Celtic

Steven Davis opened the scoring with an acrobatic strike and a first-half Jonjoe Kenny own goal put the Premiership champions well on course for the last eight.

There was no way back for the Hoops, who had lifted the trophy in the previous four seasons, and Allan McGregor saved Odsonne Edouard's penalty as they suffered a first defeat under caretaker boss John Kennedy.

Victory for Rangers ensured they have won three and drawn one of their four clashes against their fierce city rivals in what has been an outstanding season.

Davis gave Rangers the lead in style in the 10th minute, volleying in from close range when Joe Aribo's deflected shot looped up invitingly for the midfielder following a sharp turn and incisive run from Ryan Kent.

Edouard shot straight at Allan McGregor after creating space for himself in the Rangers penalty area, then Callum McGregor's drive deflected over the crossbar and Stephen Welsh somehow failed to finish as Celtic pressed for an equaliser.

Steven Gerrard's side doubled their lead 12 minutes before half-time, though, with Aribo conjuring up some trickery to beat Diego Laxalt before crossing from the right and Kenny turned into his own net attempting to prevent Kent from slotting home.

Celtic should have reduced the deficit when Mohamed Elyounoussi was superbly denied by Allan McGregor and Edouard volleyed wastefully over following up.

The Gers keeper did brilliantly to race off his line and thwart Elyounoussi soon after, the Celtic forward letting himself down with a poor first touch after Edouard set him up.

Allan McGregor then dived to his right to keep out Edouard's spot-kick 11 minutes from time after Aribo was adjudged to have fouled Leigh Griffiths, which summed up Celtic's afternoon.

Rangers were on course for a deserved victory that would have breathed life into the title race, but the away side nabbed a crucial leveller right near the end.

Daizen Maeda had initially given Celtic an early lead, but Rangers soon established dominance and were good value for their lead following a quickfire double from Ryan Kent and James Tavernier early in the second half.

But when Rangers appeared to be cruising to a potentially vital victory, Kyogo emphatically finished from close range to stun the home crowd and salvage a point.

Had it not been for a defensive error, Rangers would not have trailed in the first place.

Alfredo Morelos' blind pass into the middle was seized upon by Maeda, who rode Tavernier's feeble challenge and skipped past Connor Goldson before slotting home.

Morelos then forced a Joe Hart error that led to Kent hitting the post from the edge of the box, seemingly jolting Rangers into life.

They finished the half with a hat-trick of Morelos chances, and their positivity paid off early in the second period as Kent curled a fine finish into the top-right corner.

Fashion Sakala, who also played a role for the equaliser, then lured Carl Starfelt into a clumsy foul in the box, and Tavernier converted the spot-kick.

It was not enough to clinch victory, though.

The ball fell kindly for Furuhashi after a scrappy passage late on, and he smashed home the goal many will feel ends the Gers' title hopes.  

Rangers were on course for a deserved victory that would have breathed life into the title race, but the away side nabbed a crucial leveller right near the end.

Daizen Maeda had initially given Celtic an early lead, but Rangers soon established dominance and were good value for their lead following a quickfire double from Ryan Kent and James Tavernier early in the second half.

But when Rangers appeared to be cruising to a potentially vital victory, Kyogo emphatically finished from close range to stun the home crowd and salvage a point.

Rangers took a huge step towards winning the league, an achievement which would deny Celtic 10 in a row, with a narrow triumph at Ibrox on Saturday. 

Callum McGregor's second-half own goal, shortly after Nir Bitton had been sent off for a foul on Alfredo Morelos, meant Gerrard's men triumphed despite not registering a shot on target. 

They also won 2-0 at Celtic Park in October and have won three straight derbies dating back to last season, their best run since 2008 when Walter Smith was in charge. 

While 19 points is a formidable advantage, Gerrard is not taking anything for granted, with Celtic holding three games in hand. 

"We don't look at the 19-point lead, we look at our next game against Aberdeen," Gerrard said to Sky Sports. 

"There are three points available there and 48 still to play for, so still a lot of challenges, a lot of obstacles to get over. We don't look at leads and our season starts now. 

"But today was big in terms of making a statement and proving we can win our second derby out of two."

Celtic were on top until Bitton saw red, with Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor making three important first-half saves, most notably tipping a 25-yard Leigh Griffiths strike onto the post. 

Asked about McGregor's performance, Gerrard said: "Wow - outstanding. He is a world-class goalkeeper. 

"Good decision [making him man of the match]. The couple of saves he made kept us in the match. He is outstanding, reliable and trustworthy.  

"I knew already but I now know even more why he has been so successful at this club because he has bailed us out again." 

Former Liverpool captain Gerrard was not overly worried by Rangers' performance, adding: "First half we were not good enough, we were not ourselves and second best in a lot of areas. 

"There was a massive improvement in the second half, then obviously the sending off is a big, major incident in the game and it looked like only one team would win it from there. 

"Credit to Celtic - they played really well in the first half, but we were outstanding in the cup final for 90 minutes not too long ago and got nothing for it. It is about the end result. 

"You are not always going to be pretty on the eye and able to show your style. It is about the outcome. It was all about the three points, especially at this stage of the season. 

"It is another big three points and another clean sheet, so really proud of the team in terms of their efforts. We stretch our lead, remain humble and move on to Aberdeen."

The striker sustained a thigh injury while away on international duty with Colombia and will not be fit for a potentially decisive Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox.

Morelos played no part in Colombia's victories over Bolivia and Venezuela, which proved to be in vain as they failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst on Friday confirmed the 25-year-old will miss the showdown with Glasgow rivals Celtic, who are three points ahead of Rangers heading into the contest.

"Unfortunately for all of us he won't be with us on Sunday, we won't have him back in the next couple of weeks," said the former Netherlands midfielder.

"Morelos will be assessed and hopefully we can give more news after the weekend."

Morelos has scored 11 league goals for the defending champions this season.

Robben, 36, brought an illustrious playing career to an end last July shortly after his 10-year spell with Bayern came to an end.

Although at the time he was linked with a potential return to the team that gave him his professional debut, Robben - who suffered with numerous injury problems throughout his career - opted to retire.

But now he looks set to return, not only to top-tier football, but at the place where it all began.

In honour of Robben's return to his first club, we identified some other high-profile players who went to finish their careers back home.

Juan Roman Riquelme - Argentinos Juniors

Perhaps more synonymous with Boca Juniors, where he made his professional debut and also spent most of his final years, Riquelme also had a strong affinity with Argentinos Juniors. He came through the club's academy in the early-to-mid 1990s, before then finishing his immense career at Estadio Diego Maradona in 2014, having also played for Barcelona, Villarreal and Argentina. Although the iconic attacking midfielder appeared close to joining Paraguay's Cerro Porteno the following year, the move never materialised.

Dirk Kuyt - Quick Boys

Kuyt briefly came out of retirement two years ago to help Quick Boys, with whom he spent 13 years as a youth. Playing in the Derde Divisie Saturday league, Kuyt was already working as assistant at the time, but made himself available for selection during a striker shortage and he made three appearances. The former Netherlands and Liverpool forward had retired the year before following a second spell with Feyenoord, where he had made his initial breakthrough in the mid-2000s, his form at the time earning a move to Anfield.

Rafael Marquez - Atlas

One of Mexico's greatest players, Marquez's longevity at such a high level was nothing short of incredible, as he accumulated 147 international caps. After breaking into the Atlas team as a teenager having come through their academy, the elegant centre-back enjoyed a sparkling career in Europe, winning 14 titles across spells with Monaco and Barcelona. Time with New York Red Bulls, Leon and Hellas Verona followed, before a final two-year stint back at the Jalisco ended in 2018. Although plagued by off-field allegations towards the end of his career, Marquez went on to become the club's sporting president, before standing down last year to focus on other areas of the sport.

Juan Pablo Angel - Atletico Nacional

Angel perhaps never quite lived up to the expectations he set during his early days as part of River Plate's so-called 'Fantastic Four' with Javier Saviola, Ariel Ortega and Pablo Aimar, having joined from Colombia's Nacional. Nevertheless, he became a fan favourite at Aston Villa in the Premier League, before spending six years in MLS with New York Red Bulls, Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. In 2013 he returned to Nacional for two seasons, having left them in 1997. He called it quits in late 2014, just a few days after losing to his former club River in the final of the Copa Sudamericana. "I am ending my career with a final between the two clubs I love the most," he said.

Henrik Larsson - Hogaborgs

While the Swedish club most may associate with Larsson is Helsingborgs, he actually made the breakthrough at a smaller side – Hogaborgs. It was here where he trained from the age of six, before eventually becoming a regular in the senior side and earning a move to Helsingborgs. A trophy-laden career followed, taking him to Feyenoord, Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United. Although he retired in 2009, he returned to the pitch for Raa in the Swedish third tier three years later, before then finding himself back in the team at Hogaborgs in 2013, helping out due to an injury crisis despite him only previously being registered to a casual team for 'seniors'. This gave him the chance to play alongside his son, Jordan.

Carlos Tevez - Boca Juniors

The Tevez-Boca love affair has dominated most of the striker's successful and complex career. After coming through their youth ranks, the feisty forward was seen as the heir to Maradona. A brief stint in Brazil with Corinthians followed, but Europe had long since beckoned, even if West Ham was by no means the expected destination. He went on to play for Manchester United and Manchester City, increasing tension between the clubs, before then going to Juventus, but throughout this time Tevez seemed to long for a return to Boca. He went back to La Bombonera in 2015, his homecoming interrupted by a brief spell with Shanghai Shenhua in 2017 in the Chinese Super League, though even Tevez acknowledged he saw his time in China as a "holiday". "He filled Santa's sack with dollars and now he has returned to Boca" was Maradona's assessment upon 'El Apache's' return from the CSL.

The winger has been linked with clubs such as Sampdoria, Bologna and Como and his contract expires in the summer, but he was handed his first appearance of the season and tapped home from close range to round off the win.

Rodgers, who also brought 18-year-old debutant Daniel Kelly off the bench, said: “Young players have to earn the right. There’s been a lot of noise around Rocco but any young player has to earn the opportunity. I’ve given many young players opportunities in my career.

“But I like Rocco, he has qualities. He is strong, he’s aggressive, he wants to get goals. When he came on he got his goal and he had other opportunities.

“And Daniel Kelly is a young player I really like. If he keeps progressing and developing he will have a big future. He is left-sided, he is quick and strong, he presses the game very well.

“They get a taste of it and hopefully that gives them the motivation and determination to continue progressing.”

When asked about Vata’s future, Rodgers said: “That will be up to him. He’s a talent.

“It depends what the mentality is with him and his representatives. You get some young players whose representatives will tell you if they are not playing in the first team, starting, they don’t want to stay. You better go then, because you have got to earn the right.

“He is 18, I don’t need players ready at 18 unless they are real, real special talents, but by 20-21 they need to be ready.

“But you can see he has tools and this can be a really good place for him to develop.”

When asked if there was an offer on the table for the teenager, Rodgers said: “I believe so. There’s been chats around that but my focus is purely on the playing aspect. But there will be something there for him, I’m sure.”

Although he gave chances to Vata and 18-year-old Kelly and rested captain Callum McGregor, Rodgers played a strong team and saw his side progress to the fifth round with Paulo Bernardo, Odin Thiago Holm, Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma also on the scoresheet.

Rodgers said: “It was a good day for both clubs. From our perspective, professionally got the job done, played some really good football, scored some good goals, could have had more but the timing was a little bit out.

“And for Buckie Thistle, it’s an amazing day. The players gave everything and the support was there for the team right to the end.”

Celtic also had four goals disallowed and saw a potential penalty for a trip on Liel Abada ruled out because of an offside after a VAR review – sparking memories of a much-discussed penalty appeal for handball from Rangers on their recent defeat at Celtic Park.

Rodgers said: “It’s protocol, according to the fourth official, they have to look to see if it’s a penalty first before they look to disallow it because it’s offside, which just seems ridiculous really.

“If it’s offside then the penalty doesn’t even matter – as we know.”

Meanwhile, any hopes Celtic had of signing Owen Beck this month have ended after the left-back came on in Liverpool’s win at Bournemouth.

The Wales Under-21 international had been linked with Celtic after an impressive loan spell at Dundee but he cannot play for another team this season after featuring for his parent club.

Vata appeared to be on the way out of Celtic amid several links with Serie A clubs but the 18-year-old came off the bench in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth-round tie amid reports of talks over extending his contract beyond the summer.

The winger hit Celtic’s fifth goal from close range as the holders eased into the fifth round. Odin Thiago Holm also netted his first Celtic goal while Paulo Bernardo, Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma were also on target.

But Thistle’s offside trap helped them keep the score to a respectable level – Celtic had four goals disallowed.

The Highland League side even had a couple of moments at the other end to excite their roughly 3,000 travelling supporters.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers named a strong team with only Callum McGregor rested. The captain was handed an extended winter break, thus ending a run of 59 consecutive starts for the midfielder stretching back to December 2022.

Holm made his fourth start of the season in place of McGregor while Liel Abada returned to the starting line-up for the first time since suffering a thigh injury in September.

Buckie got their first taste of VAR after two minutes when referee Chris Graham was called to his monitor to review what appeared to be a trip on Abada, but an offside was spotted in the build-up.

It would be a regular theme of the game and Buckie had another escape when a close offside decision denied Greg Taylor after the left-back’s cross had gone in off Thistle goalkeeper Stuart Knight.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 25th minute when Bernardo lifted the ball over Knight after taking Matt O’Riley’s pass in his stride.

Furuhashi had a goal disallowed after Abada was ruled offside before crossing, before Holm netted in off the post in the 33rd minute following a one-two with O’Riley.

Liam Scales headed off the bar before the Buckie fans were on their feet after centre-forward Josh Peters was played clean through. Joe Hart saved with his feet and there was a suspicion of offside – no flag was raised and Celtic played on and broke for Furuhashi to convert Abada’s low cross four minutes before the break.

There was still time for another disallowed goal before half-time with Abada again caught out from O’Riley’s pass before squaring for Bernardo to net.

Palma extended the lead in the 50th minute when he cut in from the right and fired a left-footed shot inside the near post from 20 yards.

Abada then shot wide from a simple chance before becoming the latest Celtic player to have a goal disallowed for offside.

Buckie fans dreamed again when a VAR check took place for a potential penalty after Scales grappled with Peters but the game continued.

Vata tapped home in the 76th minute after good wing play from fellow substitute Mikey Johnston.

Rodgers handed a debut to 18-year-old midfielder Daniel Kelly and brought on Stephen Welsh – but seven minutes too late for the defender to face his cousin, Peters, who had gone off for the visitors.

Knight saved well from Palma and Kelly before the Buckie players took the acclaim of their supporters.

Celtic got off to a flying start in the last round, brushing aside Slovan Bratislava 5-1 last month to win their Champions League opener for the first time, and sit second in the table behind Bayern Munich. 

Having also won their final group-stage match last season, Rodgers' side are looking to win three consecutive matches in the competition for the first time since 1976.

But coming up against last season's runners-up, who began their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge, is a different prospect for the Scottish champions.

Asked if this was the "acid test" for his side, Rodgers said: "I think this level is about as much about the head as it is about the skill. I don't doubt that with this team.

"I think we arrive in a great place. I am very relaxed and focused that we can get a result that builds on the first result."

Celtic have started the season in fine form and top the Scottish Premiership having won all six of their games, scoring 20 goals while conceding none.

Despite their strong start, Rodgers is looking back to pre-season to draw inspiration, after beating Manchester City and Chelsea in friendlies, scoring four times past both in back-to-back matches.

"I track it back to pre-season," he said. "The games that we played there, played some big teams and how we wanted to play at this level.

"We got off to a very good start in the last round, so we come here to a stadium very much like Celtic Park in that they breathe football, and we're very excited by the challenge.

"We are under no illusions that we are up against a team who are challenging at the very top of elite football, but for us, I've always said, whether domestically or away in this competition, it is about making us very difficult to play against with and without the ball.

"Offensively, Dortmund are very good. They lost some players in the summer, but I look at the team, and they have some fantastic players in that middle-to-top area, so will put you on the back foot at times.

"It is a top side with top players, and we have to be right on it to get a good performance and result."

Celtic looked set to end Jimmy Thelin's perfect start to life as Aberdeen manager, and go three points clear at the summit, when they raced into a 2-0 lead.

Kyogo Furuhashi teed up Reo Hatate to give them a 24th-minute advantage, then got on the scoresheet himself with a thumping finish just three minutes later.

However, the Dons launched a stirring fightback to leave Glasgow with a point as Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie netted in the second half to salvage a draw.

Celtic fired off 32 shots to Aberdeen's eight throughout the course of the game, racking up 3.21 expected goals (xG) to the visitors' 1.15. 

Speaking after the game, Rodgers bemoaned their failure to put Aberdeen away as he said: "We are disappointed. We had good control of the game in the first half. 

"We could have had more goals. We got punished for a really careless period. We found our rhythm again. I think it was 32 shots. 

"A mixture of some really good defending and great saves from the goalkeeper meant we could not find the winner. We should win the game today, there is no doubt about that."

Aberdeen boss Thelin, meanwhile, was delighted with the resilience on display from his side, saying: "It was a really emotional game. 

"We said at half-time, we have to calm down a little and come back to our strategy. We needed to find a way and to do that was to be a little more true to ourselves.

"I think we have an amazing squad and team spirit. We have had some late winners this season, showing our mentality."

The 21-time winners of the tournament were inspired by a Daizen Maeda hat-trick in a near-perfect performance against the Scottish Premiership's second-placed side.

Manager Brendan Rodgers was delighted with the result and performance from his side.

"It was a testament to our players and the demands they have. They play every week in big games. We have to manage this group through every game," he told Premier Sports.

"It was up to us to decide the game and the players did that. They were brilliant today. We were more aggressive in the second half.

"Aberdeen have had an excellent season, they will continue to work well I'm sure."

The result was Aberdeen's first defeat in 17 matches in all competitions this season, with a 2-2 draw at Celtic Park last month the only time they had previously failed to win.

Cameron Carter-Vickers got the scoring under way with a header 29 minutes in, before the brilliant Maeda sat down goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to set up Kyogo Furuhashi for a second three minutes later.

Maeda then got in on the act himself on 40 minutes before the game briefly descended into farce on the stroke of half-time, with Rodgers shown a yellow card for kicking away a ball that had gone out before slipping over.

"To be fair, I was raging because we had given the ball away," he said.

"I have my moments, like every manager. It was just the game, even though we were comfortable at 3-0.

"It was a deserved yellow card. The speed of the ball [was the issue]. I just wanted to keep the tempo of the game."

Celtic and Maeda picked up where they left off in the second half to make it 4-0 in the 50th minute before Nicolas Kuhn hammered in a fifth on the hour.

The rout was complete when Maeda wrapped up his hat-trick as he finished off a flowing attacking move with five minutes to go.

After the match, Rodgers continued to be effusive about his team, who will face either Rangers or Motherwell in the final.

"An outstanding team performance. You come up against a team that has been so, so good. We knew it would be a challenge," he told BBC Scotland.

"We had to bring our A-game and the players did that, in particular during the second half.

"We were ruthless. We worked the ball really well to create the space and made good runs.

"It's a beautiful pitch here at Hampden. It's perfect for the football we want to play."

Celtic made a sluggish start to the match and were lucky not to find themselves behind at the break as Blair Spittal and Lawrence Shankland spurned glorious chances for Hearts.

However, they came out revitalised in the second half as Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn scored twice in five minutes to put them 2-0 up on the hour mark.

Adam Idah scored twice, netting on either side of Musa Drammeh's consolation, with his second coming from the penalty spot in the 94th minute.

Celtic have now won all seven of their away league games this season by an aggregate score of 22-2.

After Aberdeen's first loss of the season earlier on Saturday, Celtic gave themselves some breathing space at the top of the league, while also moving 11 points clear of rivals Rangers, who sit third.

Rodgers was delighted with Celtic's response to the first half, praising the players' adaptation.

"I'm really pleased. Tynecastle is a really tough place so to win 4-1 was really pleasing," Rodgers said.

"Second half, we figured out their press. They have normally been pressing in 4-4-2 but changed it slightly. It just meant we had to drop a man in our build-up play.

"We had some good moments in the first half, but once we were able to play through that pressure, I thought in the second half we were excellent.

"It's a very exciting period for us. All the players know they will play, they just need to be ready."

Hibs dropped back to the bottom of the table after passing up a host of presentable opportunities in Glasgow, with Kasper Schmeichel making several saves in the Celtic goal.

Arne Engels had put Celtic ahead in the sixth minute, with a Joe Newell own goal and a Kyogo Furuhashi strike making the points safe after half-time.

Celtic have not lost a domestic game since a 2-0 defeat to Hearts in early March, and they now hold a nine-point advantage over Aberdeen – who they beat 1-0 on Wednesday – at the top of the table.

Celtic gave up 14 shots worth 2.19 expected goals (xG), while attempting 21 worth 3.89 xG in an open game on Saturday, with Rodgers subsequently acknowledging they were not at their best, particularly in defence.

"It was a great, great win for us on the back of a tough game in midweek," Rodgers said. "You can see where Hibs' confidence has improved and they had chances.

"We were nowhere near the level of our defending, even though we've kept a clean sheet and that's a huge testament to Kasper because we haven't given away much at all this season.

"Today we were just slightly off it and that gave them opportunities to score but, overall, I think to get the win and to keep winning really shows you the mental toughness and the character within the team."

Celtic are back in Champions League action against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday, before facing Old Firm rivals Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final next Sunday.

Reo Hatate, Liam Scales, Nicolas Kuhn and Anthony Ralston were all on target as the Scottish champions hammered their visitors 4-0 at Celtic Park.

Celtic have won their league opener in 16 of the last 17 seasons, losing the other 2-1 away to Hearts in 2021, though Rodgers acknowledged this is just the start for the Hoops.

"I thought we were very connected, some of our passing and the speed of our game was very good," the Celtic manager told BBC Scotland.

"Defensively we were very strong, the first goal came from that counter press. I have to be so pleased for the first game of the season.

"Being at the top of the league at the end of the season is what's important but the first steps are critical and we made a really good step today."

Matt O'Riley continues to draw attention from Premier League clubs, as well as Serie A's Atalanta, as the Celtic midfielder's future remains uncertain.

The Denmark international assisted Scales' header in the first half against Kilmarnock, reminding potential suitors of his quality with transfer speculation continuing.

Rodgers is focused on adding to his Celtic squad, though, as he aims to build a side capable of competing in the Champions League and Scotland's top division.

"Currently our focus is very much the players that are here but naturally we want to improve the squad," Rodgers added.

"It's our duty to do that for the players and we'll speak about that. I will never say anything that I've not spoken to my bosses about.

"We want to take the club forward, we know the challenges that we have on every front and for that we want to improve the squad. Hopefully, we can get in the players that can help us kick on this season.

"I'd love to have more tools to have a go at the Champions League, that's one of our big goals this season. We want to get into the play-off phases and for that, we want to improve the squad."

Rodgers' side are into the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup after a 3-1 victory at Celtic Park.

Daizen Maeda scored twice in the opening 15 minutes during a one-sided start before Nicolas Kuhn's second-half finish made sure of victory after Mykola Kuharevich's header had the visitors back in the contest.

Celtic will face Falkirk in the next round, where Rodgers will hope his Scottish Premiership champions can replicate Sunday's fine performance.

"I thought we were excellent from the start of the game. We showed our hunger," Rodgers said after the comfortable triumph.

"We said before the game that our playmaker today would be our counter-pressing. It was there and we were winning so many second balls.

"Our only real danger was from throw-ins. They've got guys on either side who can throw it in and add a little bit of pressure and make you fret a little bit.

"We dealt well with that, and their header was a great header. We don't have any complaints. We could maybe have shifted our wall back a bit but we'll learn from that."

This victory came just a week after Celtic had dispatched the same opponents 2-0, their second victory in as many league games to start the season.

The Hoops also hammered Kilmarnock 4-0 in their Scottish Premiership opener, with an away trip to St. Mirren the next test of their title defence.

An Old Firm challenge then awaits as Celtic welcome Rangers on September 1, though Rodgers will be confident of his side's capabilities based on their early showings this term.

After dominating the opening exchanges, the hosts were offered the chance to take the lead from 12 yards early in the second half. 

Nicolas Kuhn's cross was blocked by the hand of James Penrice, with Engels making no mistake from the spot to net his first Celtic goal since his switch from Augsburg. 

Luke McCowan confirmed the triumph in the 89th minute, also scoring his first goal for the club, with Rodgers pleased with the pair, but showering particular praise on Engels.

"He's here playing in the eight position," Rodgers said. "He's here with legs and energy and power, he should be able to score goals for us. A good performance from him."

But the encounter could have taken on a much different complexion after the visitors were awarded a penalty of their own in the first half. 

Lawrence Shankland's header came off Liam Scales' arm, only for VAR to overturn the decision, and Rodgers believed the right call was eventually made.

"When the referee gives it, it’s always going to be looked at," Rodgers said.

"The ball hits Liam Scales up towards the shoulder on that sleeve part and that’s not a penalty. By the rule, the officials were correct."

Rodgers' side are top of the table with 15 points, ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference, and return to Champions League action on Wednesday when they welcome Slovan Bratislava to Celtic Park in their opening match of the competition. 

The Scottish side conceded first through a bizarre Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal in the 26th minute, before Daizen Maeda restored parity in the 60th minute in what Rodgers described as a “game of two halves”.

Celtic now sit 20th in the league phase of the Champions League on eight points. It leaves them just short of the 10-point target that should be enough to guarantee qualification for the knockout phase play-off round.

Despite failing to hit that mark at Celtic Park against Club Brugge, Rodgers was encouraged by the resilience shown by his side.

"First half not so good, second half much better. You obviously want to win every game, but first half we were very passive in our pressing and you could see they are a good side,” he told TNT Sports.

"Second half, we adjusted a couple of things and we had a much better press, which allowed us to sustain attacks.

"It's a brilliant finish from Daizen. We were much more courageous in the second half.

"So, so pleased with the second half. We kept going, showed determination right to the end. It's a really good point against a good side and we'll take that into our next game.

"We're still in a really good place. We're still well on track [to get into the play-off stage]."

Celtic have three games left to play, with their next test coming away at Dinamo Zagreb before they welcome Young Boys to Celtic Park in the new year and round off the league phase with a trip to Aston Villa.

They are undefeated in their last three games in the Champions League. Their last joint-longest unbeaten streak was from 10 December 2008 to 2 October 2012, leaving Rodgers confident about their prospects.

“We're on eight points, nine to play for. We can still get to very much on course to get to where we want to get to. And, yes, still three games to go,” he added.

“Tonight was always going to be a really, really dangerous game because on the back of the Leipzig and Atalanta results, people will look at Club Brugge and think we should definitely win that. But this is a team that's more experienced than us at this level.”

Kyogo Furuhashi scored twice, while Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah were also on target for the Hoops, who warmed up for their midweek European trip to Borussia Dortmund in emphatic fashion.

The dominant victory moved Celtic back to the top of the Scottish Premiership table - ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference - as they continued their perfect start to the season, with a sixth win in as many games.

And Rodgers was pleased by the character his players demonstrated.

"I thought this was an opportunity to show our mentality," he told Premier Sports. "All the noise has been about Dortmund, but I wanted a Champions League mentality here, and I thought the boys controlled the game.

"We wanted to keep our rhythm going. You see some of the guys coming in this evening, like Valle coming in at left-back, showing his composure.

"Most were looking at it as a tick-box before Dortmund, but for me, it was to show their mentality. Everyone will be flying on Tuesday night, but I want to see how they do when they’re here, or other grounds. It’s a case of just focusing in on that.

"I thought the variety of our game was very good; everything you'd want from your team."

Looking ahead to Tuesday's clash with Bundesliga giants Dortmund, he added: "[They] are a good team with top players, so we can't get away from that.

"OK, they've lost one or two [players] from last year, but I always say we make sure we press, make sure we attack. It's a tough game, but we'll look forward to it."

Brendan Rodgers' side, who lost 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in midweek, struck twice in the final quarter of an hour at the Global Energy Stadium, where Ronan Hale's first-half penalty had given the hosts the lead.

Hale drilled home from 12 yards at the second attempt after his initial spot-kick was denied by Kasper Schmeichel, who was penalised for creeping off his line.

It was the first league goal Celtic had conceded this season, but the Hoops turned things around late on.

They equalised in the 76th minute when Callum McGregor's goalbound strike was turned in from close range by Alistair Johnston.

The full-back then turned provider two minutes from normal time as he found Kuhn, who stepped inside before slotting past Ross Laidlaw via a slight deflection.

Data Debrief: Celtc the late show experts

The Hoops have now scored five goals in the last 15 minutes of their seven matches this season, more than any other side in the Scottish Premiership.

But, once again, the hosts were left to wonder what might have been.

Indeed, they have now lost seven points from winning positions this term, the most of any side.

Meanwhile, they were beaten in the league after scoring the opening goal for the first time in 23 games, stretching back to their defeat by St. Johnstone in December 2022. 

Last year's Champions League runners-up Dortmund extended their club record unbeaten home run in the competition to 12 matches (W8 D4) in emphatic fashion on Tuesday.

Karim Adeyemi led the way with a first-half hat-trick as BVB led 5-1 at the break, with the forward becoming the first Dortmund player to score three goals in the opening 45 minutes of a major European game since Marcio Amoroso in a 2002 UEFA Cup semi-final against Milan.

Celtic, who equalised just two minutes after Emre Can had opened the scoring from the penalty spot at Signal Iduna Park, became the first British team to concede five goals in the first half of a game in major European competition since Cwmbran Town against Progresul Bucharest in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup.

For the third time in his managerial career, after 7-0 and 7-1 drubbings by Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively in 2016 and 2017, Rodgers saw his side ship seven goals in the Champions League.

"I don't think I've been involved in a game where every mistake we made got punished," Rodgers told TNT Sports.

"It was a tough watch, to be honest. We weren't at our best. They showed why they are a top, top team. We didn't make the start we wanted.

"We went in high in confidence. We felt we were in a really good place. We had to start much better than we did, as we gave away really cheap goals. And we got punished for loose bits of play and passes.

"They were ruthless in their finishing. It was incredible to see.

"My job is to go away and inspire the players again. We need to learn from it or we will get punished at this level."

Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin, meanwhile, said his team have set a "benchmark" for their level of performance moving forward, after what has been an inconsistent start to the season.

Speaking to Amazon Prime, Sahin said: "Of course I'm extremely happy, but I can also put the game in Stuttgart [a 5-1 loss] into perspective – and today.

"What makes me happiest is how the guys worked up front. Goals like that come when you run up front like that. We didn't manage that at all in Stuttgart.

"With the speed and quality up front, we’re hard to beat. This coverage, the will to win the ball, has to be the benchmark. We've made steps in our notorious development."

Dortmund matched their joint-highest victory in the Champions League, matching a 6-0 win over Legia Warsaw in 2016.