THERE are levels to this game. And right now, Celtic are hitting heights that the rest of the Scottish Premiership are finding it impossible to live with.

Ange Postecoglou’s men were scintillating as they outclassed a Motherwell side that were begging to be put out of their misery from the half-hour mark.

In Liel Abada, they have unearthed a winger who in scoring here took his tally to 14 for the season, with two assists thrown in on the day for good measure. And that was with two left-backs up against him in the shape of Nathan McGinley and Jake Carroll. Postecoglou even had the luxury of resting him at the break. His work was more than done.

In truth, the Steelmen could have had an extra couple of bodies on the pitch and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference, with a sublime Tom Rogic double putting Celtic out of sight by the interval.

Motherwell managed to limit the second half damage to just the one goal against, Daizen Maeda’s deflected effort giving Liam Kelly no chance.

Celtic fans may have feared a hangover to rival their own following the euphoria of the win over Rangers on Wednesday night, but it was never on the cards. What they got instead was another display of the free-flowing, dynamic brand of football that domestic opposition just haven’t been able to cope with.

For Motherwell, they can do little else but take the harsh lessons from the afternoon and move on, as well as cling to the crumbs of comfort provided by an impressive display by young Dean Cornelius in the midfield.

The hosts made just the one change to the line-up from the team that picked up a point at Paisley in midweek, with on-loan Celtic midfielder ineligible and Cornelius taking his place. Graham Alexander stayed with the 5-4-1 he tested in that game on Tuesday night, with last-gasp goal hero Ross Tierney having to make do with a place on the bench once more.

Celtic manager Postecoglou exercised the rare luxury to rotate his pack a little, with this game coming between the win over Rangers and a trip to Pittodrie on Wednesday night.

In came Anthony Ralston for Josip Juranovic, Rogic for Matt O’Riley and Daizen Maeda for Jota.

Celtic looked to come blasting out of the blocks in the same manner as they did to blow away Rangers, and they almost hit the front immediately as a fine passing move down the right saw Callum McGregor feed Ralston to pull back for Abada, but the winger’s placed shot was well saved by the foot of Kelly.

Motherwell weathered that brief early storm, and just as the wild conditions quietened overhead a little, so too did the intensity of the action around Kelly’s goal. In fact, the hosts even managed a few forays forward themselves, though that is when Celtic can seem even more dangerous.

Indeed, it was Kelly who had to look lively once more after one such lightning-fast break, saving well again with his feet from Giorgos Giakoumakis. He could do nothing just before the half hour though as the visitors ripped the home defence apart.

Greg Taylor found Reo Hatate out on the left with a brilliant pass, and the Japanese forward immediately picked out Abada ghosting in from the right as is his forte, a fact seemingly lost on the sleeping Jake Carroll, who came down with a case of the Borna Barisic’s.

He had all the time in the world to size up the situation, and he promptly slammed the ball home past Kelly.

The game was over as a contest moments later, as Rogic announced his return in spectacular fashion. Abada rolled the ball into the Australian, who got his head up and curled an unstoppable effort into Kelly’s top right-hand corner from 25 yards.

Motherwell then got away with one after Kelly had spilled a weak Maeda cross right to the feet of Giakoumakis, but with the goal gaping he managed only to hit one of the prone home defenders. The ball spun up and was acrobatically despatched by Abada, but from a clearly offside position.

Celtic would get their third right on the stroke of half-time though, and Rogic his second, as another razor-sharp attack left the home resistance in tatters.

A piercing pass from Ralston sent Abada scarpering away down the right, and his cutback was perfect for the arriving Rogic to sweep home in nonchalant fashion from eight yards.

That allowed Abada and Hatate to take a well-earned rest at the break, with James Forrest and Nir Bitton replacing them. Alexander shook things up for Motherwell too, with three changes of his own, Carroll, Sean Goss and Kevin van Veen being replaced by Tierney, Kaiyne Woolery and new signing Joe Efford

The American made an impact in fairness, and almost got a goal as his deflected shot brought out a decent save from Joe Hart for the first time on the day.

Callum McGregor blasted over at the other end, but the hour came and went without further damage being done to the shellshocked hosts. Any thoughts of Celtic settling for what they had though were dispelled as Jota and O’Riley were sent on, decent options for a team already three goals to the good.

Indeed, Forrest should have scored from point-blank range after Jota picked him out with a delightful cross, but Kelly’s foot came to the rescue again for the hosts.

They did get their fourth though, and it was a goal that rather summed up Motherwell’s day. Maeda cut in from the right and turned Bevis Mugabi, who flung himself desperately in front of the Japanese forward’s effort. The ball duly cannoned up high off his leg, over Kelly, and dropped into the net.

It could, and should have been more. Jota spurned a decent chance, and Rogic hit the post.

Motherwell just had to hold their hands up. They aren’t the first, and won’t be the last team, to be outclassed by this Celtic side, who march on in unrelenting, devastating fashion.