In a game that started so brightly for us, we fell away sharply as the visitors took both control and the points thanks to goals from Aaron Mooy (2), Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi.
Lee Johnson had kept faith with the same starting XI that defeated Livingston so comfortably the weekend prior.
David Marshall and Callum McGregor led their respective sides out into a cacophony of noise inside a packed Easter Road Stadium.
We would make a flying start to the game, penning the champions back in the opening stages through a series of corner kicks.
We had the ball in the Celtic net after two minutes as Chris Cadden slotted away a pass from Kyle Magennis only to have his celebrations cut short by the offside flag.
A minute later and Lewis Stevenson drove down the left flank before trying to find Kevin Nisbet with a low cross into the near post that Cameron Carter-Vickers managed to divert just wide for another Hibs corner kick.
Celtic were soon on the attack themselves and a low cross from the right by Reo Hatate saw Daizen Maeda stoop to reach it only for his diving header to drift wide of Marshall’s far post.
On 18 minutes Celtic were fortunate not to be punished when a short throw-in from Hatate – meant for Joe Hart – was pounced upon by Josh Campbell and the midfielder’s snapshot had the beating of the goalkeeper, only to flash inches wide of the far post.
Few could argue that we hadn’t enjoyed the better of the opening 25 minutes, however Celtic would grow into the game and, by the time of the half-hour mark, they were in complete control.
Marshall had to save down at his near post after a clever backheel from Kyogo almost found the back of the net from Matt O’Riley’s cross before the visitors broke the deadlock just two minutes later when Maeda drove in behind Cadden on the left and his cross dropped to Mooy who dispatched it with aplomb.
Celtic were rampant at this stage and should have increased their lead when Maeda headed against the crossbar just four yards from goal with an unguarded net in front of him.
If he was embarrassed by the miss, the feeling lasted less than a minute, as he cut inside onto his right foot and from 20-yards smashed an unstoppable shot beyond Marshall into the far corner of the net.
We tried to rally and were close to pulling a goal back shortly before the break as Newell’s long throw was diverted onto the post by Paul Hanlon before being cleared.
There were no changes from either side at the interval. We had a good chance to reduce the deficit when Newell’s floated cross picked out Nisbet unmarked in the middle and the Scotland striker failed to get a clean connection on it to at least test Hart.
It was a big chance and we would be punished moments later when Stevenson handled the ball in the box and Celtic were awarded a spot kick. Mooy took the penalty and sent Marshall the wrong way to notch his second goal of the evening, and Celtic’s third.
It was 4-0 on 63 minutes as Hatate’s pass for Kyogo split the home defence and the diminutive striker turned Rocky before slotting home.
It took a stunning save from Marshall to prevent Celtic extending their lead on 80 minutes when substitutes Alexandro Bernabei and James Forrest combined on the left before the latter’s low cross was swept towards goal by O’Riley and kept out by the diving goalkeeper at full stretch.
Hibernian: Marshall, Hanlon (Kenneh 65’), Porteous, Magennis (McGeady 65’), Newell, Cadden, Nisbet (McKirdy 65’), Stevenson, Youan, Campbell (Henderson 79’), Bushiri. Substitutes not used: Schofield, Cabraja, Melkersen, Fish, Kuharevich.
Celtic: Hart, Taylor (Bernabei 67’), Starfelt, Furuhashi (Giakoumakis 67’), Abada (Forrest 62’), Mooy, Vickers, O’Riley (Jota 83’), Maeda (Vata 83’), Hatate, McGregor. Substitutes not used: Siegrist, Jenz, Abildgaard, Juranovic.
Referee: Alan Muir.
Attendance: 19,730.