Celtic deliver festive cheer with emphatic victory over Motherwell at Paradise | OneFootball

Scottish PremiershipThursday, December 26, 2024Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC… 4(Engels 45+1pen, Maeda 56, Kuhn 73, Hatate 80

MOTHERWELL… 0

Brendan Rodgers’ side delivered three festive points for supporters with a dominant 4-0 Boxing Day victory over Motherwell at Celtic Park.

A first-half penalty from Arne Engels was added to after the break with goals from Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Reo Hatate as the Hoops got their rewards for a dominant performance.

Celtic started the game on the front foot and were dominating in terms of possession, although Motherwell were working hard to deny the Hoops any clear-cut goalscoring opportunities.

Callum McGregor was orchestrating things for Celtic in the heart of midfield, while Brendan Rodgers’ side were using both flanks as they tried to create chances.

And it was the Celtic captain who did fashion the first chance, hitting a low right-foot shot which was saved by Aston Oxborough. The ball spun into the path of Daizen Maeda but his deflected effort was saved again by the Motherwell keeper.

Just before the half-hour mark the Hoops fashioned an even better chance, this time hitting on the break.

Adam Idah fed the ball to Maeda who rolled the ball on to his left foot and took a shot which Oxborough saved.

The ball spun up into the air and headed towards goal. A combination of the Motherwell keeper and a defender blocked the ball on the line. Maeda bravely tried to head the ball in but it was cleared.

The Japanese winger was also doing his best to create chances for his team-mates, and on 38 minutes he delivered a dangerous ball into the box which Idah connected with, but it was comfortably saved.

The breakthough eventually came in the last minute of the first-half after Yang was fouled by the Motherwell keeper inside the box, and Arne Engels coolly converted the resultant spot-kick.

Celtic started the second-half intent on adding to their first-half goal, and Cameron Carter-Vickers had a chance from an Engels corner, but the keeper dealt with the danger.

At the other end, Motherwell had a rare opportunity in the 54th minute and should have grabbed an equaliser. A ball into the box from Lennon Miller found the head of Tawanda Maswanhise, but his goalbound effort was deflected over the bar by Tony Watt.

And just three minutes later, it was 2-0 to Celtic. Arne Engels’ corner was flicked on by Liam Scales and Daizen Maeda met it at the far post to bullet home a header.

Engels then came close with a 20-yard free-kick that went just over the bar, but the Hoops didn’t have to wait too long for their third goal of the game.

It came in the 73rd minute from one of the second-half substitutes, Nicolas Kuhn, who gathered the ball 25 yards from goal, strode forward and fired a low shot which took a deflection off a Motherwell defender and spun into the back of the net.

Celtic were in complete control of proceedings and it became 4-0 in the 80th minute courtesy of a superb 20-yard strike from Reo Hatate which nestled in the bottom corner of the net.

Kyogo came close to scoring Celtic’s fifth of the afternoon when he connected with a cross at the near post, but his effort was well saved, and moments later Liam Scales saw a diving header from an Anthony Ralston cross flash just wide of the target.