However it goes this weekend, they had their party at Parkhead last night.

 

A rampant Celtic side hammered Dundee to tee up an afternoon that could lead to further clinking of glasses.

The champagne is already on ice in Drammen this afternoon where Hoops manager Ronny Deila will base himself, smartphone in hand, as he celebrates the confirmation of his twin daughters with one eye firmly on Tayside. He could be sending out for another bottle by the time it hits 5pm.

Yet, even if it transpires that Aberdeen are too strong for Dundee United this afternoon and Celtic need to wait until next Sunday for confirmation of a different kind, those who generated a celebratory atmosphere at Celtic Park last night will feel justified that they toasted their team - and in turn were treated to the kind of display worthy of a team who are champions in waiting.

The 5-0 victory with goals from Leigh Griffiths, Scott Brown, Kris Commons, substitute James Forrest and Nir Bitton enabled Celtic to move 11 points clear at the top of the table last night. It is a game that will prove insurmountable to Aberdeen should they fail to beat United.

In any case, it is a straightforward case of when rather than if Celtic are confirmed SPFL Champions.

And, just as Commons stated this week, there has never been any real doubt about the outcome of this title race.

Often games where victory has the potential to lead to a title can be jittery affairs, but there was neither tension in the crowd or on the park as Celtic cantered their way to the three points in front of a celebratory support.

In fact, as soon as Leigh Griffiths headed home his 19th goal of the season to put Celtic in front on the half-hour mark, Dundee's meek resistance was punctured and the game was effectively over as a contest.

Such was Celtic's dominance that it was difficult not to feel some sympathy for Dens Park defender Thomas Konrad who left the field with what Pat Crerand would have called a bad case of twisted blood.

Dragged all over the place by the impish Griffiths, the 25-year-old defender struggled to cope with the forward who has truly found his feet in recent weeks.

Griffiths put Celtic ahead with a fine header after an equally impressive delivery from the left-foot of Emilio Izaguirre. The Honduran floated a delightful cross that seemed to hang in the chill evening air before Griffiths ghosted in front of Konrad to power his header into the back of the net.

It was an eighth goal in six games for Griffiths, a return made all the more impressive due to the fact that it took until the turn of the year before he was able to force his way regularly into Deila's first-team.

The goal worked on two levels: it settled Celtic and it knocked any resistance out of Dundee.

Indeed, there was little surprise when Scott Brown quickly added a second, an impressively executed goal that involved a neat passage of play between Gary Mackay-Steven and Kris Commons before Brown muscled his way through Konrad and a despairing tackle from Paul McGinn before slipping the ball past Scott Bain.

It ensured that the second period was played at a far more pedestrian pace as Celtic dominated and took their time probing and prodding for further openings in the Dundee defence.

Further goals were inevitable and by the time Commons netted a third from the spot Celtic were in full flow.

The gaps in the stadium may have disappointed given the nature of the game but those who did make it enjoyed the show.

Forrest arrived late in the second period and was quick to chip in with Celtic's fourth of the evening. Commons was the architect of the strike, slipping the ball to the winger who then hared his way goalwards before burying with aplomb.

Even Bitton got in on the act, netting with an audacious, lofted chip from around 40 yards that put the gloss on the evening's work.

The only jeers of the evening came for a disallowed Brown goal.

They were short-lived however since the goals seemed to just keep coming.

Deila's name rang out as the game drew to a close. The Celtic manager has endeared himself to the Hoops support - but while he will kick back and enjoy this weekend it will not take long for him to discover that the demands keep on coming.

At one stage they were demanding 10-in-a-row last night. Deila wants 13 so it would appear a compromise has been found.

This afternoon, now, is all about Tannadice.