Celtic Dominates Dundee United 4-0 in Premier Sports Cup
Celtic’s ruthless streak shows no sign of easing. On a night when Dundee United hit the woodwork five times and still walked away empty-handed, Martin O'Neill’s side coolly booked their place in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals with another 4-0 dismantling at Tannadice.
Same scoreline as the league mauling. Same gulf in class. And with a Champions League play-off looming on Wednesday, this was as emphatic a statement as it gets.
Here’s how Celtic’s players measured up in Tayside.
Sinisalo riding his luck – but spotless again
Viljami Sinisalo – 7
Another game, another clean sheet. On paper, it looks routine. In reality, the Finland keeper had the goalframe to thank as Dundee United somehow failed to score despite rattling it five times. Sinisalo’s handling was assured and he didn’t flap under pressure, but his kicking remains a weak point. He won’t care. Two shutouts in three and momentum building.
Makeshift backline, same authority
Colby Donovan – 7
Thrown in with Alistair Johnston sidelined, the 19-year-old looks in no mood to give the shirt back. Strong in the tackle, eager to bomb on, Donovan played with a maturity that belied his years. The real eyebrow-raiser? Third-choice Anthony Ralston didn’t even make the bench, a clear sign of where the pecking order is shifting.
Cameron Carter-Vickers – 7
Every game, another step back towards his dominant best. Carter-Vickers is still a fraction short over the ground in one-on-ones after that brutal Achilles injury, but in the air he was untouchable. He marshalled the back line, took Celtic’s only booking of the night, and once again underlined how much more secure the defence looks with him at the heart of it.
Auston Trusty – 7
The breakthrough came from him. A superb glancing header from a corner set Celtic on their way and settled any early nerves. Trusty, a USA World Cup defender, looks increasingly comfortable alongside Carter-Vickers. The partnership feels natural, solid, and O’Neill will think twice before disrupting it.
Liam Scales – 7
Back from a two-game league ban and shunted out to left-back with Kieran Tierney wrapped in cotton wool for LASK. Scales coped defensively and did little wrong, but he doesn’t offer the same thrust in the final third. Reliable, yes. Long-term answer as Tierney’s deputy? That’s another question entirely.
Midfield control with a veteran’s touch
Callum McGregor – 7
So much for the legs going. At 33, McGregor is still the metronome. He dictated the tempo, knitted play together and barely wasted a pass. One surging run into the box to tee up Kasper Hogh almost brought a goal and underlined that the engine is far from done. Captain in every sense.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 7
First start of the season on his 33rd birthday and he played like a man determined to prove there’s plenty left. The technique is intact: crisp passing, clever angles, and a handful of defence-splitting balls that carved United open. The intensity dipped after the break as the legs tired, but he showed enough to suggest he can still be a real asset over the campaign.
Nygren steals the show
Benjamin Nygren – 9
Right now, he’s Celtic’s main man. Three games, three goals, three assists. The numbers are outrageous. His wicked corner set up Trusty’s opener. His composure on the ball created the chance for Sebastian Tounekti to make it three. Then he decided to finish the night himself, crashing a drive from 18 yards into the net to complete the rout. Everything he touched had purpose. Man of the match, without argument.
Duran dazzles, Hogh grafts
Camilo Duran – 8
Celtic look to have struck gold with this £6million signing from Qarabag. Nominally a striker, he’s been just as devastating off the right. His first Celtic goal came just minutes after Trusty’s opener, pouncing on a loose ball in the box – one that appeared to clip Hogh’s hand on its way through – and burying it. He pressed relentlessly, ran all night, and never stopped asking questions of United’s defence. A serious find.
Kasper Hogh – 7
No repeat of last week’s stunning hat-trick at Kilmarnock, but this was far from a quiet night. Hogh bullied defenders, chased lost causes and kept United pinned back. He played a key role in two goals: hauled down before Duran struck, then held the ball up superbly in the move that led to Nygren setting up Tounekti. A centre-forward’s shift, even without the finish.
Tounekti seizes his moment
Sebastian Tounekti – 8
Last season, he teased more than he delivered. This time, he delivered. On his first start, the Tunisian winger ripped into United with a goal and an assist. His finish for Celtic’s third was all about quick feet and composure, twisting defenders inside out before sliding the ball through a crowded box into the bottom corner. Later, he turned provider, feeding Nygren for the fourth. With Yang absent, Tounekti didn’t just fill a gap – he made a case to keep the jersey.
The supporting cast
Mika Baur – 5
A brief cameo but an intriguing one. Energetic, busy, always looking to receive and turn. The comparisons with Reo Hatate will only grow if he keeps showing that blend of dynamism and creativity.
Dane Murray – 4
Another valuable taste of first-team action for the academy centre-back. Slotted in for Trusty and looked comfortable, if largely untested, as Celtic cruised through the closing stages.
Luke McCowan – 4
Fresh from scoring off the bench at Rugby Park, the former Dundee man was introduced for the outstanding Nygren. He kept the tempo high and offered running power, but the damage had already been done.
James Forrest – 4
On for Hogh to allow Duran a spell through the middle. The evergreen winger stretched the game, hugged the touchline and gave United’s tiring full-backs no respite.
Haissem Hassan – 3
The reception said it all. The Egyptian winger hasn’t had much of a pre-season and it showed in his sharpness, but the crowd roared him on when he replaced Tounekti. There’s clearly excitement about what he might bring once fully up to speed.
Celtic walk away from Tannadice with another 4-0, a place in the last eight and a squad humming with confidence. With LASK waiting in midweek and the Champions League on the line, the real question now is simple: can anyone slow this team down?
