Celtic maintained their 100% start to their Scottish Premiership title defence with a comfortable victory at Aberdeen.
Benjamin Nygren turned in a Kieran Tierney cross to steady the visitors who were under earlier pressure from the side which defeated them in last season’s Scottish Cup final.
But that challenge dissipated, with Reo Hatate curling in a magnificent strike midway through the second half to seal victory for Brendan Rodgers’ team.
Dons manager Jimmy Thelin, whose side lost at Tynecastle in the opening week, resisted the temptation to stick with the back five that worked so well in last season’s final win over Celtic, reverting to his trademark 4-2-3-1 formation.
And they started well, Adil Aouchiche stinging Kasper Schmeichel’s fingers tips with a fizzing long range shot.
But the visitors broke the deadlock as the half hour approached courtesy of a fine low finish from Swedish winger Nygren after great work down the left by Tierney.
Celtic could have been further ahead at the break with Hatate forcing a smart save from Dimitar Mitov, before Liam Scales headed just wide.
Mitov was called into action early in the second half, producing a wonderful reflex stop to tip Daezen Maeda’s volleyed effort over.
Celtic did double their advantage on 65 minutes, when Hatate smashed an 18-yard strike into the net off the underside of the bar.
Aberdeen huffed and puffed after that, but were unable to find any sort of route back in to the game.
What was the main talking point?
Celtic weren’t at their best at Pittodrie, but they got the job done, and that will be the most pleasing thing for Rodgers.
Winning when you are not firing on all cylinders is the mark of champions, and that trait will be a worry to anyone else in the division who are perhaps holding out hopes of challenging them for the title this term.
Especially given that you have to assume this team will get better over the coming weeks and months.
Once again Celtic lacked a bit of cutting edge, but Rodgers will be hoping that is something which will addressed in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.
Aberdeen were better than they were in their season opening defeat at Hearts, but, and to use that phrase again, a lack of cutting edge in the final third is an early season source of concern for those of a red persuasion.