Match ends, Dundee United 0, Celtic 9.
Celtic strolled to an incredible record-breaking away league victory by humiliating beleaguered Dundee United to climb back to the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Ange Postecoglou's side looked utterly irresistible in attack as they scored nine goals for the first time in 12 years to inflict United's worst ever home defeat.
Hat-tricks from Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada blew away their hosts at Tannadice, with Jota, Josip Juranovic and Carl Starfelt also scoring.
It means Celtic are two points clear of Rangers at the summit of the Premiership, while Jack Ross' side have now lost five on the spin to sit anchored at the bottom with a solitary point from the opening day.
It took Celtic 15 minutes to open the scoring, slicing United apart on the first of many occasions. Abada split the home defence with a through ball, finding Jota, whose cross met an unmarked Kyogo.
Carljohan Eriksson then produced a few fine saves, but his afternoon would only go downhill from there. The second goal was perhaps the pick of the bunch, Kyogo curling in a first-time effort from 25 yards straight into the top corner.
Matt O'Riley combined with Abada to create the third, once again finding Kyogo - who had the freedom of Dundee to tap home his hat-trick.
There was still time in the first half for a fourth. Another tap in, this time for Jota, who may have been offside.
The half-time whistle was sweet relief for United, if only for 15 minutes. Abada got his first soon after the restart when, yet again, Celtic ruthlessly cut their hosts open. Jota found O'Riley who squared across for the winger to add the fifth.
The sixth was comical. Celtic's free-kick routine resulted in O'Riley drilling the ball into a crouched Reo Hatate, but the ball came back to Josip Juranovic off his team-mate to then drive into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Hatate set up the next goal, this time deliberately. Once again, Celtic waltzed through a gaping United defence, with the Japanese midfielder squaring for Abada to finish with ease.
The Israeli scored his hat-trick when he got onto the end of substitute Daizen Maeda's deflected cross, to dink over Eriksson with his final touch of the game.
Not content with eight, defender Starfelt got in on the act, nodding in a corner to break a record that has stood for 34 years - when they beat Hamilton Accies 8-0 away from home.
Man of the Match - Matt O'Riley
Unstoppable Celtic batter bruised United in record-shattering victory - analysis
Ange Postecoglou said before kick-off that when Celtic are at their best, they are hard to stop. He might have been selling his team short.
Time and time again his side sliced open a porous United defence who looked shell-shocked, conceding eight goals in an hour of football.
Some of the build-up play as Celtic crept towards the box was almost menacing, such was the inevitability of a goal.
They were untouchable, insatiable, irresistible. United had been warned this is what Celtic can do, after Kilmarnock were similarly eviscerated. They did not pay heed.
Twenty-one goals in five games. Their record for a league season is 116.
What they said
Dundee United manager Jack Ross: "Humiliating and embarrassing. For me, as manager, to be in charge of the team that delivered that. For the players to be part of it. For the football club.
"We offer them an apology because it's nowhere near good enough. You shouldn't concede that number of goals at any level of football, irrespective of the standard of the opponent.
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou: "Our intent is to keep going and not let the scoreboard or the circumstances dictate how we go about things, and the boys were disciplined today.
"We knew Dundee United were going through a rough spell and they were probably a bit vulnerable today. We got on top of them early which allowed us to play our football."
What's next?
Both sides are in midweek League Cup action as the competition reaches the last 16. United travel to Livingston, while Celtic travel north to Ross County (both 19:45 BST).
Player of the match
FuruhashiKyogo Furuhashi
Dundee United
Avg
- Squad number13Player nameErikssonAverage rating
4.11
- Squad number19Player nameLevittAverage rating
3.89
- Squad number6Player nameGrahamAverage rating
3.76
- Squad number12Player nameEdwardsAverage rating
3.73
- Squad number9Player nameFletcherAverage rating
3.71
- Squad number15Player nameMiddletonAverage rating
3.69
- Squad number22Player nameFreemanAverage rating
3.69
- Squad number2Player nameSmithAverage rating
3.68
- Squad number17Player nameMeekisonAverage rating
3.63
- Squad number3Player nameMcMannAverage rating
3.61
- Squad number23Player nameHarkesAverage rating
3.54
- Squad number18Player nameMcGrathAverage rating
3.24
- Squad number10Player nameClarkAverage rating
3.24
- Squad number7Player nameNiskanenAverage rating
3.21
- Squad number14Player nameSibbaldAverage rating
3.05
Celtic
Avg
- Squad number8Player nameFuruhashiAverage rating
8.85
- Squad number11Player nameAbadaAverage rating
8.59
- Squad number17Player nameJotaAverage rating
8.39
- Squad number33Player nameO'RileyAverage rating
8.30
- Squad number41Player nameHatateAverage rating
8.13
- Squad number20Player nameCarter-VickersAverage rating
8.12
- Squad number38Player nameMaedaAverage rating
8.05
- Squad number42Player nameMcGregorAverage rating
8.05
- Squad number4Player nameStarfeltAverage rating
7.96
- Squad number3Player nameTaylorAverage rating
7.95
- Squad number88Player nameJuranovicAverage rating
7.95
- Squad number14Player nameTurnbullAverage rating
7.90
- Squad number13Player nameMooyAverage rating
7.87
- Squad number1Player nameHartAverage rating
7.82
- Squad number49Player nameForrestAverage rating
7.64
- Squad number25Player nameBernabeiAverage rating
7.60
Line-ups
Dundee Utd
Formation 5-3-2
- 13Eriksson
- 22Freeman
- 2Smith
- 12Edwards
- 6Graham
- 3McMann
- 17MeekisonSubstituted forMcGrathat 58'minutes
- 19Levitt
- 23HarkesSubstituted forSibbaldat 58'minutes
- 9FletcherBooked at 4minsSubstituted forClarkat 58'minutes
- 15MiddletonSubstituted forNiskanenat 63'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Birighitti
- 4Mulgrew
- 7Niskanen
- 10Clark
- 14Sibbald
- 16Behich
- 18McGrath
- 28Anim Cudjoe
- 32Watt
Celtic
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Hart
- 88Juranovic
- 20Carter-Vickers
- 4Starfelt
- 3Taylor
- 33O'RileySubstituted forTurnbullat 62'minutes
- 42McGregor
- 41HatateSubstituted forMooyat 62'minutes
- 11AbadaSubstituted forBernabeiat 78'minutes
- 8FuruhashiSubstituted forForrestat 62'minutes
- 17Neves FilipeSubstituted forMaedaat 62'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Jenz
- 13Mooy
- 14Turnbull
- 16McCarthy
- 25Bernabei
- 31Siegrist
- 38Maeda
- 49Forrest
- 56Ralston
- Referee:
- Steven McLean
- Attendance:
- 11,087
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home24%
- Away76%
- Shots
- Home6
- Away30
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away13
- Corners
- Home2
- Away11
- Fouls
- Home6
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Dundee United 0, Celtic 9.
Post update
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Kieran Freeman.
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Attempt missed. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Greg Taylor.
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Attempt blocked. David Turnbull (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Aaron Mooy.
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Attempt missed. Carl Starfelt (Celtic) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by David Turnbull with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jamie McGrath.
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Attempt blocked. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Liam Smith.
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Attempt blocked. Alexander Bernabei (Celtic) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by James Forrest.
Goal!
Goal! Dundee United 0, Celtic 9. Carl Starfelt (Celtic) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by David Turnbull with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Scott McMann.
Substitution
Substitution, Celtic. Alexander Bernabei replaces Liel Abada.
Goal!
Goal! Dundee United 0, Celtic 8. Liel Abada (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Daizen Maeda.
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Attempt missed. Daizen Maeda (Celtic) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Aaron Mooy.
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Foul by Carl Starfelt (Celtic).
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Nicky Clark (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Josip Juranovic (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Ilmari Niskanen (Dundee United).
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Carl Starfelt (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.