CELTIC v DUNDEE: THE STORY SO FAR

CELTIC have recovered well from losing a goal in 50 SECONDS in the first meeting of the season against Paul Hartley’s side.

Ronny Deila’s newly-acquired empire was rocking after losing 1-0 at Inverness Caley Thistle the previous weekend which was followed by a Champions League qualifying exit after crashing 1-0 at home to NK Maribor.

Now, after gaining a point at Dens Park only four games into the league campaign, the Norwegian is within touching distance of a Premiership title to complete the Double.

Since the opening stalemate, the Hoops have gone on to beat the Taysiders in two competitive league tussles while knocking them out of the Scottish Cup. In the process, they have scored seven goals and conceded three.

Here is the story so far:

JAMES McPAKE rattled the champions with a header inside the first minute. The defender met a right-wing corner from Phil Roberts to direct an effort in at Craig Gordon’s right-hand post.

However, Leigh Griffiths, on as a substitute for the ineffective on-loan Jo Inge Berget, rescued a point 10 minutes after the interval.

His low drive took a nick off defender Thomas Konrad before sweeping into the net. His leveller prevented the Parkhead side from losing three successive games for the first time since March 2007.

TEAM: Gordon; Matthews (sub: O’Connell), Ambrose, Denayer, Izaguirre; Johansen, Kayal (sub: Bitton); McGregor, Commons, Berget (sub: Griffiths); Stokes.

GOALS from Anthony Stokes and John Guidetti guided the Glasgow giants to their fifth consecutive league win. Again, though, the Dens men made them work hard.

Stokes got the opener on the stroke of half-time when he nodded in a free-kick delivery from Kris Commons and Guidetti doubled the advantage in the 54th minute after good work by Adam Matthews on the right.

David Clarkson, scoring in his seventh straight match, gave the home side a fright with a deflected effort four minutes later, but the Hoops held on for the three points.

TEAM: Gordon; Matthews, Denayer (sub: Ambrose), Van Dijk, Izaguirre; Johansen, Mulgrew; Forrest (sub: McGregor), Commons (sub: Kayal), Griffiths; Guidetti.

RONNY DEILA’S men cruised into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals with a sound win at Dens Park after goals from Griffiths and Stefan Johansen.

The home side went into the tie with high hopes after knocking out Aberdeen in the previous round and they were also on a six-game unbeaten run. Griffiths stunned them with a neat header in the seventh minute after a superb right-wing run and cross from Mikael Lustig.

And the pair combined again two minutes after the turnaround when the Swede crossed and Griffiths’ header was pushed away by Scott Bain. Johansen followed up to thump in the clincher.

TEAM: Gordon; Lustig (sub: Matthews), Denayer, Van Dijk, Izaguirre; Brown, Bitton; Forrest (sub: Guidetti), Johansen, Commons (sub: Stokes); Griffiths.

CELTIC were already zeroing in on their fourth successive Premiership crown by the time Gary Mackay-Steven and Virgil Van Dijk struck to claim three well-earned points.

Winger Mackay-Steven, who arrived along with team-mate Stuart Armstrong from Dundee United in January, enjoyed a return to Tayside as he thumped in the opener in the 32nd minute.

Van Dijk curled an unstoppable free-kick high past Bain for the second in the 64th minute and, although there was a hiccup two minutes from time when Jim McAlister pulled one back, the points were destined for Glasgow.

TEAM: Gordon; Ambrose, Denayer, Van Dijk, Izaguirre (sub: Tierney); Brown, Bitton; Mackay-Steven, Armstrong, Forrest (sub: Commons); Griffiths (sub: Guidetti).