayer is playing him onside his only intention is to drive at Bainbridge he
02:41gets it on the on his left foot
02:46gets a shot off takes a slight deflection he chops on the inside you
02:52can't let him on the inside like that there's a deflection I think it's Mayer
02:56who played him onside who it comes off you can't say Celtic haven't deserved it
03:00it's been a stroll
03:05on the inside Nicholas Kuhn gets a bit lucky
03:12he won't care. Well he said Nicholas Kuhn that he had a lot more to offer this season
03:18and that Celtic fans would see more of him and better from him. Early days and he was
03:26aided by that deflection of Lewis Mayer but he has produced a positive
03:33performance
03:37and there is going to be a double change now that third goal has gone in Tony
03:41Ralston and Lewis Palmer will be coming on
03:49so will Innes Cameron I think for Kilmarnock
03:57and Danny Armstrong a flurry of activity imminent from the bench on the hour
04:04I get Derek McInnes he has that balancing act doesn't he of European
04:08football Armstrong being rested today I don't think that's necessarily helped
04:16Kilmarnock in terms of them going forward talented player Danny Armstrong
04:21haven't had a ball carrier or that threat off the right-hand side
04:32here's Taylor, Katate
04:37O'Reilly, Kuhn
04:42I think Kuhn is going to be replaced by Palmer shortly
04:49but here he is again another deflection
05:04five subs are waiting to come on
05:07Tony Ralston
05:11McKenzie is going to join the list of Kilmarnock subs
05:19suspect Nicholas Kuhn if he comes off James Forrest I would expect to go to the
05:25right-hand side with Palmer off to the left
05:28and Ralston, Anthony Ralston
05:33Johnston
05:38there's his goal Nicholas Kuhn had a decent game
05:44and Celtic in party mood
05:49familiar sights in these party parts
05:55Mr. Johnston probably due a breather as well after a busy summer with Canada
06:00Nicholas Kuhn off
06:03here's Palmer, Tony Ralston on
06:09Kilmarnock leaving it for now before their triple change
06:16I think Alistair Johnston had a game in the Copa America last game was July the 14th so he
06:22hasn't had much rest, insensible substitution
06:28Tony Ralston gets involved immediately hooked away by Finlay
06:37Scales, Hattate, Palmer
07:08totally up to Vassell
07:15Polworth
07:24Watson
07:30that's one of the only occasions where Kilmarnock have actually tried to play
07:34through the Celtic midfield
07:38Liam Polworth will make way for Rory McKenzie who made it to 400 Kilmarnock
07:43appearances at the end of last season, made his debut for the club over 13 years ago
07:52Danny Armstrong is coming on for Matty Kennedy, Innes Cameron is coming on for
08:00the captain Carl Vassell who they'll want to rest for that European date with
08:05Tromso on Thursday
08:12in fact I think, there was some confusion initially but
08:20it is Carl Vassell who will make way for Innes Cameron homegrown Kilmarnock
08:28strike-up
08:32I mean taking Carl Vassell off your best player I mean that's that's waving the
08:39white flag isn't it
08:47still 25 minutes for Kilmarnock to negotiate here as
08:53I've got a corner off the Celtic captain
09:00Danny Armstrong just on will take it
09:10Armstrong's corner cleared by O'Reilly and Rory McKenzie on the volley
09:15fires it wide that would have been quite the introduction
09:19I don't think Brad Lyons was too far away from this
09:22McKenzie on the volley just on his heels Lyons was and even more alert
09:29maybe pop that one in
09:49McGregor and Armstrong tussling
09:55yeah I think Callum McGregor felt he had his shirt pulled there from
10:00aggressive Danny Armstrong and he did
10:08they have a case
10:11Watson to way by McGregor, Kiyoko
10:17Cameron, Donnelly, Armstrong
10:27Armstrong into the danger zone there and it was Fraser Murray who dashed across
10:34a positive play from Danny Armstrong gets on his left foot
10:39it's a close one I think Murray may have just crept offside can't direct the
10:43head up on target but Kilmarnock haven't played with enough urgency
10:48and enough aggression maybe Danny Armstrong
10:52would inject a bit of that
11:13up by Hatate O'Reilly somehow took that one out of the air
11:43McGregor, Rulston, Hattate, McGregor pounces on that, determined to get his shot away.
12:01Oh, Hattate, he did.
12:04That midfield trio for Celtic, really have dominated this game.
12:09McGregor trying to shift it, I wonder whether he could have backheeled that to James Forrest to get a shot off it.
12:14Hattate just gets under it with his left foot.
12:20Here's the man who started the scoring.
12:24Set the tone with an early goal.
12:33Armstrong.
12:39The outcome has never really been in doubt in the first whistle.
12:45Look at the attempts at Celtic, 25, Kilmarnock, 4.
12:50It's been a dominant display of the champions.
12:56Even the two shots on target for Kilmarnock were weak.
13:02Comfortable saves.
13:04A yellow card here for William Donnelly who took out Hattate.
13:15Yeah, a bit of frustration there, Donnelly, Hattate.
13:20Trying to make one of those driving runs forward.
13:24Donnelly on the wrong side and pulls him back.
13:29Here's the yellow card of the non-contest.
13:47Espes Michael picks out O'Reilly.
13:50And he...
13:52Tried his best for Lewis Palmer.
13:56Great spot from Espes Michael.
13:59But what about that from O'Reilly?
14:04Great take.
14:09Espes Michael here today to watch Kasper.
14:13He wasn't too bad, was he?
14:15He was all right.
14:18Palmer picked out Kiyoko.
14:20Hattate just tried to lift that over Finlay.
14:31Celtic do not look like they will be declaring on three.
14:36Cameron has this, though.
14:40Armstrong.
14:43Armstrong.
14:49Snuffed out by McGregor.
14:52William Donnelly was late there.
14:57He just received the yellow card.
15:00He caught Greg Taylor.
15:04Yeah, maybe one or two Celtic players asking the question.
15:09A genuine attempt to win the ball.
15:11Slightly late, but he does need to be careful.
15:14William Donnelly.
15:16Whole-hearted midfielder.
15:18Likes a tackle.
15:20Needs to show a bit of discipline.
15:31Kartavikas.
15:34Scales.
15:5316 games unbeaten at the start of last season.
15:57Until those back-to-back defeats.
16:00Two Kilmarnock and Hart in December.
16:07Hattate.
16:09It's Kiyoko!
16:11And you would have bet on him getting in on the act.
16:15He should have buried it, but what a piece of play.
16:21Celtic left Hattate.
16:24Wonderful vision and awareness to execute that pass.
16:27Sensational.
16:30And Kiyoko strolls on to it.
16:33It does bounce, but he should control that volley.
16:36Sits up a little bit, goes with his side foot.
16:39Maybe would have been better off trying to actually lace that one
16:42back across McGrory.
16:44He knows.
16:47Well, having just received that yellow card
16:50and just been involved in the challenge we saw with Greg Taylor,
16:53William Donnelly has been replaced by another killer youngster,
16:57Bobby Wales, who scored 12 goals on loan at Alloa last season.
17:06Celtic are going to bring on the South Korean Yang.
17:16Armstrong.
17:21We'll close the door on that.
17:24I've got to say, sensible substitution from Derek McInnes.
17:28Donnelly on the brink, he would have been one more challenge.
17:41Yang will be coming on for James Forrest.
17:55Celtic's next two matches are both against Pibbs,
17:59who were well beaten 3-0 at St Mirren today.
18:03Celtic face them in the League and the League Cup.
18:05Palmer.
18:07Flipped away by Finlay.
18:25Yeah.
18:44Monica that.
18:46Conference League qualifier against Tromso on Thursday.
18:50They're home to St. Johnston.
18:59It's game over for James Forrest.
19:03His 496th appearance for Celtic comes to an end.
19:14And he will be replaced by the South Korean Yang.
19:17We saw some flashes of good from last season.
19:21His only goal came in that big win against Aberdeen here.
19:24He might want to start adding more goals to his game.
19:30James Forrest, he was the go-to winger for Celtic, wasn't he, at the end of last season?
19:36Yang gets his opportunity, and you're right, there were flashes of brilliance.
19:42He wants to add a bit more consistency to his game.
19:48Competition for places in those wide areas, that's a good thing.
19:57Lewis Mayo up towards Wales.
20:01Armstrong now for Cameron.
20:03Just bobbled away from him, but Armstrong may get another opportunity.
20:07Four in the box for Kilmarnock.
20:14Bainbridge.
20:18Cameron.
20:23Bainbridge.
20:25Smoking with a big shout.
20:31He'll have busier days.
20:33Absolutely, you could have played in goal for Celtic today.
20:37That might be pushing it a bit too far.
20:41Could have blocked quite a lot of it, though.
21:04Taylor.
21:07Matate.
21:33It's been about as straightforward as straightforward comes for Celtic,
21:37as Taylor hangs on to that and looks for Palmer.
21:41And Lewis Palmer's getting to this.
21:43Yang made a burst into the box, but O'Reilly having to retrieve this.
21:50A slip from Ralston, but Kartevic is on to it.
21:54Matate skirted the challenge from Watson.
22:00Palmer.
22:03The opening weekend has one game to go.
22:06A Monday night match in Perth for St.
22:08Johnston host Aberdeen, who are under new management with Jimmy
22:12Talene.
22:14You can see that from 7.30 on Sky Sports Football.
22:34Two clubs that Derek McInnes has managed, and he'll be there
22:38tomorrow night as they name a stand after Geoff Brown,
22:45following his 38 years.
22:57Scales, might be a flat going up against Kiyoko.
23:01It's not gone up yet.
23:03It is going up now.
23:08There's a good spot from Liam Scales.
23:11Kiyoko.
23:13Always on the move.
23:17Tight. It's a lovely take, though, and finish.
23:20What about that for a touch?
23:22McRory is near post.
23:25He did look offside, but...
23:29It was closer than I thought.
23:35McInnes on VAR, and I think they're going to draw the lines
23:39on that one, and it could be a tight one.
23:43His movement has been so sharp all game, hasn't he?
23:47It is offside, apparently.
23:51Let's have a look at that in a moment.
24:01Cameron, now Wales.
24:06Wales looses out to Scales.
24:22Armstrong.
24:27Cleared by Kartavikas.
24:37Cameron.
24:40Never stood a chance against Kartavikas.
24:48There we are, Kiyoko.
24:51An armpit offside.
24:54It's closer, as I say, than I thought.
24:56A whisker.
25:00Well, Hatate got the party going today,
25:05and he will be replaced by Odin Holm.
25:13And Norwegian chances have been limited.
25:21Comfortable on the ball, though.
25:27Here's Scales.
25:31Taylor.
25:51Scales.
26:03Palmer.
26:05Home with a lovely flick.
26:07Back to Palmer.
26:09Lions took him out, and that will be a yellow card for Lions.
26:13Went to ground, didn't he?
26:15Lunged, did Lions.
26:17Clever little flick for him.
26:19Holm.
26:21Palmer gets away from Lions.
26:23He's got no real complaints.
26:25He's taken a sore one there.
26:33He's still down.
26:35There's Palmer.
26:41Palmer.
26:43Grimacing in agony here.
26:50Come on!
26:58I'd imagine he'd want to be on this free kick,
27:00but that is a really sore one.
27:04His right ankle.
27:06A challenge from Lions catches him,
27:08and that's a really awkward twist.
27:12Come on!
27:17Don't have the numbers they'd wish to have at the moment,
27:20either having been pretty quiet in the transfer window so far,
27:23although that will change, shortly, over the next few weeks.
27:33Palmer.
27:34Back on his feet, but certainly felt that, no wonder.
27:38O'Reilly may well fancy the free-kick.
27:50Aldo Holm is also there but O'Reilly with 19 goals last season the same as
27:56Kiyoko.
28:09O'Reilly nonchalantly for Kiyoko.
28:14La Corrie pressed into him, Del Manna clear it.
28:19I tell you what, it's so clever, so inventive from O'Reilly,
28:25Kiyoko gets the touch.
28:27I've got to say, my initial reaction was that that was a penalty.
28:32Good movement, was he offside though, Kiyoko?
28:38That's a tight one but he gets the first touch,
28:41McCrory clatters into him.
28:46He's caught by the goalkeeper and that's a foul.
28:49If he's onside that should be a penalty.
28:54Gets the touch past McCrory, how has the penalty not been awarded there?
29:02It's just if he's offside.
29:06Everything is being checked but that was wonderful from Matt O'Reilly.
29:10Just when you wonder what he's going to do next, he does that.
29:16Wonderful movement, Kiyoko still sat down.
29:21McCrory knows, he didn't get contact.
29:24The check is complete, there will be no penalty.
29:29Well, that's ridiculous.
29:35I'm baffled.
29:38I'm absolutely speechless, that's ridiculous.
29:45Centre forward gets a touch past the goalkeeper,
29:48goalkeeper bundles him over, no penalty.
29:52He's hobbling, Kiyoko, and that's a worry.
29:56I think Gary McKay-Steven is going to come on for Kilmarnock.
29:59It's an issue, isn't it, for Celtic? One-fifth striker.
30:04Reza Muri has been replaced by a former Celtic man in Gary McKay-Steven.
30:11Who scored on the final day of last season, his first goal for three years.
30:18Paid for Derek McInnes at Aberdeen as well.
30:26Certainly an offside chant for Kiyoko there, but there was no word
30:30on the VAR front as to whether they were looking at that as well.
30:34Well, I'd just love to know, really.
30:42If he was offside, fair enough, but if he wasn't offside,
30:45that is an absolute howler from the VAR team, really.
30:52Don Robertson could get it wrong in real time, spur of the moment,
30:56but they've got to spot that. That was a clear and obvious error.
31:01Well, if it was offside, they didn't tell us it was VAR HQ.
31:15McKenzie.
31:21Wales.
31:28We were told refs were going to be more lenient this season,
31:31but you can't bulldoze somebody over in the box and expect to get away with it.
31:45So we're told now that decision was nothing to do with offside at all.
32:07It was just deemed not worthy of a penalty.
32:12They wind you up even more now.
32:15Very high threshold this season in Scotland.
32:37In we go to five more minutes.
32:42Wales.
32:49I've got to say, I'm a little bit surprised Brendan Rodgers hasn't taken
32:52Kiyoko off and wrapped him in cotton wool.
33:02Maybe he's signing a striker this week.
33:05It will happen eventually.
33:11Taylor.
33:26It's been a bit of a harrowing afternoon for Kilmarnock.
33:32He had one or two problems last season, but the team was at full strength.
33:36This has been half a Derek McInnes team.
33:39I've got sympathy with him in that respect.
33:43They've got to pick themselves up and go again on Thursday night in Europe.
33:48Derek will hope his injury situation eases somewhat.
33:53He's hoping that Marley Watkins is available.
33:58Joe Wright too.
34:01Lewis Farmer has certainly recovered from that hefty challenge on his ankle.
34:14It's been a bit of a harrowing afternoon for Kilmarnock.
34:17They've got to pick themselves up and go again on Thursday night in Europe.
34:21It's just the start from Celtic, but I've got to say the performance has been really excellent.
34:33They've controlled the game, the passing has been slick.
34:36I mentioned Brendan Rodgers saying it's been one of his best pre-seasons.
34:40Young now for McGregor.
34:43Away by Mayo.
34:45Home.
34:46O'Reilly!
34:51Off target, Matt O'Reilly.
34:54Celtic have got to find a way of keeping hold of him, this window.
34:59You talk of more players coming in, they cannot lose Matt O'Reilly, in my opinion.
35:05They've got to make a step in the Champions League.
35:09You've got to hang on to your best players.
35:12He's the best at the moment.
35:15It doesn't look like a man who's in a rush to leave, in fairness to him.
35:20He's got plenty of time in his contract.
35:24Eventually he will go, but just think his quality for Celtic.
35:30His goals, his assists, they are irreplaceable.
35:35Big boots to fill.
35:50It's been the kind of afternoon when Kilmarnock will just be happy to hear that final whistle.
36:01Never really in it, from start to finish.
36:09McGregor, back by McKenzie, advantage played.
36:13O'Reilly, Kiyoko!
36:15McCrory saves!
36:17But Ralston is there to follow up.
36:25Well, last season ended with a premiership party here.
36:30This season is starting with one.
36:33Setting the standards in game one.
36:364-0 to the champions.
36:39Slick, once again, McGregor driving through the heart of that Kilmarnock midfield.
36:45McKenzie pulls him back, but all popped out right.
36:49And then to Kiyoko, who gets a shot off.
36:52McCrory makes a smart save.
36:56But Ralston, Kewdanger, goes for power.
37:00Goes low, finds the back of the net.
37:05And that's the fourth for a dominant Celtic through McCrory's legs.
37:10Power did for him.
37:13What a start to the season.
37:16Ralston scored his very first Celtic goal here against Kilmarnock,
37:20going back a few years now.
37:28It's his first goal since 2021.
37:37And that is that.
37:40Backscoring goals.
37:43Back winning.
37:45And a pleasurable performance for Brendan Rodgers as well.
37:52Tony Ralston had the last word after coming on as a sub.
37:58Frejo Hatate with the opening goal.
38:01That was a fine finish.
38:03And then a quality header from Liam Scales made it 2-0.
38:09A deflected drive from Nicholas Kuhn,
38:11who looked as sharp as he has in pre-season.
38:14An upgrade on what we saw last season already.
38:19But Celtic still look like the ones to beat,
38:24the ones to catch.
38:27Kilmarnock have got Europe on their minds,
38:30and it certainly showed today, perhaps more than it should have done.
38:34Celtic were on easy street all afternoon, Chris.
38:38Yes, they absolutely were.
38:40Of course, it's not how you start the season,
38:42but that was mightily impressive.
38:45Good pre-season, beating Premier League teams,
38:48Chelsea and Manchester City.
38:51In the US, they look sharp, they look motivated.
38:55It was flag day today.
38:57Last season's forgotten now.
38:59It's onwards with this season.
39:00Easy afternoon for Kasper Schmeichel.
39:03They'll have more difficult days to come as a Celtic goalkeeper
39:06and be tested more, but that's the perfect start, isn't it?
39:10And you're right, Ian, it's ominous for the rest of the league.
39:13Yes, they already look like they'll take some catching,
39:17even though it's only Game 1 of 38.
39:24Celtic's mentality shone through in the run-in last season.
39:29And this wasn't bad for starters this season.
39:34It ends Celtic 4-0.