Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty continued their partnership in the back line for Celtic as the reigning Scottish champions romped to a win over Kilmarnock over the weekend.
Scotland
Celtic remained atop the Premiership standings with a comfortable 5-1 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has made a positive comeback for the Hoops following an Achilles injury, completed 96 percent passing, won three duels, and made five recoveries. Auston Trusty went the distance, completing 96 percent passing, winning two duels, and blocking two shots.
The visitors went on a tear in the first half, scoring three goals through Kasper Hogh. The second half was much the same as the team dominated to the end.
Celtic next play in the Scottish League Cup against Dundee United on Saturday.
The Netherlands
The Eredivisie season kicked off as Ricardo Pepi and defending champions PSV surrendered a last-minute goal, settling for a 2-2 tie with Fortuna Sittard at Philips Stadion.
Pepi played 80 minutes for the Farmers, taking four shots and missing two big chances to score. Sergino Dest was out of the game due to a yellow card suspension.
Fortuna took a shock lead in the 42nd minute, but the champions took control of the game in the second half as they scored twice.
However, the visitors leveled the score in the second minute of stoppage time when Edouard Michut’s shot from the edge of the penalty area hit the top corner of the goal.
PSV will get things together in the coming weekend when they face Excelsior.
Elsewhere in the Eredivisie, Kevin Paredes played the final six minutes for Utrecht in their 2-1 loss to Groningen.
Austria
George Bello, Samuel Adeniran, and Bundesliga champions LASK sit atop the standings as they blanked Austria Vienna in a 2-0 win at Generali Arena.
Bello went the distance for Die Schwarz-Weißen, making three key passes, winning seven duels, and making eight recoveries. Adeniran also played the full 90 minutes as he took two shots and made an assist.
The visitors broke the scoreless deadlock in the 54th minute when Adeniran’s header from a corner kick came into the path of Andres Andrade to head in from close range.
Austria Vienna went down a man in the 81st minute after a player was sent off for handling the ball in the penalty area. Moses Usor’s spot kick was saved by the goalkeeper, but the forward was able to collect the rebound and double LASK’s lead.
The champions will look to maintain their hold on the top spot as they play in a home game against Ried on Saturday.
Center-back Donovan Pines scored a goal for Grazer AK in a 2-1 win over Austria Lustenau.
Croatia
Rokas Pukstas scored a goal for Hajduk Split, but the team allowed a stoppage-time goal to see them share the points in a 2-2 tie with Istra.
The midfielder played the entire 90 minutes for Bili, taking five shots, making two key passes, winning nine duels, and making seven recoveries.
The hosts opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Pukstas made a timely run to head in a corner kick from Simun Hrgovic. He nearly doubled their lead eight minutes later with another corner kick, but his headed attempt was saved.
Istra tied the game in the 42nd minute with a free kick.
Hajduk restored the lead in the 84th minute, but it did not last long as Istra leveled the score in the fourth minute of stoppage time to leave with a point.
It is on to the second leg of qualification for the Europa Conference League on Thursday when Hajduk plays its home game against Zalgiris.
Poland
In the Ekstraklasa, Kellyn Acosta came off the bench and scored a goal to help Pogon Szczecin to a 3-1 win over Motor Lublin.
Maximilian Dietz played 70 minutes for Gornik Zabrze in their 3-1 win over Radomiak Radom.
Germany
There was action in the 2. Bundesliga, as Johan Gomez came off the bench to play 25 minutes in Eintracht Braunschweig’s 6-1 annihilation of Magdeburg.
Isaiah Young played 11 minutes for Arminia Bielefeld in a 2-1 defeat to Karlsruhe.
John Tolkin was not on the team sheet for Holstein Kiel as they shared the points with Darmstadt in a 2-2 tie.
Ryan Malone was a scratch for Energie Cottbus due to injury as the team sealed a 3-1 win over Hannover.
Down in the 3. Liga, Terrence Boyd played 31 minutes to see Waldhof Mannheim come away with a 2-1 win over Duisburg.
