Match ends, Dundee 0, Celtic 4.
Celtic swept Dundee aside to surge into the Scottish League Cup semi-finals with a resounding win.
The hosts were initially lively, but lost their way after Scott Sinclair won and converted a first-half penalty.
The second goal by James Forrest, just before half-time, established an unassailable lead.
Callum McGregor and Forrest again completed the scoring as Celtic extended their run of unbeaten domestic games to 56.
Dundee will rue Faissal El Bakhtaoui missing the chance to level the scores at 1-1 during the first half, but ultimately they could not live with Celtic's pace and attacking threat.
Celtic made six changes to their starting line-up, with defender Dedryck Boyata making his first start this season after recovering from injury.
The Belgium international played two-thirds of the game, as he continues to seek full match sharpness, and manager Brendan Rodgers can shuffle his side again for Saturday's Old Firm meeting at Ibrox.
Dundee manager Neil McCann had said his side would not go toe-to-toe with the cup holders, but they certainly kept Rodgers' side pretty quiet at the start of the match with a real dogged determination.
The Dark Blues were not afraid to pour forward in numbers either, when given the chance, and the Dutchman Randy Wolters saw an early effort deflected just wide.
But the composure and patience that had allowed Celtic to notch up 55 domestic games unbeaten was once again on show and after 24 minutes a burst of brilliance brought them the lead.
Sinclair picked up the ball on the right and danced past two players before being tripped by Jack Hendry inside the area. It was a straightforward decision for referee John Beaton, and Sinclair made it look easy from the spot as he coolly slipped the ball past goalkeeper Scott Bain.
El Bakhtaoui should have levelled shortly afterwards, though, as the home side refused to buckle. Wolters delivered an inch perfect cross from the right, but the Moroccan kicked fresh air on six yards and the chance was gone.
Sinclair continued to terrorise the home side down the right - the Englishman looking very much in the mood - but a few decent deliveries into the box went unanswered.
It was evidence that Celtic were turning the screw and the second goal never looked far away. It came just minutes before the interval.
Kieran Tierney, who looks more like a winger than a defender these days, swept a fabulous low ball into the box and Forrest stretched from eight yards to guide the ball into the net.
The visitors emerged after the interval like a side desperate to put the result beyond doubt. Leigh Griffiths was shooting on sight but the third refused to come.
The momentum was broken when Wolters received what looked like a worrying throat injury after an accidental clash with Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham. The medical staff from both benches rushed on but after a five-minute delay the midfielder staggered to his feet and played on.
The tempo dropped, as Celtic strolled around with the home side happy to sit off and invite them on. It looked at times that Celtic would burst into the box simply to amuse themselves and on one such occasion Forrest almost doubled his tally from close range.
The third did come and so did a fourth just before the end, and it was no more than Celtic deserved.
Dundee were caught in possession in Celtic's half and Sinclair motored away. When he looked up, he found substitute McGregor, who drilled the ball low past Bain on the angle from the left. Moments later, Forrest struck from the edge of the box to ice the cake.
The superlatives just keep coming for this Celtic side under Rodgers. Another game and another team blown away with ease. They swagger into the League Cup semi finals, looking simply unstoppable.
Line-ups
Dundee
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Bain
- 2KerrBooked at 62mins
- 22Hendry
- 6O'Dea
- 3HoltBooked at 50mins
- 8Kamara
- 28SpenceBooked at 61minsSubstituted forMcGowanat 73'minutes
- 23WoltersBooked at 21minsSubstituted forDeaconat 64'minutes
- 14O'Hara
- 20El Bakhtaoui
- 7Leitch-Smith
Substitutes
- 11Williams
- 12Parish
- 15Aurtenetxe
- 18McGowan
- 21Deacon
- 34Waddell
- 46Henvey
Celtic
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Gordon
- 23Lustig
- 20BoyataSubstituted forRalstonat 67'minutes
- 6Bitton
- 63Tierney
- 8Brown
- 21NtchamBooked at 40mins
- 49Forrest
- 11Sinclair
- 27RobertsSubstituted forMcGregorat 73'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 9GriffithsSubstituted forEdouardat 85'minutes
Substitutes
- 14S Armstrong
- 15Hayes
- 18Rogic
- 22Edouard
- 24de Vries
- 36Ralston
- 42McGregor
- Referee:
- John Beaton
- Attendance:
- 6,917
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home35%
- Away65%
- Shots
- Home1
- Away18
- Shots on Target
- Home0
- Away7
- Corners
- Home3
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Dundee 0, Celtic 4.
Booking
Callum McGregor (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Paul McGowan (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).
Post update
Roarie Deacon (Dundee) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
Goal!
Goal! Dundee 0, Celtic 4. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Odsonne Edouard.
Goal!
Goal! Dundee 0, Celtic 3. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Scott Sinclair.
Post update
Jack Hendry (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Scott Sinclair (Celtic).
Substitution
Substitution, Celtic. Odsonne Edouard replaces Leigh Griffiths.
Post update
Kevin Holt (Dundee) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
Post update
Attempt missed. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Post update
Attempt missed. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Post update
Foul by Darren O'Dea (Dundee).
Post update
Anthony Ralston (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Callum McGregor (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Comments
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Atalanta 3 - 0 Everton
England 1 - 2 Iceland
PSG (minus Neymar and Mbappe) 4 - 0 Barcelona (14th Feb 2017)
Barcelona 6 - 1 Sporting Gijon (1st March 2017)
Top 2 results highlight the dearth of talent in the English game and following your logic the bottom 2 results show that La Liga is sub standard. Ok I got you.
If you don't want to watch us change the channel.
It's even worse that you devote even more time to troll the intenet.
Sad.
You've both more issues than you can handle.
You severely underestimate the size of Celtic. How can Stoke be comparable to Celtic. Stadium size and attendances should at the very least give you a hint. With the mass of funds Stoke currently enjoy through TV rights combined with a far more marketable and widely supported club giving further access to weighty sponsorship deals Celtic would be competing for honours promptly.
Rangers are dead .
Liquidated 2012.
It was in all the papers at the time .
Do you really think a four year-old club/company should be allowed in English football ahead of established teams like Alloa,Cowdenbeath or Berwick rangers ???
I mean, you had 65% Possession, 18 shots compared to 1 shot from Dundee. That looks like a training match.
The problem with having no competition is when you do face a decent team, in the European competitions you get made to look silly.
Scottish football is a complete farce
Yet England only scraped a draw at Hampden - explain that one dude
Love the 'stating the obvious' in others posts here - Big Fish, small pond - duh
Anybody got an point worth making?