Celtic scored in both half to beat a cussed Dundee United facet and transfer 16 factors clear on the prime of the Scottish Premiership.
Brendan Rodgers was eager to keep away from a repeat of their goalless draw at Tannadice 17 days in the past and caught with the identical beginning XI that eased to victory in opposition to St Mirren three days in the past, with Hyun-jun Yang drafted in for Nicolas Kuhn simply earlier than kick-off.
They dominated from the beginning and Daizen Maeda fired within the opener on the rebound to heat the followers up on a freezing night time at Parkhead.
The guests, who had late probabilities, had been properly organised and pissed off the Hoops however Hatate got here off the bench to fireplace into the roof of the online and safe one other house win.
Celtic are unbeaten at house this season whereas Dundee United stay third.
Hoops pushed all the way in which by United
Rodgers had known as for some followers to be extra affected person after detecting groans at backward passes throughout his facet’s 3-0 win over St Mirren.
He had additionally accused supporters within the standing part of being disrespectful to left-back Greg Taylor by singing the title of switch goal Kieran Tierney.
The followers responded by reprising songs for a full staff of different former gamers and supervisor Martin O’Neill.
Songs about Artur Boruc, Mikael Lustig, Billy McNeil, Charlie Mulgrew, Tommy Burns, Victor Wanyama, Jimmy Johnstone, Scott Sinclair, Jota, Odsonne Edouard and Henrik Larsson all obtained an airing.
Brendan Rodgers had urged Celtic followers to not disrespect Greg Taylor
The followers rounded off their again catalogue with a stoppage-time burst of their tune about Tierney, who’s believed to be near agreeing a pre-contract deal to return to Parkhead.
Jim Goodwin bought little attacking vitality from his gamers in an totally one-sided first half, however the guests put in a serious defensive shift in a forty five minutes which resembled an assault vs defence coaching session.
The United boss would have been pissed off with the character of the opener after his facet appeared to have cleared Alistair Johnston’s cross.
The ball fell for Luke McCowan simply contained in the field after Richard Odada fired a shin-height cross off Vicko Sevelj ,and the previous Dundee midfielder’s shot broke for Maeda to fit house after being parried by Jack Walton.
Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for Celtic in opposition to Dundee United
Auston Trusty had earlier headed off the highest of the bar following one in all 10 first-half corners from Arne Engels. The Belgium midfielder was Celtic’s most threatening participant, additionally firing some teasing balls throughout the face of objective and coming shut himself on a number of events.
United ended the half with no shot, a nook or a cross – Celtic had 27 – with just one contact within the house penalty space and 16 per cent possession.
There was a swift enchancment after the break though Kai Fotheringham and Glenn Middleton had been properly astray from their first sights of objective.
Reo Hatate got here on to double Celtic’s lead
Celtic had probabilities to kill the sport off sooner than they did. Maeda turned Taylor’s pushed cross large and United goalkeeper Jack Walton parried substitute Kyogo Furuhashi’s header from one other Engels nook.
Kasper Schmeichel managed his first save within the seventieth minute, turning Middleton’s highly effective strike previous his close to put up and shortly caught Fotheringham’s header.
The sport remained within the stability till Hatate swept the ball into the highest nook after fellow sub Paulo Bernardo had dummied Maeda’s lay-off.
