Celtic bounced back from another disappointing Champions League qualifying exit by maintaining their perfect domestic record, with Camilo Duran’s brace securing a 2-1 victory over Falkirk on Saturday.

The result came just days after the Hoops suffered a humiliating European setback. Despite taking a 3-0 advantage into the second leg and scoring again on the night, Celtic were eliminated from Champions League qualifying following a heavy 5-1 defeat to Austrian champions LASK on Tuesday.

The latest European disappointment once again frustrated the home supporters, who directed their anger towards the Celtic board over what they viewed as a failure to use the club’s significant financial resources to strengthen the squad before the new campaign.

However, a bright start against Falkirk quickly eased the tension inside the stadium. Celtic secured another three points to make it nine from nine in their opening three Scottish Premiership matches.

Duran was once again at the heart of Celtic’s attacking threat. The Colombian forward is one of three new attacking additions brought in by the Glasgow club ahead of the season and has already made an impressive impact, scoring five goals in his early appearances in green and white.

The former Qarabag forward opened the scoring after just four minutes, taking advantage of a costly mistake from former Celtic goalkeeper Scott Bain before calmly rolling the ball into an empty net.

Duran struck again before the half-hour mark to put Celtic firmly in control. The forward finished Kieran Tierney’s cross with a composed sweep, completing his brace and giving the hosts a two-goal cushion.

However, Celtic began to show signs of fatigue after their midweek extra-time efforts, allowing Falkirk to gain momentum following the interval.

The visitors were handed a lifeline 18 minutes from full time when Colby Donovan turned the ball into his own net. Celtic were then forced to endure a tense closing period as Falkirk pushed for an equaliser.

Elsewhere, Hearts provided a rare positive result for Scottish clubs in Europe this week. The Jambos were the only one of five Scottish sides to advance, defeating Rapid Vienna to secure their place in the UEFA Conference League proper.

Hearts also continued their strong domestic start by moving up to second place with a 2-1 victory over St. Johnstone. James Wilson gave Hearts the lead before an Enes Alic own goal extended their advantage, although Ruari Paton pulled one back to set up a tense finish.

Dundee United enjoyed an emphatic afternoon, cruising to a 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock despite manager Jim Goodwin being absent due to a health issue.

Meanwhile, Rangers will be looking to finally claim their first Scottish Premiership victory of the season when they travel to face Aberdeen on Sunday. The Glasgow giants already find themselves eight points behind Celtic in the early standings.