Aberdeen’s atrocious and unacceptable form at Parkhead continued with a humiliating 6-0 loss to Premiership leaders Celtic.
The Dons have now lost 34 of their last 36 league visits to Parkhead, taking just four points from a possible 108.
That is a shocking and damning statistic for a club with the ambition, fanbase and budget of Aberdeen.
This latest heavy defeat was the Dons’ eighth straight Premiership loss to Celtic in Glasgow.
Aberdeen suffered a shocker at Parkhead and after the regulation 90 minutes were on course to go down to a flattering 3-0 loss.
However a complete collapse in injury time saw the loss of three late goals for a more realistic 6-0 hammering.
Aberdeen have now failed to defeat Celtic in 23 matches in all competitions, with the last win coming at Parkhead on the final day of the 2017-18 season.
The Parkhead pain continued on a miserable day for the Dons less than 72 hours after the high of drawing 2-2 with PAOK in Greece.
From high of PAOK to Parkhead low
Aberdeen proved they can deliver away from home in hostile atmospheres against top teams when drawing with Group G leaders POAK on Thursday.
However the performance at Parkhead was light years away from the battling draw in Greece in the Europa Conference League.
Aberdeen’s previous visit to Parkhead was a 5-0 whitewash on the final day of last season.
In the immediate aftermath of that heavy loss in May, Robson said he was “angry” at the “unacceptable” performance.
Robson vowed there would be no more capitulations at Parkhead under his management and then rebuilt the squad in the summer with 13 signings.
This was another nightmare at Parkhead and concerning deja-vu from that 5-0 loss.
Facing Celtic was the culmination of a brutal fixture schedule where Aberdeen have played five successive away games over 15 hectic days.
In that period the Dons have played Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Hibs at Hampden, PAOK in Greece and Celtic.
During that run the Dons beat Hibs to book a Viaplay Cup final spot, defeated Motherwell 4-2 and went toe-to-toe with PAOK in the Europa Conference League.
Celtic away was a game too far for the Reds.
However regardless of their Euro exertions Aberdeen should not sink to this level of performance. It was a shocker and unacceptable.
It is that inconsistency of performance that needs to be fixed as Aberdeen languish eighth in the Premiership table, albeit with two games in hand.
McGrath ruled out by injury
There were four changes to Aberdeen starting line-up from the team that drew 2-2 with PAOK.
Leading scorer Bojan Miovski, Leighton Clarkson, Dante Polvara and Jonny Hayes returned.
Duk, Ryan Duncan and Connor Barron dropped to the bench.
Midfielder Jamie McGrath, who scored a sensational free-kick against PAOK, was ruled out of the squad due to a hamstring injury.
Aberdeen defence carved open
Celtic’s early domination was rewarded with the opening goal in the ninth minute.
Luis Palma burst down the wing beyond Dante Polvara and Nicky Devlin who failed to stop his progression.
Keeper Roos came out to meet the cross at the near post and missed it.
The cross fell to Hyunjun Yang who was left unmarked to head home from four yards.
In the last 21 games where Aberdeen have conceded the first goal they have lost.
That unwanted record never looked in danger of ending at Parkhead.
Celtic carved open Aberdeen with alarming ease for a second goal in the 16th minute.
A perfectly weighted through-ball from Yang found Matt O’Riley racing at pace and unchecked into the penalty area.
O’Riley’s low cross along the face of goal found Kyogo Furuhashi who clinically converted from close range.
Yang ➡️ O'Riley ➡️ Kyogo ➡️ GOAL!
Celtic are now 2-0 up against Aberdeen, a neat passage of play ends with Kyogo finishing from close range! 👇 pic.twitter.com/4mvjcpX5ut
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) November 12, 2023
In the 23rd minute Hayes burst upfield and slashed a shot well wide.
Roos produced an impressive save in the 41st minute to block a vicious volley from Odin Thiago Holm.
Moments later Roos came to the rescue again when saving a Palma drive that was heading for the top corner.
Kyogo taken off after head knock
Aberdeen threatened on the hour mark when Devlin crossed low from the right to Miovski who flicked on a shot at the near post, but Hart got down to save.
The Dons were far more effective in the second half as Hayes pushed up to support Miovski who had been isolated.
However Celtic made it 3-0 in the 77th minute when a penalty was awarded following a VAR review for a foul on substitute Hyeongyu Oh by MacKenzie.
Palma slammed the penalty beyond Roos.
Aberdeen suffer injury-time collapse
Aberdeen completely collapsed in injury time.
David Turnbull fired a right-footed drive from the edge of the box that came in off the post to make it 4-0.
The agony continued as Palma’s cross found Oh who headed home from close range seven minutes into injury time.
A dire day for the Dons was completed as Oh raced onto an O’Riley through ball and slid a shot beyond Roos from 15 yards.
ABERDEEN (5-4-1): Roos 7; Devlin 5, Gartenmann 5, Rubezic 5, Jensen 5, MacKenzie 5; Polvara 6 (Duncan 78), Clarkson 6, Shinnie 6 (Barron 81), Hayes 5 (Duk 81); Miovski 6.
Subs not used: Doohan, Barron, Gueye, Sokler, Besuijen, MacDonald, Milne.
CELTIC (4-3-3): Hart 6; Johnston 6, Carter-Vickers 6, Scales 7, Taylor 6; O’Riley 7, McGregor 7 (Iwata 81), Holm 6 (Turnbull 53); Yang 7 (Forrest 78), Furuhashi 7 (Oh 52), Palma 7.
Subs not used: Bain, Phillips, Bernabei, Bernardo, Ralston.
Referee: Willie Collum
Attendance: 58,825
Man-of-the-Match: Luis Palma (Celtic)
Conversation