CELTIC will meet their Tannadice foes for the sixth time in this campaign tomorrow. So far, the Hoops have won three – including the League Cup Final – drawn one and lost one while scoring 14 goals and conceding four.
Saturday, 16th August 2014
Premiership
CELTIC 6 DUNDEE UTD 1
The champions celebrated Flag Day in style as they ran riot at Parkhead. Jason Denayer, making his debut after agreeing a season-long loan deal from Manchester City, opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Kris Commons and Stefan Johansen added two more before the interval.
Anthony Stokes claimed No.4 nine minutes into the second-half before another new Bhoy, Jo Inge Berget, bagged two. John Rankin hit the Tannadice side’s consolation effort. Norwegian Berget faded quickly after his fine start and he was returned to Cardiff City when his temporary contract expired in January.
Sunday, 21st December 2014
Premiership
DUNDEE UTD 2 CELTIC 1
Stuart Armstrong headed the winner to inflict the first defeat in nine league games on Ronny Deila’s team. Nadir Ciftci was booked in the first minute for hauling down Scott Brown – a head-to-head which has turned out to be a recurring occurrence in this season’s fixture. The Turk was celebrating only moments later after a slip by Efe Ambrose presented him with an opportunity smack in front of goal and he tucked the ball behind Craig Gordon.
Armstrong, who, of course, would join the Hoops along with Gary Mackay-Steven the following month, headed in No.2 in the 64th minute. Leigh Griffiths pulled one back in the 87th minute before slamming one against the post in the dying seconds.
Sunday, 8th March 2015
Scottish Cup Quarter-Final
DUNDEE UTD 1 CELTIC 1
The first in an amazing sequence of four meetings between the two sides in only 14 days. The Scottish Cup confrontation was ruined by some dreadful decision making by the match officials with Virgil Van Dijk and United’s Paul Paton wrongly dismissed by referee Craig Thomson on the say-so of blundering assistant Graham Chambers.
Aiden Connolly controversially won Jackie McNamara’s side a penalty-kick on half-time and Ciftci swept it wide of Gordon. In the 48th minute, it was the visitors’ turn to get a spot-kick when Paul Dixon handled a shot from Griffiths. The left-back was red-carded and Griffiths was red-faced when Radoslaw Ciernziak pushed away his effort. In the 71st minute, the striker atoned with a headed equaliser.
Sunday, 15th March 2015
League Cup Final
CELTIC 2 DUNDEE UTD 0
One down and two to go! That was the story after a stormy League Cup showdown left Celtic still on course for the coveted Treble in Deila’s first season as manager. Commons gave the Parkhead men the advantage just before the half-hour mark when he pounced on a rebound after Ciernziak had pushed an earlier effort against the post.
In the 56th minute, United skipper Sean Dillon saw red after a lunge at Emilio Izaguirre and substitutes John Guidetti and James Forrest combined for the Scottish international to place the second into the net in the 79th minute. Then came the bewildering sight of the two Celts arguing who would take a penalty-kick after the winger had been brought down by Dixon. Forrest took it and his feeble attempt was saved by Ciernziak.
Wednesday, 18th March 2015
Scottish Cup Quarter-Final replay
CELTIC 4 DUNDEE UTD 0
After the brawl was over, Celtic had booked a semi-final spot against Inverness Caley Thistle on April 19. Stokes and McGowan were dismissed in two separate flashpoint incidents late on by referee Calum Murray. A furious Deila branded the United right-back’s challenge on Liam Henderson as “stupid” and “career-threatening”.
Denayer got the breakthrough goal with a looping header in the 20th minute. Griffiths volleyed in a superb pass from Brown for the second three minutes before the hour mark and Commons drove the third high into the net in the 78th minute. Van Dijk knocked in the fourth in the fading moments after being set up by Denayer.
