Finally, Celtic secured a hard-won 2-0 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park to extend an undefeated start in the Scottish Premiership. With vital goals from Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn, Brendan Rodgers' side went right back to the top of the league, but their battle was not without a test of Celtic's resilience-literal to the final whistle.
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Celtic Faces Toughness in Style of Play from Kilmarnock
Going to Kilmarnock away is always going to be a tough proposition, and manager Derek McInnes knew he would need something more to catch the visitors cold. McInnes opted for an attacking game, with two forwards and pushing Corrie Ndaba constantly up from the back. The result? A Kilmarnock side which gave Celtic's back division problems from the very first moments and created chances that might have changed the course of the game.
McGregor's Target and Celtic's Power in the First Half
Celtic started off the match with pressure, though Kilmarnock upped their ante, pushing it to make the reigning champions hit higher. Possibilities from each side, the first half depicted just how well-matched the game was.
It was in first-half stoppage time that Callum McGregor finally gave his team the lead. With space to operate, a perfect cross into the box saw Adam Idah's position confuse the keeper, Robby McCrorie, and the ball ended in the net to give Celtic a well-timed lead. It was a fifth goal of the season from McGregor, all of them from outside of the box, illustrating his trait of being in position to utilize defensive gaps.
Kilmarnock's Persistence, But Kuhn Seals the Win
The slender lead helped Celtic build confidence, and Kilmarnock came out to try and even the scores after the break. The home side's attacks were strongly counter-attacked by Celtic's backline, with the standout keeper Kasper Schmeichel. Kilmarnock had some dangerous chances to get an equalizer, but they did not have the needed accuracy. At 75 minutes, for this season, one of Celtic's standouts, Nicolas Kuhn sealed the win with a sure victory. That was indeed a great finish after a well-worked play, furthering the lead to 2-0 and denting the hopes of Kilmarnock. After the match, Kuhn spoke about pride for this performance of the team and the importance of keeping calm on this difficult pitch: "It was really great, I loved the play. It was really nice with my teammates, everybody enjoyed it," the German winger said.
Kuhn also pointed out how discipline and preparation enabled teams to bear brunt rough conditions. "It's not easy on this surface; it was pretty tough, but we kept calm and took our chances, " he elaborated on the mentality Brendan Rodgers had given the squad this season to reinforce this. )
Role of Brendan Rodgers and Impact on Celtic's Season
Brendan Rodgers had returned to make Celtic look like another team in its entirety, with both terrific consistency in domestics and Europe. The defeat of RB Leipzig in the Champions League the previous week testified to how much work the manager did in terms of tactical performance as well as the mental strength of the team. Kuhn said, "That was one reason I came here, because we had really good conversations. He wanted me to go deeper and make dangerous runs much more often and increase my stats.".
He also did not fail to mention the support of Celtic supporters, describing it as a factor of continuity of motivation: "Every time I step onto the pitch and hear the music, it's really special. It's one of those moments you dream of as a kid, and I am so grateful," he told the Scottish Daily Express as he reiterated the bond between the team and their supporters.
Celtic at the Top and the Fight for Consistency
This victory keeps Celtic unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership and further underlines the fact that even when the scoreline might suggest otherwise, this is a team that can face up to challenges. McGregor and Kuhn are just examples of the quality players who will be called upon when Celtic need to hold their nerves together, especially while playing with teams who have nothing to lose, as in the case of Kilmarnock today.
That leaves seven games against teams in the bottom half of the table, and a golden chance for Celtic to extend this lead. But with games like this, it now faces the challenge to stay focused and avoid those surprises that come along.