LOGIC tells you Celtic couldn’t possibly go through a second domestic campaign undefeated. Days like this, however, make you start to question why not.

These are the sort of matches – sandwiched by two legs of a Champions League play-off tie of far greater significance – where Celtic could almost be excused for temporarily taking their eye off the ball, posting an under-par performance and slipping to a rare loss.

It never looked likely for even a moment. In theory, the outcome of the match was not wholly settled until Callum McGregor slid in Celtic’s second goal just two minutes before the end but, in truth, it was effectively over long before then.

Kilmarnock, a team enduring a horror start to the season, failed to produce a single shot of note on Craig Gordon’s goal all afternoon. When they finally created something resembling an opportunity of consequence after 76 minutes, debutant Eamonn Brophy dunted his volley from Chris Burke’s corner well wide of goal. It was the only time the visitors’ callow defence looked in danger of conceding.

This was far from Celtic at their free-flowing best but they still looked in complete control of proceedings as they eased to a 52nd domestic match without loss. They did so with a much-altered side from the one that had walloped Astana 5-0 in midweek, Brendan Rodgers making six personnel and various other positional changes.

There was again no bona fide centre-forward – James Forrest again filled in and scored – Kundai Benyu made a maiden league appearance, while Kieran Tierney returned to the central defensive berth he had filled in the Betfred Cup tie against the same opposition 11 days earlier.

At 20 years old, Tierney was the oldest of a back four also comprising Kristoffer Ajer, Anthony Ralston and the impressive Calvin Miller, the quartet strolling through the game to record yet another Celtic clean sheet.

“I asked to take Kris again on loan but Celtic said no,” revealed Kilmarnock manager Lee McCulloch. “But it’s brilliant that the big man is playing and I believe that was his first league start for Celtic.

“Same with Anthony Ralston. What a player. After the 5-0 [Betfred Cup] game I was asked how it felt to be beaten by such a young team but Anthony is going to be Scotland’s right-back soon in my opinion. That’s how good he is.”

It is that ability to rotate players in and out without any significant reduction in the team’s potency that may well be Celtic’s greatest asset. It is also why it is not a completely ridiculous notion to suggest it will take something special to beat this group of “clones”, as Rodgers called them.

“All the players train hard and they understand the structure of the team,” said the Celtic manager. “Then it’s just replacing one player with one of a similar profile. That’s what you look for whenever you’re recruiting players.

"They need to be able to take on board information so if there’s a player who comes through into the system they should have all of those attributes so that when you take one out another one goes in – then it’s just a clone really.”

Daring to be different, however, is Tom Rogic who again glided effortlessly through the match, laying on two assists and embroidering his display with the sort of mesmerising footwork that tends to have the effect of leaving defenders in a discombobulated stupor.

With Leigh Griffiths starting on the bench, Celtic were lacking a cutting edge in attack until Rogic intervened after 40 minutes to put them in front. Picking up possession just outside the Kilmarnock box, he lifted the ball over the foot of the backtracking Adam Frizzell before having the awareness to cut the ball back for Forrest who executed a side-foot finish.

“For the size of him, he’s got great feet,” said the goalscorer of the Australian. “He’s good with the one-twos and you saw his quality with the goal he made for me. That’s what we needed, a bit of life and creativity. He definitely brings that.”

Rogic was involved in the second goal that killed the game, too. His pass from a central position seemed to be trying to pick out Griffiths but it fell instead for McGregor who drilled a low shot beyond Jamie MacDonald to send many Kilmarnock fans – in the minority in the 10,069 crowd – scurrying for the exits.

The Rugby Park side had been tipped by many to enjoy a positive campaign but have now lost their opening four matches, including three league games all at home. It has McCulloch almost already looking forward to taking his team on the road early next month.

“You could argue we’re better away from home, although we don’t know that yet this season,” he added. “In the last seven years, it’s been the worst home form in the club’s history.

“I would love someone to tell me why that is, because there’s been different managers, different players, and a different pitch. I would quite like to find the answer to that.”

Rodgers, though, offered a warm endorsement of McCulloch’s credentials despite adverse results.

“I know how management works - sometimes a couple of results go against you and in your first job you can find yourself under pressure,” the Celtic manager said. “But he has no need to worry. He's a fantastic manager starting out in the game and I really believe this start will be good for him in the end.”