Kilmarnock 1, Celtic 2 - 14th September, 2025

New signings, debuts, same tactical approach, and a hugely satisfying win amidst supporter protest.

Off-field events threatened to overshadow team performance as dissatisfaction with board performance and governance continues to be a focus area for many in the support.

However, what had been a soporific first half became dramatic and unexpected, as many Scottish matches do!

An off-the-seat connection between Marcelo Saracchi and Daizen Maeda ignited the match. Kilmarnock are due credit for a bombardment of corners that eventually led to an equaliser.

A late and controversial penalty sealed it. Kilmarnock became early victims of Willie Collum’s unexpected and new interpretation of the accursed handball law. Distance and deflection are no longer necessarily mitigants if the shot is on target. Harsh, and I would question whether this is in step with the rest of the football universe, but it is nonetheless clear guidance from the refereeing boss.

In terms of individual performances, so much to get into. The debut of Sebastian Tounekti was eye-catching, whilst first starts for Colby Donovan and Marcelo Saracchi and an appearance on the right wing for Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

All the numbers therein as, thankfully, the football is back.