Celtic 3-2 Dundee: Hat-trick hero Giorgos Giakoumakis hailed by Ange Postecoglou

Celtic hat-trick scorer Giorgos Giakoumakis has “luggage of presence”, says boss Ange Postecoglou, after the striker’s targets sunk Dundee and despatched his aspect three factors clear on the Scottish Premiership summit.

He ensured Celtic capitalised on Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Dundee United.

“He’s been good,” mentioned Postecoglou.

“He’s been working awfully onerous with out at all times getting the rewards. He’s been unfortunate at instances. That’s why I introduced him to the membership.

“You noticed with the opposition placing so many gamers within the field, we wanted somebody with presence and he is received luggage of it.”

Ryan Sweeney had levelled for backside membership Dundee, who stay two factors adrift, in Mark McGhee’s first sport as supervisor.

Tensions rose inside Celtic Park because the league leaders bludgeoned their cussed and well-organised guests, till Giakoumakis landed an enormous 86th-minute blow.

The striker has been maligned somewhat since arriving at Celtic, not helped by the continued absence of electrical Kyogo Furuhashi. He has spurned massive alternatives, fluffed a penalty and been pissed off in entrance of aim, scoring 4 in 17 video games, however his business can’t be questioned.

The highly effective Greek is a workhorse and a relentless nuisance. He will get himself in tantalising positions time and again. His need to get on the top of issues by no means wanes irrespective of how wayward his ending will be.

For a very long time, it seemed prefer it is perhaps one other troublesome day for Giakoumakis, who sclaffed an early shot extensive from a wise Callum McGregor cutback. Celtic, generally, had been laboured.

McGhee had bristled with indignation in his pre-match interview when it was put to him that some Dundee followers are underwhelmed by his appointment. He watched from the stand, serving the primary of an impressive six-game touchline ban.

In the early throes, his crew didn’t a lot park the bus as deliver a fleet of double-deckers to Glasgow. And it labored.

Celtic have struggled in opposition to sides who sit in and hoover up area whereas dynamiting those that attempt to play extra freely. McGhee’s ultra-defensive rearguard – a again three that was, ostensibly, a again 5 – stymied them.

The guests had 14% possession and no pictures after they struck out of nowhere. Celtic had been bamboozled by a swirling Paul McMullan nook and as everybody in inexperienced and white froze, Mullen didn’t, side-footing previous Joe Hart on the bounce from six yards out.

It was a surprising second for the sparse band of travelling followers. Underwhelmed? More like over the moon.

But 64 minutes is a very long time to withstand a aspect that had rattled in 57 targets throughout 27 league matches. Dundee’s lead evaporated after solely eight.

Carl Starfelt’s header ricocheted to Giakoumakis, who completed ruthlessly on the swivel from close to the penalty spot. It was medical stuff from the abrasive ahead.

Four minutes later, he was at it once more. Daizen Maeda burned up the left flank, and his vicious cross was parried to the ft of the striker by Ian Lawlor. Giakoumakis might scarcely miss.

There might have been a hat-trick quickly after, when Giakoumakis was bodied to the bottom by Vontae Daley-Campbell as a cross soared into the house field and the Celtic followers howled for a penalty. They saved howling as Maeda headed straight at Lawlor.

Celtic exploded into the second half, desperate to blow Dundee away. Maeda missed one other good supply and McGregor blasted over from a tantalising place contained in the field. Giakoumakis could not grapple one more intelligent ball beneath management. Jota blasted acrobatically dwelling however was appropriately flagged offside.

Dundee had scarcely touched the ball. As an attacking drive, they had been flatlining. And then, with assist from Starfelt, the defibrillator was utilized spectacularly.

The Swedish defender dedicated a foolish foul, wiping out Niall McGinn. The former Celtic winger swung in a terrific ball from the best, and the towering Sweeney bulleted dwelling his header.

Sweeney’s aim imbued Dundee with new perception, they usually started to emerge from their diligent defensive form. Mullen gave Celtic palpitations when he scooped a Max Anderson cutback over the bar on the close to publish.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou despatched for Tom Rogic and Liel Abada, two of his best inventive abilities. McGhee turned to Liam Fontaine, his most seasoned defender.

Abada would miscue a Jota cross extensive. Anthony Ralston latched on to a deep supply however his volley was diverted clear. Jota skipped previous half of Dundee earlier than capturing tamely from the sting of the realm.

It seemed like a colossal, infuriating missed alternative for Celtic, and a tactical triumph for McGhee, till 4 minutes from the top.

Celtic Park was a boiling cauldron of frustration and angst when Giakoumakis answered the SOS name, slamming previous Lawlor from contained in the field with Celtic’s nineteenth shot of the day.

Even then, there was time for extra dwelling misery as Dundee claimed furiously for handball with the ultimate act.

But it might be a day for Giakoumakis to savour. After scoring the winner, he ripped his shirt off and twirled it vigorously round his head. Celtic Park went berserk. There is a protracted solution to go but, however the striker, and his followers, knew what a monumental aim it was.

Man of the match – Giorgos Giakoumakis

What did we study?

Celtic’s propensity for late heroics is nothing new, but it surely stays deeply compelling.

They had completed it already to Dundee United, Ross County and Aberdeen, and their psychological toughness to stay with Postecoglou’s course of when it might be straightforward to deviate from it has borne fruit.

Oddly, Dundee had taken the choice to sack James McPake after back-to-back wins, one at third-place Hearts, and one other at Peterhead to progress to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

McGhee has been extensively pilloried since saying his return to Scotland, however he had his crew getting ready to a cleverly constructed draw.

With Dundee and St Johnstone choosing up kind, and Ross County’s dipping somewhat, the approaching weeks on the backside of the desk will probably be simply as fascinating because the duel on the prime.

What they mentioned

Celtic supervisor Ange Postecoglou: “You cannot get pissed off. You’ve received to stay to the method, that is the place the solutions lie. They do not lie in altering something or dropping our heads.

“After completely dominating the sport it’s extremely straightforward for nervousness to construct up, the group get a bit nervous, and we simply needed to keep calm and play our soccer.”

Dundee supervisor Mark McGhee: “I hoped we might have the bottle to get the ball down, to move and run with the ball, and we did have good spells of that.

“That was the factor I used to be searching for as a lot as the trouble, as a result of I knew the trouble could be there. The willpower to do what we requested them was actually encouraging.”

What’s subsequent?

Celtic journey to Norway aiming to overturn a 3-1 Europa Conference League deficit in opposition to Bodo/Glimt on Thursday (17:45 GMT) with a spot within the final 16 on provide.

Dundee host St Mirren a day earlier (19:45) GMT.