Dundee 0 Celtic 2: Dark Blues rarely threaten as Hoops ease to comfortable victory

Dundee’s interminable wait for a win over Celtic continues following this latest defeat at Dens.

It was a Boxing Day fixture with the Dark Blues on the ropes throughout, barely landing a punch on the reigning champions.

Instead it was the Hoops who delivered the telling blows with two first-half goals by James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths.

Dundee boss Neil McCann kept faith with the same starting line-up for the third game in a row with the team that beat Partick in the last match at Dens and drew at Motherwell on Saturday selected once more.

Scott Allan was absent from the subs bench as the on-loan Celtic midfielder was ineligible to play against his parent club.

Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers made three changes from the side that beat Aberdeen 3-0 at the weekend with Forrest, Callum McGregor and former Dark Blues favourite Griffiths coming in for Stuart Armstrong, Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele.

There was a minute’s applause before kick-off in memory of all those who had died this year including McCann’s father Eddie who sadly passed away on Saturday.

Celtic were quick off the mark and had the first shooting chance with just a minute on the clock with Forrest trying his luck from 22 yards but his effort flew wide of home keeper Elliott Parish’s right-hand post.

But the woodwork came to Dundee’s rescue shortly after when Celtic put together a sweeping move that ended with McGregor hitting the post with a shot.

However, the Celtic opener was not long in coming in just the eighth minute when Kieran Tierney produced a tempting cut back from the left with Forrest taking full advantage, sweeping home past the helpless Parish from 10 yards.

Dundee looked to respond quickly with Jon Aurtenetxe whipping a free-kick in from the right but there were no takers in a dark blue jersey and the ball flew out for a goal-kick.

Forrest then fired a cross in from the left to Griffiths lurking at the back post but he sent his header wide of the target.

Dundee’s Faissal El Bakhtaoui hit Craig Gordon’s bar in the 21^st minute – however referee Kevin Clancy ruled that he had pushed a Hoops defender to win possession and Celtic were awarded a free-kick.

There was then a lengthy hold-up in play just before the half-hour mark with Josh Meekings and Jonny Hayes both needing treatment after a full-blooded clash with the former limping away down the tunnel to be replaced by Darren O’Dea while the latter had to be stretchered off, with Michael Johnston coming on for the winger.

The Dark Blues’ centre-half’s heart was in his mouth in the 40^th minute when he was short with a back pass to Parish but luckily for O’Dea, Griffiths was unable to take full advantage.

However, the striker made no mistake in the 43^rd minute.

Olivier Ntcham slid an inch-perfect pass into the feet of Griffiths down the left of the Dundee box and he sent an angled finish past Parish to make it 2-0.

Deep in stoppage time, the English keeper produced a stunning one-handed save to prevent Forrest making it three with Dundee still having a mountain to climb in the second half.

Shortly after the restart, the Dark Blues did have a chance when O’Dea got his head to an Aurtenetxe free-kick but his effort sailed over Gordon’s bar.

After that early scare, the Hoops seemed content to sit on their lead as Dundee huffed and puffed to no great effect.

The Dark Blues did ask questions in the 69^th minute when A-Jay Leitch-Smith went down under a challenge in the Celtic box with the home fans screaming for a penalty but none was forthcoming then shortly after, Paul McGowan sent a 20-yard shot just over Gordon’s crossbar.

Dundee had another opportunity when Aurtenetxe hit a free-kick towards Sofien Moussa but the big striker sent his back-post header wide.

Celtic had a chance to make it three in the 84^th minute when Forrest sent a great ball in from the right but sub Michael Johnston was unable to take advantage, shooting over.

However, the telling blows had been struck in the first-half with Dundee now having to pick themselves up ahead of Saturday’s Tayside derby with St Johnstone.

Attendance – 9,193.

Dundee – Parish, Kerr, Kamara, Moussa, O’Hara, Aurtenetxe, McGowan, El Bakhtaoui (Lambert, 61), Leitch-Smith (Henvey, 79), Hendry, Meekings (O’Dea, 27).

Subs not used – Ferrie, Holt, Waddell, Curran.

Celtic – Gordon, Lustig, Boyata, Ajer, Tierney, Brown, McGregor, Ntcham (Armstrong, 67) Forrest, Hayes (Johnston, 30), Griffiths (Dembele, 80).

De Vries, Bitton, Simunovic, Edouard.

Referee – Kevin Clancy.