Celtic 3 Dundee United 0: McDonald tucks into toothless Tangerines

Milan will not have heard of Scott McDonald. The little striker was not around at Celtic when the clubs met in last season's Champions' League but the holders will certainly be aware of him now after his first hat-trick for his new club here yesterday.

The visit of the European Cup winners on Wednesday did not distract Gordon Strachan's team from the vital task of moving back above Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League.

It took the champions just seven minutes to make the breakthrough. McDonald was thought to be simply a squad player when recruited in the summer from Motherwell for £750,000 but his predatory nature has catapulted him into a partnership with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Their telepathy was underlined as Aiden McGeady skipped past Barry Robson before delivering a perfect cross for Vennegoor of Hesselink at the back post and the Dutchman's header across goal was parried by the goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski, only for McDonald to pounce.

The hosts ought to have doubled their lead in the 33rd minute after a ruthless counter-attack saw Massimo Donati and McDonald cut Dundee United open only for the Italian midfielder to hit a lob that did not have the pace to beat Szamotulski.

Vennegoor of Hesselink had to retire in the 37th minute with a foot injury and was replaced by Chris Killen, but it was McGeady who almost scored five minutes later as his pace and balance carried him forward before unleashing a venomous shot that was beaten away by Szamotulski.

Killen might have had two goals early in the second half but on both occasions, after lay-offs by McDonald and Scott Brown, the tall striker failed to finish. The contest might have taken a different route had not Jordan Robertson allowed himself to be psyched out by Artur Boruc after beating the offside trap and Darren Dods headed wide from Robson's corner.

Punishment was swift. Celtic broke, Brown and Killen exchanged passes for the latter to burst into the box and thread a pass to McDonald, who danced around Szamotulski and then finished from a tight angle.

McDonald's appetite was undiminished. He secured his hat-trick in the 72nd minute, starting the move by robbing Robson and finding Brown, who in turn fed McGeady whose deep cross was volleyed in by the energetic McDonald at the back post. Now for the main course of Milan.

ScotTISH PREMIER LEAGUE