Talk of Celtic running the table for an entire season seemed preposterous even just a few months ago. However, if ever there is a time to really believe it is going to happen, Sunday’s match against St. Johnstone should be all the proof one needs.
Arguably, the Saints gave Celtic its biggest scare in league play this season. Few teams know what a lead looks like against the Bhoys, but after a Dedryck Boyata own goal in the 43rd minute it was 2-1 to the hosts.
It didn’t matter much in the end though, as the second half showed why the “invincible” term is starting to catch on with this squad. Celtic poured in four goals in the space of 24 minutes and what was a game in doubt became an easy 5-2 victory for the Bhoys.
Manager Brendan Rodgers began making changes to his side early in to the second half, including the insertion of star Moussa Dembele. The returning striker looked like his old self, putting in a hattrick that started with a controversial penalty and ended with one of the most incredible goals of the season.
Mixed in between those three goals was also a wonder strike from Scott Sinclair to put the real final nail in the coffin at 4-2 in the 81st minute.
it was a striking final 30 minutes of the match, as things turned from a potential loss at hand to an emphatic win.
That emphatic win was put together thanks to an attacking effort that finally woke up in the second half. Just how good was Celtic feeling in attack by the end of the match? It managed to put the fifth goal in courtesy of a Mikael Lustig Rabona pass to Callum McGregor, who step-over passed it to Dembele for the goal.
Think about that, Lustig was up in attack and had the audacity to Rabona the ball inside the 18-yard box. You also had Liam Henderson putting one in the back of the net and Gordon Mackay-Steven looking dangerous at times as well against a top-half side.
Teams that aren’t on a 29-game win streak don’t turn a 2-1 deficit in to a 5-2 win all that often, especially with the need for the bench to pull them through. Yet, Celtic have repeatedly been able to reach to its bench and get the needed results from those players.
It’s these types of wins that make one realize just how special this season is and makes one really believe no team can top the Hoops this season. If it wasn’t going to end after a first half like Celtic played on Sunday, who is exactly capable of getting full points from the Bhoys?
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We say no one at this point, and that is certainly a crazy thought given where this squad was back in July.
Of course there’s a long way between now and the end of the season, but good luck finding a way to beat a side like this in Scotland.
We’re just going to sit back and enjoy one of the most historic runs in not only Celtic, but Scottish football history.