THE PERFECT PREPARATION
Celtic cruise through to the semi-finals in style and enjoy ideal derby day warm-up
HAVING cruised into the semi-finals of the Betfred Cup, Celtic are now sailing smoothly — almost serenely, even — towards the first Old Firm game of a new season with a familiar feel about it.
One chastening Champions League experience apart, they could hardly have wished for a more encouraging build-up to Saturday’s lunchtime clash with a Rangers team identified by Brendan Rodgers as at least nominal title challengers.
Sure, the possibility of Jozo Simunovic missing the trip to Ibrox may cause some concern among travelling fans.
If the reigning Premiership champions use the ball as well as they did in last night’s League Cup quarter-final win at Dens Park, however, even a slightly improvised back line should not be a cause for major concern.
If Scott Sinclair plays as he can, as he did here in brief flashes, there may be nothing any team in Scotland can do to stop him.
On one of those wet Wednesday nights so often used as a shorthand for the kind of situation guaranteed to separate the sand dancers from the men of steel, Celtic had their fans — already dreaming of a Double Treble, if you like — in raptures with a performance of polish and professionalism.
Rangers assistant coach Jonatan Johansson, here to watch the opposition in person, surely wouldn’t have been surprised by anything he saw.
Nor could he have been mightily encouraged, as Celtic did the job asked of them. And ended the night with plenty left in the tank.
A Sinclair penalty — won by his own fast feet, converted from the spot with aplomb — after 25 minutes set the visitors on their way.
James Forrest bagged a second just before half-time to put Rodgers’ men beyond the reach of a brave but outgunned Dundee.
By the time substitute Callum McGregor and a second from Forrest, both inside the closing two minutes, made it 4-0, the hosts had already looked well beaten.
With Dedryck Boyata making a first appearance of the competitive campaign, back from a knee injury suffered in a pre-season friendly against Slavia Prague, the visitors had arrived on Tayside at something close to full strength.
Striker Moussa Dembele, just back from a recurring hamstring problem, was rested ahead of this weekend’s trip to Ibrox, Rodgers reassuring Celtic fans by insisting: ‘He’ll be ready and in the squad for Saturday.’
Leigh Griffiths, back at a ground he knows well enough from his days in Dark Blue, led the line — while Sinclair, Patrick Roberts and Forrest all started in an XI built for attacking thrills.
Although Dundee clearly put a priority on being hard to beat, they too boasted a bit of attacking flair at the top end of the park. This was going to be a match of chances and openings, it seemed.
Olivier Ntcham had a shot from the edge of the box tipped just wide by Scott Bain after two minutes, while Randy Wolters must have thought he was about to give the home side a shock lead just moments later — his volleyed shot deflected wide after he had been left completely unmarked at a corner.
Celtic were definitely made to look a little too open on occasion early on, with captain Scott Brown forced to make up a lot of ground to put in a saving tackle on AJ Leitch-Smith just as the striker — who had beaten the offside trap to latch on to a Faissal El Bakhtaoui through ball — was about to shoot.
The difference between the champions and so many of their opponents, however, can be measured mainly in what happens in the final third. Where other teams may falter, Celtic fly.
With 25 minutes gone, Sinclair gave a demonstration of this X-factor possessed by so few in the Scottish game, dancing — at speed, always at speed — beyond the despairing non-challenges of two Dundee defenders before Jack Hendry stepped across his path and brought him to the floor.
Sinclair converted the penalty himself for his ninth goal of the season.
Dundee weren’t dead yet, of course. They might even have revived their hopes of reaching the semi-finals had El Bakhtaoui not missed — by inches — his connection with a Wolters cross from the right soon after that opening goal.
On such missed opportunities do contests turn, however. It didn’t take long for Celtic to make their hosts pay for their profligacy.
Three minutes before half-time, Nir Bitton won a 50-50 with Cammy Kerr, Kieran Tierney skipped past Hendry, drilled in a low cross — and found Forrest sliding in to finish well from close range.
Griffiths was having no luck in finding the target, firing a couple of free-kicks well off goal and seeing one promising shot deflected wide two minutes into the second half.
But it’s hardly as if Celtic failing to add to their two-goal lead mattered. Not against a Dundee side who, despite manager Neil McCann throwing on substitutes, never really got close to the visitors.
The home team had done what they could to make life difficult for the opposition. They had closed ranks, denied space, closed down danger men as quickly as they could.
But it wasn’t enough. It was never going to be enough. Throwing bodies in front of shots, trying to keep the score respectable, was as much as they could muster.
And, eventually, they couldn’t even do that. McGregor’s third, a fine finish inside the box, hardly flattered Celtic — nor did a fourth for the visitors, Forrest scoring his second from 15 yards.
Playing sensibly and trusting their key players to do the damage, it was enough to get the job done. It may well be enough on Saturday, too. DUNDEE (4-1-4-1): Bain; Kerr, Hendry, O’Dea, Holt; Kamara; Wolters (Deacon 64), O’Hara, Spence (McGowan 73), El Bakhtaoui; Leitch-Smith. Subs not used: Parish, Williams, Aurtenetxe, Waddell, Henvey. Booked: Kerr, Holt, Wolters, Spence. CELTIC (3-4-2-1): Gordon; Lustig, Boyata (Ralston 67), Bitton; Forrest, Brown, Ntcham, Tierney; Roberts (McGregor 73), Sinclair; Griffiths (Edouard 84). Subs not used: De Vries, Hayes, Armstrong, Rogic. Booked: Ntcham, McGregor. Man of the match: Scott Sinclair. Referee: John Beaton. Attendance: 6,917.