Hat tricks for Kyogo and Abada as Celtic thrash Dundee United 9-0
Kyogo #Kyogo
Celtic put on the style in Tayside as they continued their perfect start to the season with a thumping 9-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice.
Kyogo Furuhashi hit a first half hat-trick and Abada scored three in the second 45 as Postecoglou’s side gave the away fans a day out to remember and piled on the agony to the struggling hosts.
The champions made it five wins out of five, scoring 21 goals and only conceding one, but the nightmare run continued for United who have now conceded 23 goals in their last four games.
Jack Ross’s side have seen their confidence shot to pieces with the string of heavy defeats in recent games and they would have been dreading the visitors putting on the kind of devastating performance that was on display on Sunday afternoon.
It was a ruthless display from the champions who tore the deflated hosts apart with Kyogo in particular showing the form that his made him a fan favourite at Celtic Park.
The nine goal margin represents Celtic’s biggest ever away victory in the Premiership.
Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart was down injured after three minutes after suffering a head wound in a clash with United forward Steven Fletcher.
Hart made a great save from Dylan Levitt but was kicked in the head by Fletcher as he tried to get to the rebound and the former Scotland star was booked for dangerous play.
The game was stopped for just over six minutes as the 35-year-old was patched up by medical staff before continuing in goals.
Kyogo continued his own run of good form with his fourth goal in as many games after an assist from Jota as Celtic ripped the Dundee United defence apart with a clinical attack.
The former Benfica winger zipped the ball into the forward who kept his composure to slot it past Johansen and put the champions 1-0 up.
Hat trick hero: Three first half goals for red hot Kyogo. SNS Group
Johansen was brought into action action soon after and done well to keep the home side in the game with two good saves from Jota and Reo Hatate.
Celtic were looking hungry for a second and they nearly had it when Kyogo played in Abada but Johansen again made a good stop from the Israel winger.
And it was the red hot Japan star who double the lead with his second of the game on the 40 minute mark with a fantastic curling strike from outside the box into the top corner.
And he had his hat-trick just over five minutes later, this time from a much closer range when he turned in a cut back from Abada and Celtic continued to put on the style in a scintillating first half in Tayside and Jota made it four in injury time as the suffering continued for Jack Ross and his team.
Jota’s goal was the 18th goal Dundee United had conceded in just three and a half games with Celtic on the other hand scoring 14 and only conceding one in the same time.
Record away win: Abada hit second half hat-trick. SNS Group
Much to the home side’s dismay Celtic came out for the same second half with the same attacking intent and looked hungry for even more and Abada made it 5-0 just four minutes in as the Hoops cut through the United defence with ease.
Juranovic made it six on the 54th minute as the Croatia right-back fired a half volley in from the edge of the box for his first non-penalty goal for the Hoops and the goals kept coming when Abada scored his second to make it 7-0 before the game was an hour old.
Defender Carl Starfelt made in 9-0 with his second of the season on his return to the starting line up.
Celtic fans were chanting “we want ten” as a party atmosphere took over the away end as most of the home fans gradually disappeared.
But they had to make do with the 9-0 victory that puts them back to the top of the league.
Next up for the rampant champions is Ross County in the League Cup on Wednesday before hosting Rangers and Real Madrid in back to back games.