Celtic Dominates Aberdeen 3-0: Duran Shines Again

Camilo Duran delivered another thunderbolt as Celtic swept aside Aberdeen 3-0 to keep their perfect William Hill Premiership start intact – and turned up the heat on Martin O’Neill’s selection plans in the process.

Benjamin Nygren and Yang Hyun-jun joined him on the scoresheet, the champions ripping the game away from Aberdeen before half-time and never loosening their grip.

Duran steals the show again

On a night when Sir Kenny Dalglish was warmly welcomed onto the pitch to speak about Jock Stein, Celtic and the supporters who launched his career – and to acknowledge his ongoing cancer treatment – it was the club’s latest attacking idol who lit up the football.

Duran has barely stopped since arriving from Qarabag in the summer. Six goals in five matches now, and this one might be the pick of the bunch.

Fourteen minutes in, with Celtic already dictating the tempo, there seemed little danger when he took Nygren’s pass some 20 yards out. One touch, limited backlift, then a vicious strike that crashed in off the bar. Out of nowhere, but entirely in keeping with his start to life in Glasgow.

He did not stop there. Duran repeatedly tormented Marius Muller, forcing four first-half saves and later lashing over from a bouncing ball after Yang’s cross had thrown Aberdeen’s defence into panic.

With Kasper Hogh sidelined by a thigh injury, Duran has seized the central striker’s role with both hands. On this evidence, O’Neill may struggle to justify shifting him back to the wing when his fellow forward returns.

Celtic ruthless, Aberdeen punished

Celtic had Callum McGregor restored to the starting XI after illness, while Liam Scales filled in at left-back for the injured Kieran Tierney. They settled quickly, hogged the ball and waited for openings. Duran’s early rocket opened the door. The second goal all but slammed it shut.

On his first start for Aberdeen, Ayoub Mouloua headed wide from a decent opportunity, and Nesta Guinness-Walker saw a long-range effort held. Those half-chances were as good as it got before Celtic turned the screw.

On 34 minutes, Haissem Hassan’s cross caused chaos. The ball ricocheted off Afeez Aremu and dropped invitingly. Nygren reacted first, meeting it cleanly with his right foot. Muller got something on it but not enough, the ball squeezing past him for 2-0.

Just when Aberdeen thought they had found a lifeline, the fine margins cut them down.

Gavin Molloy rose to meet Alexander Briedl’s corner and powered a header off the bar. Within seconds Celtic were racing the other way. Duran slid a clever pass into Yang’s path and the South Korean winger drilled a low left-foot finish beyond Muller. From almost 2-1 to 3-0 in a flash. That was the game.

Stephen Robinson had seen enough. At the interval he ripped up his original plan, making four changes: Lewis Smith, Connor Ronan, Toyosi Olusanya and Mitchy Ntelo all thrown on for Aremu, Briedl, Kevin Nisbet and Mouloua.

Aberdeen rally, Celtic stay in control

The visitors did at least compete after the restart. The fresh legs brought more bite in midfield, and Smith forced a solid stop from Viljami Sinisalo as Aberdeen tried to restore some pride.

They never truly looked like hauling themselves back into the contest, though. Celtic managed the game, shifted the ball, and still found room to showcase their new faces.

O’Neill introduced two of this week’s signings, Danish midfielder Oliver Sorensen and on-loan Chelsea forward Shim Mheuka. Both quickly found themselves in the thick of it. Mheuka showed sharp movement and strength to carve out a chance and drew an excellent one-handed save from Muller. Sorensen arrived onto a first-time left-foot attempt but sliced it badly off target.

Celtic kept coming. Muller denied Scales, then substitutes Mika Baur and James Forrest, as the champions finished with the same authority they had shown from the first whistle.

The scoreline stayed at three, but the statement was loud enough. Celtic’s perfect start continues, Duran’s star keeps rising, and somewhere down the line O’Neill will have to answer a simple question: when Hogh is fit, who dares move the man in form?