Celtic Dominates Aberdeen 3-0 with Duran's Stellar Performance
Camilo Duran delivered 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 by half-time, the contest reduced to a training exercise long before the final whistle.
Duran on fire, Aberdeen blown away
Celtic eased into their rhythm from the first whistle, Callum McGregor restored to the heart of midfield after illness and Liam Scales drafted in at left-back for the injured Kieran Tierney. They monopolised the ball, probed, waited.
Then Duran detonated the afternoon.
Fourteen minutes in, with little apparent danger, the Colombian collected a pass from Nygren some 20 yards out. One touch, minimal backlift, then a vicious strike that crashed in off the bar. Another spectacular entry on a growing highlight reel since his summer move from Qarabag. Six goals in five games now, and Martin O’Neill will have a real decision to make when Kasper Hogh returns from his thigh injury. On this form, Duran does not look like a man to be shunted back to the wing.
He was relentless. Duran forced four first-half saves from Marius Muller, bullied Aberdeen’s back line and lashed over from a bouncing ball after Yang’s cross had shredded the Dons defence.
Aberdeen did have moments. Ayoub Mouloua, on his first start, glanced a decent header wide. Nesta Guinness-Walker tried his luck from distance, his strike held by Viljami Sinisalo. But Celtic always felt a pass away from carving them open.
The second goal arrived on 34 minutes and it was messy from Aberdeen’s perspective. Haissem Hassan’s cross ricocheted off Afeez Aremu and dropped invitingly at the edge of the box. Nygren reacted first, meeting it sweetly with his right foot. Muller got something on it but not enough; the ball squirmed in and Celtic had clear daylight.
Aberdeen’s response summed up their afternoon. From Alexander Briedl’s corner, Gavin Molloy rose well and powered a header off the bar. Inches from lifeline. Within seconds, they were buried.
Celtic broke at speed, Duran threading a clever pass into Yang’s run. The South Korean winger drove into the box and drilled a left-footed finish past Muller. From almost 2-1 to 3-0 in a flash. The pressure finally told, and Aberdeen were broken.
Robinson rings the changes, Celtic keep control
Stephen Robinson had seen enough by the interval. Four changes, a statement as much as a tactical tweak. Off went Aremu, Briedl, Kevin Nisbet and Mouloua. On came Lewis Smith, Connor Ronan, Toyosi Olusanya and Mitchy Ntelo.
The visitors did at least compete after the restart. Smith tested Sinisalo with a decent effort, and Aberdeen’s shape looked tighter, their pressing sharper. But Celtic never lost control of the game, even as the tempo dipped.
O’Neill used the cushion to introduce two of the week’s new arrivals. Danish midfielder Oliver Sorensen stepped into midfield, while on-loan Chelsea forward Shim Mheuka took up position in attack. Both quickly found themselves in shooting positions.
Mheuka showed good movement and strength to work a chance, drawing a sharp one-handed save from Muller. Sorensen arrived on the edge of the area to meet a cutback, only to slice his first-time left-foot shot well wide. The scoreline stayed at three, but Aberdeen were hanging on.
Muller, their busiest player by some distance, denied Scales with a solid stop and then thwarted substitutes Mika Baur and James Forrest as Celtic finished with purpose rather than simply playing out time.
A legend honoured, a standard set
Before any of that, Celtic Park had risen for one of its greatest. Sir Kenny Dalglish walked out to a warm ovation, the 75-year-old speaking on the pitch about his gratitude to Jock Stein, the club and its supporters for launching his career. Having revealed earlier this year that he is receiving treatment for cancer, his presence added a poignant edge to the afternoon.
On the pitch, the current generation responded with a performance befitting the occasion: ruthless, controlled, and laced with quality from their in-form centre-forward.
Celtic’s perfect start rolls on, the goals flowing, the clean sheets stacking up, and Duran hitting everything as if the crossbar owes him money. When Hogh is fit again, O’Neill will have a luxury problem up front — and a very clear message from his No 9: this spot is taken.
