Høgh Gets 9.5, Nygren With 8.5 | Celtic Players Rated In Their Emphatic Win Against Kilmarnock

Nairavoice | Aug 9, 2026 2h ago 175 0 4 min read

Høgh Gets 9.5, Nygren With 8.5 | Celtic Players Rated In Their Emphatic Win Against Kilmarnock

c88615e1e6e802572e5dc9d8d4415b19 Høgh Gets 9.5, Nygren With 8.5 | Celtic Players Rated In Their Emphatic Win Against Kilmarnock

After an edgy win against Dundee in the season opener, Celtic, the reigning Premiership champions, showed their supremacy on Sunday afternoon at Rugby Park. Kilmarnock finally changed their turf from plastic to grass after clubs voted in favour of banning artificial turf ahead of the 2026-27 season; however, it proved a catastrophe for the East Ayrshire side, who suffered a 5-1 humiliation. Second-half strikes from Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan followed a first-half hat-trick from the club-record signing Kasper Høgh.

Below are the Celtic players rated in their 5-1 win against Kilmarnock.

Viljami Sinisalo: 7.5

Made a couple of smart saves soon after Høgh’s opening goal. Could have done little to stop Michael Schjønning-Larsen, who pulled one back and made it 4-1 for Neil McCann’s men.

Alistair Johnston: 7.5

Showed why Everton are chasing him this summer. Was relentless down the right with his overlapping runs, crosses and chance creation. Performed his defensive duties as well whenever the hosts posed counter-attacking threats. Was replaced by Colby Donovan at half-time due to an unspecified reason.

Cameron Carter-Vickers: 7

Was uncomfortable at times when facing duels against Tyreece John-Jules and Joe Hugill. But the USMNT centre-half depicted his ball-playing expertise with an impressive passing range.

Auston Trusty: 7

Partnered his fellow countryman with sheer commitment and composure. His off-the-line clearance, timely tackles and recoveries often frustrated the hosts in their attempts to script a comeback.

Kieran Tierney: 7.5

Another majestic performance from the Scotsman, who kept on creating opportunities from the left-hand flank with his marauding runs, crosses and cut insides. Also had an effort denied by Maksymilian Stryjek in the Killie goal.

Callum McGregor: 7.5

Dictated the tempo from the deep, as the skipper dominated the duels, regained possession and scripted attacking transitions from the deep with his vision, distribution and ball-carrying attributes.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 03: Hyunjun Yang of Celtic controls the ball during the William Hill Premiership 2026/27 match between Celtic and Dundee at Celtic Park on August 03, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Arne Engels: 8

A transfer target for West Ham United, the Belgian demonstrated his mastery as a box-to-box playmaker. Not only did he set it up for Høgh’s header early in the contest but also tested Stryjek time and again.

Camilo Duran: 8

Came close to finding his first official goal, only to be denied by the woodwork. But the Colombian made his mark by assisting the Danish hitman for his third, capitalising on a fast break. Made way for Sebastian Tounekti minutes over the hour mark.

Benjamin Nygren: 8.5

The Swedish ace maintains his stellar form, as he assisted Høgh’s second before hitting the net himself with a left-footed strike soon after the break. Kept on creating chances from his ‘number 10’ spot and was denied by Stryjek on multiple occasions. Was taken off for Luke McCowan around the 74th-minute mark.

Yang Hyun-jun: 7

Had his moments on the left-hand flank, as the South Korean wideman was lively with his runs, dribbles, recoveries and directness. Made way for veteran James Forrest late in the game.

Kasper Høgh: 9.5

Was little effective on his debut, but the former Bodø/Glimt marksman announced his arrival in Scottish football with a first-half hat-trick, exhibiting his exquisite poaching traits. Could have netted more had he not found his efforts saved, blocked, or off target. Was subbed off for Callum Osmand with less than 10 minutes remaining.