Kilmarnock vs Celtic; Scottish Premiership
Kilmarnock vs Celtic. Scottish Premiership.
The BBSP Stadium, Rugby ParkAttendance8,353.
Kilmarnock 1
- M Schjonning-Larsen (56th minute)
Celtic 5
- K Høgh (2nd minute, 33rd minute, 35th minute)
- B Nygren (47th minute)
- L McCowan (75th minute)
Kilmarnock 1-5 Celtic: Kasper Hogh hits hat-trick as Hoops ease past hapless Killie on new grass pitch
Report as Celtic ease to victory against Kilmarnock; record signing Kasper Hogh scored three in the first half; Michael Schjonning-Larsen scored for the hosts between goals from Hoops' Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan; it was the first match on the new grass pitch at Rugby Park
Sunday 9 August 2026 16:25, UK
Record signing Kasper Hogh silenced his early critics with a first-half hat-trick as Celtic swept Kilmarnock aside on the new grass pitch at Rugby Park.
Manager Martin O'Neill was absent from the dugout as he recovers from surgery, but it did not hinder the Hoops as Hogh nodded into an empty net after just 64 seconds.
Killie have switched from plastic to grass, but any hopes Neil McCann had of it favouring his side faded with the Danish striker fired in his second after Benjamin Nygren had hit the crossbar.
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The £11m signing then headed home his third with Max Stryjek only able to watch. It then went from bad to worse for the Kilmarnock keeper when he played the ball straight out to Nygren to fire in a fourth just after the break.
Michael Schjonning-Larsen managed to pull a goal back, but Luke McCowan then volleyed in Celtic's fifth just moments after coming on to wrap up an impressive afternoon in Ayrshire.
The champions' title defence starts with back-to-back wins, while Kilmarnock have conceded nine goals in their opening two games.
The key moments from Rugby Park
2: GOAL! Hogh is off the mark. Celtic's record signing meets Engels' cross at the back post and nods into the net.
5: CLOSE! Almost an equaliser! John-Jules' shot from inside the box is blocked by Trusty.
12: SAVE! John-Jules directs his header towards goal but Sinisalo tips it over.
18: OFF THE BAR! Engels cuts the ball back to Nygren in the box but he smashes it off the woodwork.
33: GOAL! Two for Hogh. Kilmarnock fail to deal with the danger and he fires beyond Stryjek.
35: GOAL! Make that a first-half hat-trick. Duran's cross takes out Stryjek, leaving Hogh to nod into the empty net.
47: GOAL! Howler from the Kilmarnock keeper! Stryjek inexplicably passes the ball straight out to Nygren an he makes no mistake.
49: OFF THE BAR! Duran wants in on the action, but the summer signing hits the woodwork.
56: GOAL! The hosts pull one back as Schjonning-Larsen finds the bottom corner.
71: OFF THE POST! Hogh heads off the upright.
75: GOAL! McCowan volleys into the net moments after coming off the bench.
'A lot of cause for optimism'
The Sky Sports pundits assessed Kasper Hogh's impact at Rugby Park.
Aiden McGeady
"He's a really refreshing character. Today, I think he was fantastic.
"It wasn't just his goals and his movement in the penalty box, he could have scored four or five, it was his hold-up play and his unselfish runs as well.
"I'm absolutely delighted that he's managed to answer some critics after his first game. A lot of cause for optimism."
James McFadden
"He's new into the club. People maybe looked at him last week and said he really should have been doing better, but I'm sure he would have agreed.
"He's reading the type of cross that's coming in.
"The more they play together, the better the understanding will be and the more goals he'll score.
"There's no doubt he's going to score goals."
Kris Boyd
"His all-round game was excellent today. His hold-up play, his willingness to get in the box."
Maloney: 'We've set a bar'
Celtic assistant Shaun Maloney speaking to Sky Sports:
"We started the game the exact opposite of how we did the Dundee home game and then we never really came off it.
"I think we've seen him [Kasper Hogh] for months now, so you know the level of player he is and what he's done at his previous club and a really high level in the Champions League.
"I said before, it's the life of a striker. I think you're there, you score some, you miss some. He was really good today.
"He scored a brilliant hat-trick, but a big part of his game was when Kilmarnock went man for man. He had to hold it. It's something the boss is really, really strong on and it made a big difference.
"His all-round game was really good, Kasper.
"I thought our creativity in the final third was as good as I've seen it in a little while.
"We were really good in the final third. We've set a bar now and we have to keep trying to get there."
