Martin O'Neill's sensational return to the Celtic Park dugout inspired a commanding 4-0 victory over Dundee United, equalling the club's biggest win of the season. The triumph, which also delivered a first clean sheet since O'Neill's last game in charge, immediately erased the memories of Wilfried Nancy's brief and troubled tenure.
O'Neill's Immediate Impact at Celtic Park
The home side wasted no time in setting the tone for the afternoon. Yang Hyun-jun and Arne Engels struck twice within a devastating five-minute spell in the first half, putting Celtic firmly in control. The dominance was absolute, with the hosts enjoying 78% possession and firing 22 shots at goal, while restricting a beleaguered Dundee United to just three attempts.
This statistical supremacy marked a stark reversal from recent form. Under Nancy, Celtic's opponents averaged 12 shots per game, and Dundee United themselves had managed 17 in their 2-1 win at Tannadice less than four weeks prior.
Ruthless Finishing Seals the Rout
The second half continued in the same vein, with Celtic's substitutes adding further gloss to the scoreline. Benjamin Nygren came off the bench to net his 11th goal of the campaign, before Daizen Maeda pounced on a rebound to complete the 4-0 rout. This result matched Celtic's two largest league victories this season, both of which curiously occurred during O'Neill's previous caretaker spell, where he oversaw seven wins from eight games.
Elsewhere in the Scottish Premiership
At Easter Road, Kieron Bowie earned Hibernian a point in a 1-1 draw with Motherwell. A slow-burning contest ignited after half-time when Motherwell's Tawanda Maswanhise finished a sharp counter-attack for his 15th goal of the season in the 52nd minute. Hibs responded through Bowie, who levelled from close range in the 69th minute.
Attention now turns to Sunday's fixtures, where Hearts travel to Dundee and Aberdeen host Rangers at Pittodrie. Rangers arrive off the back of a 2-0 win over the Dons at Ibrox on Tuesday. Despite that defeat, Aberdeen defender Mats Knoester believes his side can secure a better result in the rematch.
"If we can finish at least one or two of these very big chances and don't allow them to score so easy in a set piece, then it can be a whole different game," said the Dutchman. "So I think there are also positive things to take from the game." Aberdeen remain under the interim management of Peter Leven.
