The Hoops have hit the ground running and started the Scottish Premiership season for 2026/27 with a display of dominance. After a convincing championship season, Celtic are displaying no signs of their game having dropped off and look as dangerous as ever.
The cheering and celebrations of last season’s win have barely stopped reverberating around Celtic Park, and the Hoops are already back at it and giving fans something new to cheer for. The message is clear for the rest of the league: Celtic are by no means going to sit on their laurels and let their opponents steal the march on them; they are going to fight tooth and nail and prove that last season’s league win was no fluke. Two games played, and two wins under their belt.
It’s true, it’s very early in the season, and winning two games is not securing the premiership title, but it is a strong start and powerful signs of momentum. If you’re a Celtic fan, you can already see that Celtic are positioned by the odds as the favourites to take the trophy again this season, and platforms like SBO.net will provide you with guides that can help you find betting platforms with dedicated sections and relevant bonuses for Scottish and European football.
The Hoops have so far taken down Dundee and Kilmarnock, and both games have been relatively convincing for the title defenders, placing them firmly at the top of the table. With a couple of new signings and the departure of some important players, such as Arne Engels, the team’s makeup is different from last season, but clearly, no less deadly.
Let’s take a closer look at their first two games, how the squad has changed, and how, with dominance on the domestic stage all wrapped up, their time abroad is becoming more important.
Game 1 Sees Celtic Finish Dundee At 1-0
While the margin may be narrow, and the game wasn’t perfect, it’s still convincing enough, and far enough away from the pointy end of the season that there’s room to grow and build. While not as impressive as last season’s Premiership title decider between Celtic and Hearts, which was held at the same ground and saw 1.37 million viewers, there were nonetheless clear signs that the Scottish Premiership title defenders aren’t ready to be put out to pasture.
Familiar scenes for Hoops fans as Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor both got a good deal of the ball. Tierney was even instrumental in the match’s only goal, handing the midfielder from Sweden, Benjamin Nygren, an excellent cross, which allowed him to slot a goal through on the 52nd minute.
While the game looked reasonably good for Celtic, with displays of many of the qualities that fans have come to look for in them, such as aggressive pressing, quick transitions and high defensive posturing, it wasn’t all flowers. The first half of the match did not see many big moments, and Arne Engels and new signing Kasper Hogh both failed to impact the scoreboard, despite having good opportunities to do so.
But despite this, game 1 can be counted as an excellent beginning for a title-defence season, and game 2 was a much stronger showing.
New Blood Shows Strong Promise As Celtic Put Kilmarnock Away 1-5
The title defence is more than underway, as on August 9th the Hoops put Kilmarnock through the wringer. By far the biggest story from this game is the performance of new signee Kasper Høgh, who Celtic signed for a club-record fee of £11 million, plus add-ons based on performance.
Celtic fans are likely to be saying that the record signing fee is well worth it if Høgh can continue to deliver as he did against Kilmarnock. Høgh scored a hat-trick during the first half, giving the Hoops plenty of space to feel comfortable and do their thing, which they did very well. Other goal-scorers for Celtic were Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan. With Engels, Nygren and Camilo Durán assisting.
Such a convincing victory, and on the road as well, is a powerful message of momentum for Celtic to trumpet to the rest of the league. Guides for betting on Scottish football that can be found on platforms like SBO.net will show you that such dominant performances boost the odds on betting websites in Celtic’s favour. They aren’t just looking to defend their title; it’s clear that they want to up the stakes and take the season on.
Good Developmental Signs For The Hoops Squad
If you are a Celtic fan, there are three great signs about the continued development of the squad, which are:
They Seem to Have Deeper Attack Options
For some time, Celtic has only had a few dedicated attackers, but no longer. The recruitment strategy over the summer, which we will touch on soon, has seemed to focus on diversifying the attacking power of the side.
More attackers means more options and more contributors for assists, movement, creativity and, ultimately, goals.
Fast Adaptation By New Signings
While Celtic only brought on four new signings, they have all shown good signs early of having integrated nicely with the rest of the Bhoys. Høgh has had his hat-trick game; Durán is already up and assisting with goals and providing options.
The other two new signings have yet to play in the green and white, having signed after the Kilmarnock game, but Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan both seem eager to get onto the field and prove their worth.
The Bhoys Are Motivated As Ever
You surely know that Celtic have a well-deserved reputation for dominance in the modern Scottish Premiership league, being on a streak of 5 wins, and having dropped only one season after having a 9-win streak before the current streak.
Despite this, or some might argue because of it, the side still seems eager to rack up more trophies. There are no signs of complacency whatsoever, and the squad seems energetic and motivated to go for the title once again.
Celtic Don’t Stand Still With Targeted Summer Recruitment
Being on a winning streak in the Scottish Premiership isn’t something that happens by accident, and Celtic understand that part of remaining competitive year after year is ensuring that you aren’t stagnating and standing still.
The way that Celtic dealt with the summer transfer market for 2026 proves this. Instead of playing safe and attempting to keep the squad in as similar a position as previously, they have invested a significant amount of capital, nearly £30 million, signing international talent to the squad.
All of the new signings this season are focused on further developing the attacking power of Celtic, with a striker and forward in Høgh and Durán, then a winger and midfielder in Hassan and Baur.
There is some speculation that more new signings could be in the offing, with more players having left the team than have joined.
Players Moving on Aren’t Leaving Celtic Feeling Weakened
You might be a little concerned, because despite the favourable odds that the guides available at SBO.net present, more than double the number of players have left or retired from the Bhoys than have been signed this season. But despite this, the squad still looks well positioned and eager for the season.
The most notable departure has to be Arne Engels, who has, after the game against Kilmarnock, moved to West Ham for something in the order of £22 million. West Ham, having been relegated from the Premier League last season, are looking to perform in the English Football League.
Other departures include Daizen Maeda, Luis Palma, Maik Nawrocki, Stephen Welsh, Kelechi Iheanacho, Hayato Inamura and Josh Clarke, with Kasper Schmeichel retiring and Paulo Bernardo and Shin Yamada on loan.
Despite so many players moving on, Celtic have already proved they are happy to be aggressive in their reinvestment in new talent. The transfer window officially closes at 5 pm on September 3rd, leaving around half a month for Celtic to make additional changes to the roster.
Success On The Continent Is Becoming Increasingly Important
With domestic dominance of the Scottish Premiership a regular occurrence for Celtic, investment in competing with the best teams in Europe has become a more challenging goal for the Bhoys.
Celtic have, to date, only netted one UEFA Champions League trophy, in the 1966-67 season, becoming the first British team to win the cup, and the only Scottish club, as of the writing of this article. But Celtic are regular participants in the leagues on the continent, with fans expecting them to be competitive with top sides from Germany, England, Italy, Spain and France.
Many fans suggest that, for Celtic, the team composition is built with a focus on defeating international opponents, rather than overcoming domestic opposition. Any amount of success in the international European leagues can be incredibly beneficial for the club, bringing with it things like:
- High-profile matches.
- Exposure on the global stage.
- More revenue from sponsorships.
- Better opportunities for recruitment.
- Commercial growth.
Success for Celtic in its current form is not measured simply by how they do domestically; they set themselves to compete on a bigger stage, in Europe, as equals.
Final Thoughts
It’s early days for the Scottish Premiership league, but Celtic are making it clear that they’ve come to play with two convincing victories. There is a huge amount of the season still to play, and as the transfer window closes out, we will see if Celtic remain strong, or if any holes open up in their game.
The squad looks strong, full of international talent, and is poised to compete on the European stage, as well as domestically.
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