Celtic beat Motherwell 4-0 as they returned to winning despite a below-par performance in the Scottish Premiership.
After drawing a blank at Dundee United last time out, the Hoops were looking to move further clear at the top of the table with a 15th league win of the season.
It was a struggling start from the champions with Motherwell calling for a penalty when Tawanda Maswanhise went down under a challenge from Hyun-Jun Yang early on, but VAR cleared the forward.
Yang then won Celtic a penalty just before the break when he collided with Well ‘keeper Aston Oxborough. The spot-kick was confidently converted by Arne Engels.
Daizen Maeda nodded in their second after the break with Nicolas Kuhn and Reo Hatate coming off the bench to add to make the scoreline more comfortable.
Celtic remain clear at the top of the table on 47 points. Motherwell are 21 points behind in fifth.
Who can stop Celtic?
Reo Hatate (R) and Nicolas Kuhn came off Celtic’s bench to score
Both managers made four changes for the first Boxing Day game at Celtic Park since 2010.
Celtic had Cameron Carter-Vickers back from injury while Liam Gordon was among those dropping to the Motherwell bench.
The early flashpoint came in and around the Celtic box when Yang bumped into the back of Tawanda Maswanhise, who went down. Referee Ross Hardie booked the Motherwell forward for simulation and the game quickly moved on.
Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise goes down under a challenge from Yang
There was a lengthy VAR check at the other end after Kofi Balmer raised a hand as a cross flew out for a goal kick. The officials took their time looking for a handball but no touch was evident.
Oxborough made the first save 20 minutes in after Maeda bundled a loose ball towards goal.
The Premiership leaders had a better chance after Motherwell wasted two set-piece opportunities in quick succession and Lennon Miller’s slip inadvertently set up a counter-attack.
Oxborough saved Maeda’s shot with his foot and the goalkeeper and several defenders ultimately scrambled the ball to safety.
Motherwell were generally looking solid and Adam Idah could not make the most of two half-chances.
Engels scores a penalty to make it 1-0
The half-time team talks were altered when Hardie pointed to the spot after Yang jumped in front of Oxborough, knocked the ball towards the byline and crashed to the floor as the goalkeeper stuck out his arms to collect a deflected cross.
The award stood after a VAR check and Engels sent Oxborough the wrong way from the spot.
There were more penalty appeals after the break with Balmer getting away with a risky touch on Maeda as the winger headed out of the box and Maswanhise appealing strongly for handball against Carter-Vickers.
Celtic had a huge let-off when former Hoops striker Tony Watt inadvertently blocked Marvin Kaleta’s header on the goal line and the hosts soon scored from their own corner in the 57th minute. Liam Scales flicked on Engels’ delivery and Maeda ran in to head home from close range.
Daizen Maeda headed in to put Celtic 2-0 up
If the Motherwell players still retained hope of getting something from the game, the sight of Kuhn, Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi entering the field in a triple substitution in the 63rd minute might have tested their belief.
Kaleta showed plenty of ambition with a bursting run to set up Apostolos Stamatelopoulos but the Motherwell sub dragged his shot well wide.
All doubt was extinguished in the 74th minute when Kuhn collected Anthony Ralston’s square ball and fired a shot from 25 yards which took a major deflection off Balmer and deceived Oxborough.
Hatate got in on the act in the 81st minute. The Japan midfielder made space 22 yards out after some quick passes and fired into the bottom corner.
‘Pleasing’ win for Rodgers
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers speaking to Sky Sports News:
“I’m really pleased, we had to be persistent today. I thought that Motherwell were very well organised in that first half and we had to move them and work them. When a team is in fresh then of course it’s the long game that you’re playing.
“We get the penalty before half-time, which is a good time to score. Arne finishes it really well. In the second half, I thought we really dominated the game and upped the tempo and had opportunities to score goals.
“We did do that and could have had a few more. So, overall, to keep the clean sheet, score four, create the chances that we did and dominate like we did, then it’s very pleasing.”
Kettlewell frustrated by ‘soft’ penalty
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell
Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell on Sky Sports News:
“We know we gave up the ball, but I thought we defended resolutely, we were well organised. We were fine, out of possession.
“Celtic were obviously awarded a penalty at the time – on first view I felt it was really, really soft. I’ll maybe see another couple of angles of it, but I certainly didn’t feel that there was enough to warrant the way that the Celtic player went down.
“It’s a big moment for them, isn’t it, the stroke of half-time. And I was frustrated with goals two and three.
“We need to park this one very quickly because it becomes a different game. It’s equally a massive task to play against Rangers in a couple of days’ time.”