Celtic sicken Derek McInnes as Nicolas Kuhn shows wasteful Kilmarnock how to do it – 3 talking points
Man of the moment Nicolas Kuhn floored Kilmarnock with another stunning strike as Celtic showed another side to their game in a gutsy 2-0 win at Rugby Park.
Derek McInnes could barely believe his eyes when the mercurial German turned home in the 71st minute to double up Callum McGregor's opener in first half stoppage time. The Killie boss kicked every ball and was left hunched over and angry by a series of near misses. But Celtic, way below their best, were able to ride the storm and secure another three points which sees them replace title rivals Aberdeen at the Premiership summit.
Tempers were raised before a ball was kicked as Kilmarnock punters let the travelling support have it at the conclusion of a fractured minute's silence with those in the away section booing, chanting and disrupting the Remembrance Sunday pause for respect. Broadcasters Sky aired an instant apology as anger filled the air at kick-off.
Kilmarnock were at it from the off and showed signs of their intent from the off. Marley Watkins passed up a golden chance which crashed off the post but there were a series of near misses for the hosts in a game they reckoned was there for the taking. Celtic weren't without their own threats, of course, with Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn passing up gilt-edged opportunities.
But deep in the second half, with Celtic leading thanks to McGregor's strike, Kilmarnock were cursing their luck when Matty Kennedy fired his big chance too close to Kasper Schmeichel. He was gutted, and so was his manager, as his slaloming run went unrewarded. And, despite their below-par efforts, there was no shock when Kuhn raced through, minutes after being denied by McCrorie, and reached double figures in a season where he is establishing himself as a talismanic figure.
Reo Hatate survived a VAR check for a potential red card after a late challenge and the Kilmarnock steam train ran out of puff in the final exchanges as Nick Walsh was told he didn't need to check the monitor by his VAR official Don Robertson. Here's 3 talking points from Rugby Park.
Was £9.5m a good Idah?
The striker had to wait all summer to seal his protracted transfer from Norwich to Celtic and, in truth, he's never been able to replicate the highs he created during his thrilling loan which green lit his permanent capture. And, perhaps, his tribulations at Rugby Park on Sunday were heightened due to the venue. Idah was unplayable back in May when he scored and bullied Killie in a 5-0 win. But this was a day of nearly moments, he was a toe away from scoring, a second late in the tackle and lacked the same raw power to rough the hosts up.
That's a Del team
Celtic boss Rodgers beamed over the summer when he revealed a former Chelsea colleague beamed "that's a Brendan team" when he put the Blue to the sword Stateside. But it was his opposite number at Rugby Park who would have been buzzing by how identifiable his side were up until McGregor's speculative effort sailed past McCrorie. Seriously, McInnes would have been over the moon with excitement with how well it was going...until it wasn't. But the Killie boss – who is leaning into his side's haywire style of winning dramatically or losing in gut-wrenching fashion – will have been buoyed by almost every facet of his team's display.
There ain't no one better
That's what Celtic fans insist in their ode to the now joint top scorer in the Scottish Premiership. McGregor is the captain without comparison and could have scored before his cross-cum-shot found the net. This was a gut check and the captain was everywhere. Cajoling wearied team-mates, demanding the ball and making the difference in the final third of the pitch. International retirement looks good on him as he proves to be a game-changer for the team he leads with distinction. Even when he was harangued, McGregor kept coming back for more.