Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic showed they can ‘fight’ in win at Kilmarnock

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed a “fantastic” 2-0 win at Kilmarnock as he praised his players for standing up to a difficult test.

Killie managed 18 shots at goal and Kasper Schmeichel pulled off a number of saves while Marley Watkins hit the post for the hosts at Rugby Park.

But Celtic prevailed thanks to goals in each half from Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn.

McGregor’s attempted cross nestled in the far corner of the net in first-half stoppage-time and Kuhn showed pace, skill and finishing prowess to settle matters in the 71st minute as Celtic went back top of the William Hill Premiership on goal difference above Aberdeen.

Celtic had to deliver a different type of performance from the ones that had seen them sweep to victories against Aberdeen and RB Leipzig in different competitions in previous days.

“It was a brilliant win for us,” Rodgers said. “It was never going to be like last Saturday or Tuesday. Kilmarnock, what they do, they do exceptionally well. Very direct, they get it forward.

“You’ve got to fight. And for that, the players deserve a huge amount of credit because they showed another side to the team.

“It’s a pressure game that Kilmarnock play and if you can’t stand up to it and you’re not strong enough in your duels and as a team, then you can come unstuck. So it was a fantastic win for us.”

Kuhn has now scored 10 goals this season and provided 11 assists, the latest when he passed to McGregor ahead of the opener.

Rodgers said: “He’s now starting to get numbers to his game and those attacking players, that what’s key for us.

“It’s absolutely brilliant. But that’s his job. That’s why the money’s in his bank every month, to make the contribution and he’s been so good.”

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes was frustrated with the result but full of praise for his players.

“I’m really pleased with how the players set about the task,” he said. “We had to show real competitiveness, tenacity, physicality, fitness, intelligence.

“It’s not just enough to try and stop Celtic getting into some sort of groove and some sort of rhythm, it’s important that we try and play off the back of it. And I think we got that.

“We got more touches than I’ve ever seen when we played Celtic inside their box. I think we had twice as many as them, twice as many shots, twice as many better opportunities.

“But ultimately, as good as the performance was, we just fell short with those chances. Obviously, we’ve hit the woodwork. I think Celtic got some good blocks, one or two saves.

“But in the main, we were still bemoaning the fact that any team that plays against Celtic, you’ve got to take the chances when they come along.”

McInnes added: “The goal was a blow for us right on half-time. It comes when Kyle Vassell can’t quite get back in. He’s impacted by the Achilles injury that he picked up and had to come off. We’re just a wee bit in between for the first time in the game.

“McGregor’s allowed to lift his head, the weight of the pass across is magnificent. It slid off the back of our defender. A real sucker punch, to be honest, considering the performance.”