Scottish Premiership
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Celtic Park

CELTIC…5
(Kyogo 27, 32, Starfelt 78, Oh 82, 90)

ABERDEEN…0

The party that has now been a few weeks in planning finally got underway as the Champions celebrated yet another Trophy Day at Celtic Park with a celebratory 5-0 win in front of a cheering crowd who lapped up the occasion as much as the players.

Kyogo, in the first half, and his replacement, Oh, in the second, both scored twice either side of a Carl Starfelt goal as the Hoops truly entertained an adoring crowd

The opening 45 was a whirlwind of some quite breath-taking attacking moves from the Hoops against a re-energised Aberdeen side who were no wall-flowers as they engineered a move or two themselves but they just couldn’t live with Celtic’s creativity in surging forward.

When it came to actually putting the ball in the net, though, it was down to the country’s top scorer as, amid a team who were all up for it, Kyogo was in the mood to cause worry, panic and disorganisation in the Aberdeen defence.

And indeed, within a five-minute period just over midway through the half, he, with no shortage of style and panache, scored his 32^nd and 33^rd goals of the season to the help the Hoops to 111 league goals for the term to equal the Lisbon Lions’ tally for their 1966/67 league campaign.

The opener came from a wonderful flowing move and skipper, Callum McGregor split the Aberdeen defence with a pass that made it look like they weren’t there, and Greg Taylor gratefully accepted the ball before picking out Kyogo with an equally appealing pass.

Inside the box, the Japanese striker checked his movement and balance, and threw his markers off the scent in the same move.

He then tucked the ball high into the corner to give Roos no chance in the Aberdeen goal and put the Hoops 1-0 ahead.

The captain was involved in the second as well as his shot from 23 yards was covered by Ross but Kyogo read the play brilliantly, anticipated what was going to happen and followed the ball through as the keeper parried it into the space occupied by the fast-moving striker.

He swept the ball over the keeper for the second goal of the game and nearly added to the score almost immediately as the Celts turned the screw, but 2-0 was the half-time score.

Five-star Celts get Trophy Day party started in style