Kasper Hogh scored a first-half hat-trick as Celtic thrashed Kilmarnock 5-1 in the Scottish Premiership, with the Danish striker opening the scoring inside the opening minute and going on to claim the match ball before half-time. The result lifted the champions above St Mirren on goal difference at the top of the William Hill Premiership, according to a report on the match.
Celtic's club-record £11m recruit from Bodo/Glimt had endured a quiet start to life in Glasgow, drawing some criticism for failing to convert chances on his Premiership debut against Dundee. He put that behind him emphatically at Rugby Park, heading in Arne Engels' cross before adding a low, precise finish and then a diving effort to complete his treble inside the first half.
There is some discrepancy over exactly how quickly Hogh broke the deadlock: while the original match report timed his opener at 64 seconds, a separate account from a broadcaster covering the fixture put it within the opening two minutes. Either way, the pace of his start left Kilmarnock chasing shadows almost from the first whistle.
How did Hogh make his mark against Kilmarnock?
Hogh's treble made him the first Celtic forward to score a league hat-trick since James Forrest's three goals against Hibernian in October 2022, though Daizen Maeda had previously managed the feat in cup competition. The match itself was notable for being played on Rugby Park's new grass pitch, according to the same broadcaster's coverage.
Celtic's rout was completed late on when substitute Luke McCowan scored with his first touch after coming off the bench, making it 5-1 and underlining the scale of the champions' dominance, according to a separate report on the game.
What are pundits saying about his impact?
Pundit Pat Nevin was quick to praise the opening goal, describing it as straightforward but valuable finishing.
"An easy goal, but a good goal and that's where strikers want to live."
Having watched Hogh add two further goals, Nevin, a former Scotland winger, believes Celtic supporters are about to embrace a genuine talent.
"Hogh is a new star. And the Celtic fans have got someone they are going to fall in love with because he looks to me like a total and utter natural goalscorer, as well as a good technical player as well. Celtic loved Daizen Maeda with his workrate, and before that Kyogo Furuhashi, but this guy looks like he can fill those shoes with some ease. I can remember watched Kyogo in his first game and thinking 'Oh, my word, you could be the new Larsson' because of his movement and he's that good. After 45 minutes, I'm looking at Hogh and thinking this isn't a fluke. Some players can come in and get a hat-trick and it's a bit lucky because you find yourself in the right position. No, this is a player, this is a striker who knows where the goal is, knows where to go, has intelligent movement and there's his link-up play as well."
Chief sportswriter Tom English was similarly enthusiastic, suggesting Hogh could dominate the division.
"Hogh is looking more ruthless than he did on Monday, when he had chances and didn't take them. In my opinion, he is the most proven goalscorer that Celtic have signed since Chris Sutton. I'm talking about pedigree, who has done it before he got to Celtic. Look at the goals he's scored in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Inter Milan and for Bodo/Glimt against Sporting, Olympiacos and Porto. I think it's £11m very well spent and this guy is going to get buckets of goals this season. He's a six-yard-box striker, not exclusively, but he gets a lot of his goals there and in this league against the defenders he's coming up against, he's going to tear up this league."
How does this fit into his career and Celtic's summer moves?
In a post-match interview, Hogh played down the outburst of goals.
"Shooting practice."
The 25-year-old already carried a strong scoring pedigree into the move, having finished as Bodo/Glimt's top scorer in each of the last two seasons under Kjetil Knutsen and built a European reputation in the process. His transfer to Celtic followed a lengthy pursuit: an earlier report detailed how the club-record £11m deal was progressing toward a medical, before further coverage confirmed the fee had been agreed while talks continued over goalkeeper Dinko Horkas. He subsequently passed his medical to complete the switch from Norway.
Hogh's underwhelming debut came in Celtic's Premiership opener, when Kieran Tierney's cross set up Benjamin Nygren's winner in a narrow victory over Dundee that began the club's title defence. His hat-trick against Kilmarnock also drew him level with St Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips as the Premiership's leading scorer so far this season.
What happens next for Hogh and Celtic?
Attention now turns to the League Cup, where Celtic will look to build momentum before a crucial Champions League play-off tie against LASK. The fee paid for Hogh, already a club record, is expected to be dwarfed by the financial rewards on offer should Celtic progress in Europe, where the Dane has previously performed against some of the continent's biggest clubs. No further Premiership fixture date has yet been confirmed following the Kilmarnock win.
Key Facts
- Celtic beat Kilmarnock 5-1, with Kasper Hogh scoring a first-half hat-trick.
- Hogh's opener came either 64 seconds or within two minutes of kick-off, depending on the source.
- It was the first league hat-trick by a Celtic forward since James Forrest's treble against Hibernian in October 2022.
- Substitute Luke McCowan scored with his first touch to make it 5-1.
- The win moved Celtic above St Mirren on goal difference at the top of the Premiership.
