Celtic's blistering start sweeps Kilmarnock aside in final pre-split fixture (2025)

The hosts bagged four goals in the opening 25 minutes at Celtic Park

See Also

Eliminate 'extreme' calorie counting for weight loss by limiting one food groupMan shot by cops 'had built his own gun and dreamt of shoot outs'

A blistering start from the hosts condemned Kilmarnock to a 5-1 defeat at Celtic Park after the home side netted four times in the opening 25 minutes.

Coming off a surprise defeat to basement boys St Johnstone last weekend, the Celts were clearly in no mood for a repeat against Kilmarnock as they flew out of the traps.

The away side would have been looking to frustrate their hosts from the off - but they quickly proved incapable of executing that plan as a quickfire double ensured it was effectively game over by 11 minutes.

The opener was an exquisite finish from Reo Hatate as the Japanese midfielder cut in from the left and curled a beauty into the top corner from 25 yards on nine minutes. Moments later the lead was doubled as Daizen Maeda tapped home from a yard out. Alistair Johnston got to the bye-line with Lewis Mayo unable to clear his lines, leaving Maeda with the simplest of goals.

Having got themselves into fifth gear, Celtic were in no mood to ease their foot off the accelerator as they made it 4-0 by 25 minutes.

Centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers produced an even better strike than Hatate's opener as the defender thundered a swerving effort across goal and into the far corner from 30 yards before Hatate doubled his tally three minutes later as a static Killie defence allowed him the time and space to roll the ball beyond Kieran O'Hara.

The away side at least had a moment to celebrate, albeit the delight was very much muted, on 29 minutes as Armstrong's attempted cross from the right flew over the head of Viljami Sinisalo for his first goal of the campaign.

The Hoops would have the ball in the net once more before the interval as Maeda tapped home after O'Hara's smart save had denied Hatate his hat-trick - but a VAR intervention saw that overturned for offside with Adam Idah being the culprit in the build-up.

The tempo noticeably dropped after the break, which at least allowed Killie to stem the flow. Half-time changes with the introduction of Marley Watkins and Robbie Deas also provided more solidity at both ends of the park.

But the damage, of course, had long since been done.

The visitors fashioned a half chance on 67 minutes when David Watson's long throw-in was flicked into the path of Fraser Murray but he was unable to keep his attempt down.

Celtic found a much sturdier Killie defence far more difficult to break down during the second half but Arne Engels almost added a fifth with a moment of magic on 75 minutes. The Belgian midfielder curled an effort on goal from just inside the box that bounced back off the crossbar.

A number of enticing deliveries into the box that failed to be turned home before Anthony Ralston rounded things off with a driven finish across goal with the final kick of the game.

Killie, though, will have far more important games to come after the split as they look to secure their top flight status.

Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter