Celtic Dominates Aberdeen 3-0 with Duran's Stellar Performance
Camilo Duran produced another thunderbolt as Celtic swept aside Aberdeen 3-0 to maintain their flawless start to the William Hill Premiership season.
Benjamin Nygren and Yang Hyun-jun joined him on the scoresheet, the damage done before half-time, the contest effectively over by the interval.
Duran lights it up again
There was barely a hint of danger when Duran first announced himself. Fourteen minutes gone, Nygren slipped a simple pass into his feet, 20 yards from goal, bodies in front of him and little room to work with.
One touch. Minimal backlift. Then violence.
Duran’s right boot sent the ball crashing in off the bar, another outrageous strike to add to a growing collection since his summer move from Qarabag. The Colombian now has six goals in five games, and with every strike he tightens his grip on the centre-forward role Martin O’Neill had originally earmarked to share with Kasper Hogh.
When Hogh’s thigh injury heals, O’Neill may have a selection headache he didn’t plan for. On this evidence, shifting Duran back to the wing would be a brutal call.
He wasn’t finished with Aberdeen, either. In a first half he essentially owned, Duran forced four saves from Marius Muller and lashed another effort over from a bouncing ball after Yang’s cross had thrown the visiting defence into panic.
A night that belonged to Celtic – and Dalglish
Before a ball was kicked, Celtic Park rose to its feet for Sir Kenny Dalglish. The 75-year-old, undergoing treatment for cancer this year, walked out to a warm ovation as he spoke about the debt he owes to Jock Stein, the club and its supporters for launching his career.
The current side responded with a performance worthy of the occasion.
Callum McGregor returned from illness to anchor midfield, while Liam Scales filled in at left-back for the injured Kieran Tierney. Celtic quickly took control of the ball, probing, recycling, squeezing Aberdeen back. Duran’s opener came from their first real sight of goal and set the tone.
Aberdeen did have moments. Ayoub Mouloua, handed his first start, headed wide from a decent chance. Nesta Guinness-Walker tried his luck from distance, only for Viljami Sinisalo to deal with it without fuss. Those half-chances felt fleeting in a half dominated by green and white.
Nygren doubles it, Yang twists the knife
The pressure finally told again on 34 minutes. Haissem Hassan whipped in a cross that caused confusion, the ball ricocheting off Afeez Aremu and dropping loose at the edge of the box. Nygren reacted first, meeting it cleanly with his right foot. Muller got something on the strike but not enough; the ball squirmed past him and into the net.
Just when Aberdeen looked to have found a lifeline, the fine margins cut them down.
Gavin Molloy met Alexander Briedl’s corner with a firm header and watched it cannon off the bar. One inch lower and it’s game on. Instead, Celtic broke with ruthless intent.
Duran carried the ball and slid a clever pass into Yang’s path. The South Korean winger didn’t hesitate, driving his left-footed shot low and hard beyond Muller. From almost being pegged back to 2-1, Aberdeen were staring at 3-0 down within seconds.
Stephen Robinson had seen enough. At half-time he ripped up his front line and midfield, sending on Lewis Smith, Connor Ronan, Toyosi Olusanya and Mitchy Ntelo for Aremu, Briedl, Kevin Nisbet and Mouloua in an attempt to salvage some pride.
Aberdeen respond, but Celtic stay ruthless
The changes did spark something. Aberdeen competed with more bite after the restart, pushed higher and finally forced Sinisalo into meaningful work when Smith drove a shot that the Celtic keeper had to deal with properly.
The contest, though, never truly felt in doubt.
O’Neill used the comfort of the scoreline to introduce two of the week’s new arrivals. Danish midfielder Oliver Sorensen came on to patrol the middle, while on-loan Chelsea forward Shim Mheuka was given an early chance to impress.
Both nearly added to the tally. Mheuka showed sharp movement and strength to engineer a shooting chance, drawing an excellent one-handed stop from Muller. Sorensen arrived onto a first-time effort with his left foot but sliced it badly off target.
Celtic finished with a flurry. Muller denied Scales, then substitutes Mika Baur and James Forrest as the home side chased a fourth that never came. The goalkeeper, one of Aberdeen’s few positives, prevented the scoreline from turning ugly.
Still, the message was clear. Celtic’s perfect start rolls on, Duran’s star keeps rising, and with Hogh on his way back, O’Neill’s biggest problem might be working out how to fit all his firepower into one team.
