Dundee United failed to win any of their four successive meetings with Celtic, with the last one in the league going the Hoops’ way to add to the League Cup final and Scottish Cup quarter-final replay.
Former Tannadice favourite Gary Mackay-Steven, sold to the Celts along with Stuart Armstrong at the end of the January transfer window, helped dismantle his old side at Parkhead as he scored a cracker of an opening goal after just 16 minutes.
Mackay-Steven then paid his ex-clubmates some respect with a subdued celebration.
He carried on to torment them up the right, though, and had a part to play in the build-up to the home team’s second goal before John Guidetti blasted the ball into the net from the edge of the box on 33 minutes.
It was 3-0 just seconds before half-time when a Celtic setpiece, awarded for a foul by Paul Paton on Mackay-Steven, ricocheted around the United box before being smashed home from close range by Jason Denayer.
That made it a combined aggregate scoreline over the four meetings 10-1 to the men in green and white.
Nadir Ciftci had a great chance for the Tangerines in the second half when he was sent clear but Hoops defender Virgil van Dijk got back to challenge, forcing the striker’s to shoot wide.
On 70 minutes, Mackay-Steven made way for Kris Commons after a good afternoon’s work by the wide man during which he showed United what they are missing.
After having two men sent off in the first Scottish Cup match, another in the final and yet another in the cup replay, at least United finished this match with 11 men on the park.
That was hardly any consolation for the hardy band of away fans, though, who have watched their club suffer so much at the hands of the Hoops.