For all that Martin O’Neill might rail against the suggestion that Celtic have become a Jekyll and Hyde team, the evidence continues to tell a very different story.

A laughing stock in Europe who are incapable of beating even modest opposition in the Europa League, a hapless yet entirely predictable defeat to Celta Vigo on Thursday night showed one side of this team’s split personality.

Yet, domestically, the mood flips from one of total misery to one of continued dominance. Other than their two defeats to Rangers, Celtic have had the measure of every other team in Scotland so far this season.

That in itself is a woeful indictment on the lack of quality throughout Scottish football at present. Celtic have shown glaring weaknesses in Europe, yet few teams in Scotland have been able to capitalise.

This victory at Easter Road maintained a four-point lead over Rangers at the top of the table and it was earned in some testing circumstances.

The stormy conditions were not at all conducive to free-flowing football. It was a scrappy, error-strewn affair, as Celtic fought back from the concession of an early goal to see off a Hibs side who sit bottom of the league.

Camilo Duran was the match-winner with a terrific finish just before half-time, as Kasper Hogh once again toiled after being restored to the team up front.

The form of Hogh is now a major concern for Celtic. So, too, the sight of Alistair Johnston having to limp off just 20 minutes into his comeback from a hamstring injury.

Coming on as a second-half substitute, this was Johnston’s first appearance in over two months due to a hamstring injury, going all the way back to the 5-1 win away at Kilmarnock on August 9.

That was the day that also saw Hogh score all three of his Celtic goals to date so far via a first-half hat-trick. Another fruitless afternoon saw the £11million man eventually subbed off having made no impact.

As for Johnston, he lasted only 20 minutes before having to go off after seemingly feeling another twinge in his hamstring.

For a player who has a history of injury relapses in the past, it was a sorry sight. As good a player as he is on his day, Johnston is simply not robust enough. This has happened too often with him to be a coincidence.

In the end, it felt like this victory came at a cost for Celtic. O’Neill hailed it as their best of the season but nobody should be foolish enough to think that all is rosy in the garden.

There had been some debate as to whether it would actually go ahead at all given the horrendous weather conditions on Saturday night through into yesterday morning.

Storm Boelo had ripped through the country, with 80mph winds and flooding causing widespread damage and forcing road closures in many areas.

Yet, despite public transport being extremely limited and clear advice from Police Scotland not to travel unless absolutely necessary, the decision was taken to crack on regardless.

Not only were Hibs searching for their first win under Marink Reedijk, they actually came into this without a home victory in the league in six months.

Reedijk made two changes from the 2-1 home defeat to Falkirk last time out, with Martin Boyle, recently demoted as club captain, missing out through illness. Azeem Abdulai also dropped to the bench, with Joe Newell and Jamie McGrath coming into the team.

O’Neill made only one change, with Hogh coming in to replace Haissem Hassan, and playing as the central striker as Duran was shifted out wide to the right.

If there was any sense that Celtic might come into this with a hangover, Hibs could not have wished for a better start as they took the lead after only three minutes.

From Celtic’s point of view, the defending, especially from Dane Murray, was criminal. They completely switched off and allowed Hibs to play a quick free-kick which sent Owen Elding through one-on-one.

The Irishman still had work to do but the finish was quite outstanding as he rifled it low across Sam Johnstone and into the far corner.

Having made such a blistering start, it would have infuriated Reedijk that his team conceded such a soft equaliser barely two minutes later.

Benjamin Nygren swung in a corner and nobody in the Hibs defence, including goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger, showed any authority in their efforts to deal with it.

The ball eventually came off the head of Jason Kerr and into the net for 1-1. Both goals had been incredibly soft but it certainly opened the game up.

Hogh had a huge chance to put Celtic 2-1 up on 14 minutes when the ball fell to him at the back post, but his finish was unconvincing and Sallinger made the save.

This was another day of frustration for the £11million Dane. Without a goal in two-and-a-half months, his confidence looks completely shot.

Celtic have looked far better in recent times when Duran has played centrally through the middle. O’Neill might claim he still has faith in Hogh but that belief is rapidly fading among the Celtic support.

Hibs had a great chance to go 2-1 up on 42 minutes when Colby Donovan misjudged the flight of a long ball upfield from Kerr. The Celtic defender’s hesitancy allowed Thibault Klidje in on goal but he fired over the bar when he really ought to have buried the ball past Sam Johnstone.

Hibs would pay for that profligacy barely 60 seconds later when Celtic took the lead through their talisman Duran.

A through ball from Nygren wasn’t cleared properly by the Hibs defence, with Duran gathering at the edge of the box before curling a terrific finish past Sallinger to put Celtic 2-1 up heading into half-time.

It was turning into a very scrappy game, not helped by the strong winds which continued to gust around Easter Road.

Celtic lost their way after the break and O’Neill tried to engineer some fresh momentum with a series of substitutions which saw Jota, Hassan and Alistair Johnston enter the fray.

Hibs looked bright at times during the first half and caused Celtic problems with their pressing but they also lost their way as the match wore on.

Given how fragile Celtic’s confidence would have been after the defeat to Celta Vigo, Reedijk’s side didn’t ask anywhere near enough questions.

There has been precious little evidence as of yet of the high-octane attacking football Reedijk was renowned for during his time in Belgium.

These are worrying times for Hibs. In fact, that would be an understatement. This could rapidly turn into a full-blown crisis for Reedijk over the next week.

Slumped at the bottom of the table, they now take on St Mirren in Paisley on Wednesday night before facing rivals Hearts in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals at Hampden next weekend.

A sign of their desperation became clear when Reedijk sent Grant Hanley off the bench to play up front for the final ten minutes. Fair play to him, he certainly caused some chaos in the closing stages. 

Hibs had all the momentum and came close to an equaliser when Josh Mulligan shot at goal, denied only by a vital block by the fit-again Cameron Carter-Vickers.

This was surely a missed opportunity for Hibs, though. Reedijk will know that. He will also know that this run is nowhere near good enough.

He has now become the first Hibs boss since Pat Fenlon to lose his first three matches at the helm. If they aren’t careful, this could quickly turn into a death spiral.