Celtic blew Ross County away with 5 first-half targets to strengthen their maintain on the prime of the Scottish Premiership.

Brendan Rodgers made six modifications from their Champions League attract midweek and the incoming gamers made their case for normal begins.

Liam Scales kick-started the scoring spree after 10 minutes when he headed in from Luke McCowan’s nook earlier than setting the midfielder to double the lead quickly after.

Paulo Bernardo smashed the third into the far nook earlier than one other beautiful strike from captain Callum McGregor made it 4. Adam Idah rifled in for 5-0 earlier than half-time.

The Hoops, who transfer 5 factors away from Aberdeen forward of their recreation on Sunday, had possibilities to increase their lead whereas the Staggies failed to bother Kasper Schmeichel on the different finish and sit eighth within the desk.

Celtic unstoppable

Celtic might bolster their title bid additional once they journey to Aberdeen on Wednesday evening, stay on Sky Sports activities, and on this kind they’ll take some stopping.

Given the Hoops’ exhausting fixture listing, there was no shock Rodgers rotated his squad.

Scales and Alex Valle got here into defence, McCowan and Bernardo returned to midfield with striker Idah and winger James Forrest additionally beginning.

It was all the time going to be a tricky afternoon for Don Cowie’s aspect, who confirmed two modifications to the workforce that started final Saturday’s win over Motherwell.

The virtually inevitable opener arrived within the tenth minute when Republic of Eire worldwide Scales leapt excessive contained in the County penalty space to bullet a header in off the bar from a McCowan nook for his third objective of the season.

County’s response was restricted though within the twenty fifth minute some informal Celtic defending, the place McGregor finally misplaced possession, allowed the guests an opportunity simply contained in the field however Telfer blazed his shot excessive over the bar.

Moments later, the Dingwall aspect discovered themselves two behind.

McCowan managed a protracted cross from Scales contained in the County field and his drive on the spin deflected off Staggies defender Campbell and over Laidlaw.

Bernardo’s Thirty fifth-minute objective got here from good work by winger Daizen Maeda in attending to the byline once more, chopping the ball again for Portuguese playmaker to curve the ball into the online on the second try after his first had been blocked.

McGregor then thrashed in a shot from 25 yards a minute later to make it 4-0 earlier than Idah took a cross from McCowan, evaded a poor try at a sort out by Josh Nisbet and fired in a fifth from the sting of the field.

Solely a superb save from Laidlaw prevented Valle from getting on the scoresheet together with his long-distance effort however the under-fire County keeper needed to go off simply earlier than the break after selecting up an harm, changed by Hamilton.

Celtic started pounding the County penalty space once more after the break and within the fifty fifth minute, Idah hit the woodwork with a header from a McCowan nook earlier than Hamilton made block from Valle after he had slipped unnoticed into the field earlier than thwarting Idah with save.

Within the latter phases, Hoops substitute Greg Taylor, on for Valle, hit the put up from shut vary with Hamilton then parrying an excellent volley from Idah to stop additional ache.

‘So good to look at’

Celtic supervisor Brendan Rodgers talking to Sky Sports activities Information:

“It was an entire efficiency. I believed that the standard of our soccer was at a extremely excessive stage, nevertheless it all got here as a consequence of the starvation of the workforce.

“Our urgent, our counter-pressing was so good. You can see how we might smother the sport, however then from that then, that allowed us the combos to play. It was so good to look at.

“Within the second half, we clearly did not rating, however that is extra a credit score to Ross County and their defender, the goalkeeper and the crossbar.

“We might have had extra targets, however I used to be so happy watching that as a result of nearly a couple of yr in the past, we bought booted off right here in opposition to Ross County. We received the sport 1-0 so to come back out and play to that stage 12 months later, I believe it actually tells you the place the workforce and the mentalities are transferring to.

“All of us perceive that it is going to be a squad recreation since you can’t play the identical gamers on a regular basis, therefore the rationale for making the modifications in the present day.

“The power, the freshness, the mentality, the standard, all the things was there.”

‘We could not stay with them’

Ross County supervisor Don Cowie on Sky Sports activities Information:

“We felt the complete pressure of a extremely good Champions League workforce, who’re holding their very own within the Champions League and performing excellently domestically.

“There was a 15-minute spell within the first half the place we could not stay with them. We have to do higher. We have to get via that spell, popping out when it comes to not conceding as many as we did.

“However on the similar time, it simply exhibits you the standard that we’re up in opposition to.

“The great factor for us when it comes to the optimistic is that at 5-0 at half-time, it might have was something.

“We rode our luck at instances within the second half, which you might want to do, however we managed to come back away with a 5-0 defeat. So, credit score to the gamers for that.

“As a lot as you do not wish to lose soccer video games and also you wish to give the very best model of your self each time you play, we’re enjoying in opposition to a top-quality workforce, a workforce who’s bringing on an £11m midfielder within the second half and that is the place you have to have a little bit of context to it.

“However it does not imply that we get pleasure from shedding.”

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