Celtic Continues Perfect Start in Scottish Premiership with Victory over Aberdeen
Celtic maintained their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership title defense with a convincing victory against Aberdeen.
Benjamin Nygren opened the scoring by converting a cross from Kieran Tierney, steadying the visitors after they faced early pressure from a side that had defeated them in last season's Scottish Cup final.
However, the challenge from Aberdeen subsided as Reo Hatate curled in a spectacular goal midway through the second half, securing the win for Brendan Rodgers' team.
Dons manager Jimmy Thelin, whose team suffered a defeat at Tynecastle in the opening week, opted not to utilize the back five formation that had proven successful in the previous season’s final against Celtic, instead returning to his preferred 4-2-3-1 setup.
Aberdeen started strongly, with Adil Aouchiche testing goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel with a powerful long-range shot that required a deft touch.
As the half-hour mark approached, the visitors broke the deadlock with a well-placed low finish from Swedish winger Nygren, following excellent work down the left by Tierney.
Celtic could have extended their lead before halftime, as Hatate forced a smart save from Dimitar Mitov, and Liam Scales headed just wide of the target.
Mitov was called into action early in the second half, making a remarkable reflex save to tip Daezen Maeda's volley over the bar.
Celtic doubled their advantage in the 65th minute when Hatate struck from 18 yards, hitting the underside of the bar before the ball went in.
Despite Aberdeen's efforts to respond, they were unable to find a way back into the game.
What was the main talking point?
Celtic may not have been at their best at Pittodrie, but they secured the necessary victory, which will be a source of satisfaction for Rodgers.
Winning even when not performing at full capacity is a hallmark of champions, a trait that will concern other teams in the league hoping to challenge for the title this season.
It is reasonable to expect that this Celtic team will improve as the weeks and months progress.
Once again, Celtic displayed a lack of sharpness in front of goal, an issue Rodgers will hope to address in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.
Aberdeen showed improvement compared to their season-opening defeat at Hearts, but a persistent lack of cutting edge in the final third raises early concerns for their supporters.
More to follow.