Celtic smash Opta record as numbers behind 5-1 Kilmarnock rout emerge | OneFootball

Celtic’s ruthless display against Kilmarnock has been underlined by a remarkable set of Opta statistics from their 5-1 Rugby Park victory.

Martin O’Neill had demanded a “big improvement” following the narrow opening-day 1-0 win over Dundee and his players delivered an emphatic response in Ayrshire.

Kasper Høgh set the tone by opening the scoring after just 65 seconds as Celtic produced a far more aggressive attacking performance.

Opta revealed the Hoops have now scored five goals inside the opening two minutes of Scottish Premiership matches since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign, more than any other side in the division.

But Celtic’s attacking numbers across the entire match were even more impressive.

O’Neill’s side generated 5.6 expected goals during the 5-1 victory – their highest xG total in a single Premiership fixture since Opta’s records began in 2019/20.

The numbers underline the significant improvement O’Neill demanded as Celtic made it six points from six to start their title defence.

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