Dundee United crashed to their third defeat in five games after a commanding Celtic side hit them for three.
Strikes from Tom Rogic, David Turnbull and Liam Scales gave Celtic an easy win.
United, in truth, didn’t lay a glove on Celtic and they will be keen to get back to winning ways at home to Livingston next week.
United hadn’t beaten Celtic at Tannadice since December 2014.
And boss Tam Courts described the midweek defeat at Motherwell as ‘one of the poorest displays of the season.’
But after picking up their first point at Celtic Park in eight years in September, they proved they can match the Glasgow giants.
United were given a major boost before the game with the return of Cameroon-born midfielder Jeando Fuchs.
📋🆕 | Here's how we line up to take on @CelticFC at Tannadice this afternoon. Kick-off is at 12pm. Come on United 🧡🖤#UnitedTogether pic.twitter.com/PBfX6owGd0
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) December 5, 2021
Fuchs and his midfield partner Dylan Levitt have been sorely missed by United.
Celtic fans turned up in their numbers but were down 2,000 after the Jerry Kerr stand was closed due to damage sustained in Storm Arwen.
The visitors almost took an early lead as Kyogo headed over from close range.
Then a mistake by Celtic keeper Joe Hart almost gifted United the opener.
Hart’s poor clearance fell to a stunned Louis Appere but he wasn’t alert enough to capitalise.
Rogic gives Celtic lead
But it was Celtic who opened the scoring in style in 19 minutes.
Rogic picked the ball up just inside the opposition half before drifting past four United stars and sublimely curling home from 15 yards.
OUT OF NOWHERE! 🤯
A brilliant solo effort from Tom Rogic puts Celtic in the lead against Dundee United 🙌🟢
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football pic.twitter.com/uLoLavtYnX
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 5, 2021
United keeper Benji Siegrist then prevented Celtic from doubling their lead with a instinctive low save to block a Cameron Carter-Vickers header.
David Turnbull then flashed a header wide before missing an even better chance to net for Celtic.
Rogic and Kyogo combined to slice the United defence wide open.
Turnbull couldn’t control the Japanese star’s cross and Siegrist rescued the hosts.
But he finally got his goal in 39 minutes.
Callum McGregor’s chipped cross was met by Turnbull who ghosted past Kieran Freeman to flick the ball over a stunned Siegrist.
The hosts found themselves completely overrun and Courts tried to add some steel to his midfield by bringing on Calum Butcher on for Appere.
David Turnbull latches onto Callum McGregor's lofted ball and chips it over Benjamin Siegrist to make it 2-0 to Celtic! 🟢
📺 Watch Dundee United vs Celtic live on Sky Sports Football pic.twitter.com/BydPSdHJFD
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 5, 2021
But Celtic still continued to press and Siegrist produced another stunning stop to turn away a Kyogo header.
United stepped up their game with Peter Pawlett forcing a low save out of Hart.
Adrian Sporle was next to have a go but his powerful 15 yard effort was beaten away by Hart.
But it was too little, too late and Scales side-footed home from 18 yards to clinch a convincing win for Celtic.
Dundee United v Celtic teams:
Dundee United: Siegrist; Freeman, Sporle, Mulgrew, Edwards, Fuchs, Niskanen, Pawlett, Appere (Butcher 51), Clark, Harkes. Subs: Carson; Chalmers, Hoti, Glass, Smith, Watson.
Celtic: Hart; Taylor (Scales 75), Juranovic, Starfelt, Carter-Vickers, McGregor, Johnston, Turnbull, Kyogo, Rogic (Bitton 70), Forrest (Abada 46). Subs: Bain; Ajetic, McCarthy, Montgomery.
Referee – Don Robertson
