Celtic restored their nine-point pb astatine the apical of the Scottish Premiership arsenic they crushed down Dundee United's stubborn absorption aft the break.
The Glasgow broadside recorded their biggest-ever distant league triumph with a 9-0 thumping of United connected their past sojourn to Tannadice successful August.
A much resilient United held retired until Jota headed location an Aaron Mooy cross.
Five minutes later, Mooy slotted location a spot footwear aft Jota's flick struck Kieran Freeman's hand.
Celtic's 5th crippled successful a enactment without conceding means they person scored 18 times and mislaid conscionable 1 extremity successful their latest 5 visits to Tannadice.
It leaves United successful 3rd bottommost spot connected extremity difference, tied connected points with Motherwell, Ross County and Kilmarnock, and without a triumph against Celtic successful 19 games since a 2-1 triumph astatine Tannadice successful December 2014.
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- Reaction & arsenic it happened
Both managers agreed pre-match that United are a antithetic beast since that August humiliation.
Not surprisingly, though, Mark Birighitti was the busier goalkeeper, the Australian being fortunate not spot a clearance charged down by Kyogo Furuhashi nestling down him earlier blocking astatine the Japanese striker's feet aft besides redeeming debased from a Jota drive.
Craig Sibbald blocked from midfield counterpart Mooy successful beforehand of the United extremity earlier Birighitti bravely punched wide disconnected the caput of Kyogo lone to spot referee Don Robertson constituent to the punishment spot aft the striker was caught by the goalkeeper's travel through.
Whether VAR decided determination was nary foul, oregon a Celtic subordinate had been offside, Robertson was instructed to person a cheque connected the surface and reversed his decision.
However, determination was nary reprieve soon aft fractional clip erstwhile Birighitti appeared to suffer his bearings arsenic Mooy launched a heavy transverse and Jota headed successful precisely from a hard angle.
Celtic ensured the triumph soon aft arsenic Freeman stuck retired a manus and Mooy was fixed the accidental from the punishment spot to slot his 3rd extremity successful 2 games arsenic the visitors could comfortably spend a close-range miss from Daizen Maeda successful the dying seconds.
Player of the lucifer - Jota (Celtic)
More to follow.
What's next?
United sojourn relegation rivals Kilmarnock arsenic Celtic big in-form Livingston connected Wednesay (both 19:45 GMT).
How to play
Rate players retired of 10 passim oregon aft the game. The rater volition adjacent 30 minutes aft the last whistle.
Rating scope key1 = Give it up10 = Pure perfection
Dundee United
Squad number1Player nameBirighitti
Squad number22Player nameFreeman
Squad number2Player nameSmith
Squad number12Player nameEdwards
Squad number3Player nameMcMann
Squad number16Player nameBehich
Squad number23Player nameHarkes
Squad number14Player nameSibbald
Squad number19Player nameLevitt
Squad number9Player nameFletcher
Squad number15Player nameMiddleton
Squad number8Player namePawlett
Squad number10Player nameDjoum
Squad number18Player nameMcGrath
Squad number44Player nameMacleod
Celtic
Squad number1Player nameHart
Squad number2Player nameJohnston
Squad number20Player nameCarter-Vickers
Squad number4Player nameStarfelt
Squad number3Player nameTaylor
Squad number13Player nameMooy
Squad number42Player nameMcGregor
Squad number41Player nameHatate
Squad number11Player nameAbada
Squad number8Player nameFuruhashi
Squad number17Player nameJota
Squad number9Player nameHaksabanovic
Squad number14Player nameTurnbull
Squad number19Player nameOh
Squad number33Player nameO'Riley
Squad number38Player nameMaeda
Line-ups
Dundee Utd
Formation 5-3-2
- 1Birighitti
- 22FreemanBooked astatine 51mins
- 2Smith
- 12Edwards
- 3McMann
- 16Behich
- 23HarkesSubstituted forMcGrathat 60'minutesBooked astatine 84mins
- 14Sibbald
- 19LevittSubstituted forDjoumat 74'minutes
- 9FletcherSubstituted forMacleodat 74'minutes
- 15MiddletonSubstituted forPawlettat 74'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Mulgrew
- 6Graham
- 7Niskanen
- 8Pawlett
- 10Djoum
- 18McGrath
- 28Anim Cudjoe
- 31Newman
- 44Macleod
Celtic
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Hart
- 2Johnston
- 20Carter-Vickers
- 4Starfelt
- 3Taylor
- 13MooySubstituted forTurnbullat 67'minutes
- 42McGregor
- 41HatateSubstituted forO'Rileyat 67'minutes
- 11AbadaSubstituted forHaksabanovicat 82'minutes
- 8FuruhashiSubstituted forOhat 82'minutes
- 17Neves FilipeSubstituted forMaedaat 67'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Haksabanovic
- 14Turnbull
- 18Kobayashi
- 19Oh
- 24Iwata
- 29Bain
- 33O'Riley
- 38Maeda
- 49Forrest
Referee:Don Robertson
Attendance:12,448
Live Text
Match ends, Dundee United 0, Celtic 2.
Second Half ends, Dundee United 0, Celtic 2.
Attempt missed. Daizen Maeda (Celtic) header from precise adjacent scope is precocious and wide to the left. Assisted by Hyeon-Gyu Oh with a cross.
Offside, Dundee United. Scott McMann tries a done ball, but Craig Sibbald is caught offside.
Alistair Johnston (Celtic) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Foul by Jamie McGrath (Dundee United).
Attempt missed. Kieran Freeman (Dundee United) near footed changeable from the centre of the container misses to the left.
Foul by Hyeon-Gyu Oh (Celtic).
Scott McMann (Dundee United) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Foul by Sead Haksabanovic (Celtic).
Scott McMann (Dundee United) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Jamie McGrath (Dundee United) is shown the yellowish paper for a atrocious foul.
Hyeon-Gyu Oh (Celtic) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Foul by Jamie McGrath (Dundee United).
Foul by David Turnbull (Celtic).
Craig Sibbald (Dundee United) wins a escaped footwear successful the attacking half.
Substitution, Celtic. Hyeon-Gyu Oh replaces Kyogo Furuhashi.
Substitution, Celtic. Sead Haksabanovic replaces Liel Abada.
Foul by Matt O'Riley (Celtic).
Aziz Behich (Dundee United) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.