Emilio Izaguirre scores twice as Celtic crush Dundee at Parkhead

Celtic responded to Aberdeen's increasingly realistic Ladbrokes Premiership challenge in storming style with a 6-0 demolition of Dundee at Parkhead.The Dons' 3-1 win at Hearts earlier in the afternoon had taken them eight points clear of the champions at the top of the table but Ronny Deila's side turned in their best performance of the season to demoralise the Dens Park men.Returning midfielder Tom Rogic scored with a volley in the 14th minute before setting up Leigh Griffiths two minutes later for the Hoops' second goal and the striker's 10th of the season.Left-back Emilio Izaguirre, sent off in the 2-2 draw with Ajax in their Europa League Group A opener in Amsterdam on Thursday night, scored twice in six second-half minutes before missing a penalty for his hat-trick.Skipper Scott Brown and substitute Nadir Ciftci added late goals with the Turk scoring for the first time since signing from Dundee United in the summer.And while Aberdeen stretched their winning run since the start of the season to eight games, Celtic's performance will be a reminder that there is still a long way to go in the title race.Deila freshened up his side from the trip to Holland.Saidy Janko came in for Mikael Lustig at right-back, Efe Ambrose replaced Jozo Simunovic in central defence with Rogic in for Stefan Johansen.In-form Griffiths had three attempts on goal before Rogic's opener; a free-kick which sped inches wide, a drive just over the bar and a full-blooded shot which Dundee's over-worked keeper Scott Bain saved at point-blank range.When Rogic was given his chance from an Izaguirre cut-back he made no mistake, volleying past Bain from 12 yards.The Australian then turned provider two minutes later, powering down the left before chipping to Griffiths who took the ball past James McPake before rifling into the net from eight yards.The Taysiders could not find any respite.In the 20th minute Bain pulled off a fantastic diving save from Rogic's thunderous right-footed effort, before James Forrest's shot from the edge of the box swerved wide of the far post.Another Bain save from Rogic followed, as did a drive by Forrest and an attempt by Kris Commons as Dundee's defence was opened at will.In the 41st minute, in a rare Dees attack, Brown fouled Nicky Low at the edge of the box with Celtic keeper Craig Gordon making a decent save from Gary Harkins' free-kick and Kane Hemmings knocked the rebound over the bar.But there was time before the break for Forrest to crack a shot off the bar and Bain to save again from Rogic.The procession towards the Dundee goal continued in the second-half and a clever one-two between Izaguirre and Commons ended with the Honduras international driving past the helpless Bain.Griffiths then made way for Ciftci but it was Izaguirre who grabbed number four when Janko's deflected cross allowed him to knock the ball in from a yard out.Callum McGregor and Gary Mackay-Stevens replaced Forrest and Commons respectively and in the 64th minute, when McGregor was fouled in the box by Dundee defender Gary Irvine, referee Steven McLean gave Izaguirre the chance to grab his hat-trick from the spot but he blasted wildly over the bar.Ciftci had the ball in the net after Bain had fumbled but referee McLean signalled for an infringement in the box.However, moments after the Turkish striker had picked out Brown in the 86th minute to slide in number five from 12 yards, Ciftci capitalised on a slack Irvine back pass to race through and break his duck and make it number six by slipping the ball past Bain.