Camilo DuranSNS

Camilo Duran's double earned a third straight Scottish Premiership win against Falkirk

At a glance

  • Duran double as Celtic rebound from Champions League play-off failure with narrow win

  • Donovan own goal gives Falkirk hope but Celtic hold on to to maintain 100% league start

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park

Celtic maintained their winning Scottish Premiership start as Camilo Duran's double ended a bruising week on a positive with a narrow win over Falkirk.

The Champions League play-off defeat by LASK hung heavily over the club with Duran lifting spirits by capitalising on Scott Bain's blunder before tapping home from close range.

That cushion by the interval proved just enough, although Falkirk did threaten a fightback when Jacob Murrell ran in behind only for the ball to rebound off Colby Donovan for an own goal.

It's a third straight league win for Martin O'Neill's side as they open the defence of their title with maximum points.

Celtic were without captain Callum McGregor and Kasper Hogh through injury with Haissem Hassan handed his first start.

A bright start from Falkirk was undone when Bain failed to gather a routine ball in behind and Duran anticipated well to punish his glaring error. After review, the goal was awarded with Bain handing Celtic the perfect start.

Falkirk regrouped but were undone when Kieran Tierney delivered another assist from the left into Duran who outmuscled some desperate defending to tap home.

Celtic had chances to extend their lead but Falkirk regrouped after the break and got their reward when they exposed Celtic's backline all too easily only for Viljami Sinisalo's save from Murrell to rebound off Donovan and home.

The home side managed to nullify direct Falkirk threat on goal thereafter to ease to an important victory given the context.

Celtic analysis: Brutal week ends on muted positive

Pre-match, the disappointment of LASK felt almost tangible. A reset was required after their positive domestic start to the season was emphatically burst.

Supporters let the club board know their feelings with a banner that read 'World Class Embarrassment' in reference to another Champions League play-off failure.

That outcome will have significant implications but the job in front of them was to maintain a 100% start in the Premiership.

Job done but not as comfortably as home fans would have hoped.

The early goal was a gift and gratefully received by Celtic, as Duran did well to anticipate Bain's error and finish. Equally so for his second.

The Colombian showed his impact and threat through the middle in Kasper Hogh's absence, having operated very effectively out wide in previous games.

Hassan, on his first start, looked dangerous for the hour he was on, with a determination to commit defenders and take risks. Encouraging signs given he isn't at full match fitness yet.

However, Celtic never fully felt over the line until the end and that will frustrate given the two-goal cushion they enjoyed earlier.

It's maximum points from Celtic's opening three Premiership games. That was the minimum required here after the massive blow in midweek.

Falkirk analysis: McGlynn's spirited side undone by error

Falkirk's approach was severely undermined by the early concession and manner of it. The idea was clearly, as John McGlynn indicated pre-match, to get through the opening stages, frustrate and attack whenever possible.

They settled admirably after conceding and managed to hold Celtic at arm's length for the most part until the second.

For that, they offered up to much space and were punished. The key difference was accuracy and execution between the sides.

Yet, Falkirk did show an admirable composure and control of the game at times to stay in touch, with one goal likely to change the complexion of the fixture.

It arrived when Murrell did well to race at Celtic's defence and got a bit of luck to haul the visitors back into the game.

Real credit to them as the outcome was never settled until the end. Their points return hasn't been great but it's clear they have quality with a difficult couple of games to follow as they try to integrate a raft of new recruits.

Player of the match

C. Durán
7.69
11 C. Durán
7.69
23 Haissem Hassan
6.33
21 A. Oxlade-Chamberlain
6.21
13 Yang Hyun-Jun
6.17
63 K. Tierney
6.11
22 M. Baur
6.09
20 C. Carter-Vickers
5.68
8 B. Nygren
5.65
51 C. Donovan
5.65
5 L. Scales
5.65
1 V. Sinisalo
5.64
49 J. Forrest
5.52
19 C. Osmand
5.11
6 A. Trusty
4.84
14 L. McCowan
4.75
17 S. Tounekti
4.63
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