A five-star display from Scottish Champions Celtic saw them condemn Rangers to a first pre-season defeat of the new campaign.

First half goals from Andrea Caponi and Scott Brown gave the Bhoys the initiative and when Dutch striker Jan Venegoor of Hesselink added a quick-fire double early in the second period, Celtic were firmly in the driving seat.

Second half substitute Kieron St Aimie bagged a consolation for the R's with a sublime individual goal, but Celtic had the last laugh when Scott MacDonald fired home number five late on.

John Gregory named a 24-man squad for the visit of the Scottish League and Cup double winners.

New signings Chris Barker and John Curtis were named in the starting XI, but Danny Nardiello had to make do with a place amongst the substitutes.

Youth team trio Chris Arthur, Matthew O'Brien and Romone Rose were also named on the bench, alongside last season's top-scorer Dexter Blackstock.

Celtic included master poacher Venegoor of Hesselink, while £3million midfielder Massimo Donati was handed the central midfield berth.

Both sides were keen to express themselves on the lush Loftus Road playing surface and it was Rangers who created the first two opportunities, with strike-duo Stefan Moore and Marc Nygaard each testing Artur Boruc in the Celtic goal.

The Bhoys were by no means second best though, with Venegoor of Hesselink forcing Cole to smother his eight-yard effort in the sixth minute.

Venegoor of Hesselink wasted a golden opportunity to open the visitors' account two minutes later, when the unfortunate Dominic Shimmin was penalised for handball and referee Mr D'Urso pointed to the spot.

The decision angered the entire R's side, but Cole came to the rescue, diving full-stretch to his right to save the Dutch ace's weakly struck spot-kick.

Buoyed by Cole's heroics, Rangers continued to create chances.

Moore and Rowlands combined effectively in the 18th minute, and when the latter's cut-back from the by-line found Stefan Bailey, Boruc saved superbly with his feet.

In an end-to-end contest, the breakthrough eventually arrived on 22 minutes and it was the visitors who got it.

After audaciously chipping wide just moments earlier, Caponi tried his luck again from distance. Cole appeared to have his angles covered, only for the Italian trialists' 22-yard drive to squirm through his grasp and over the line.

Undeterred, Cole went some way to atoning for his error three minutes later, diving full stretch to tip round Kenny Miller's right foot curler.

There was nothing the R's custodian to could do about Celtic's second goal, which arrived seven minutes before the break though.

Aiden McGeady's lay-off fell perfectly into the path of the roaming Brown, who fired past Cole from 15-yards.

The R's finished the half in the ascendancy though, with the lively Martin Rowlands curling a 30-yard free-kick inches wide of Boruc's right hand post.

Gregory rang the changes at the break and it was one such substitute, Blackstock, who should've opened the R's account in the 47th minute.

Barker's neat one-two with Rowlands saw him get to the by-line and deliver an inch-perfect cross onto the head of R's front-man, who glanced wide from four yards.

At the other end, Cole saved smartly from the impressive Donati, before Venegoor of Hesselink made it three with a powerful drive from the right hand edge of the penalty box on 54 minutes.

Celtic were orchestrating proceedings by now and Venegoor of Hesselink was in the right place at the right time to make it four two minutes later, smashing home from close-range after Rangers failed to deal with a Bhoys set-piece.

Undeterred, the R's gave the home faithful something to shout about in the 65th minute, when St Aimie bagged his first goal in QPR colours.

Picking up possession on the halfway line, the teenage midfielder tricked his way past Lee Naylor before cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable 15-yard drive into the bottom corner.

That wasn't the end of the scoring though and on 73 minutes, MacDonald fired home into an empty net after Kenny Miller evaded the R's offside trap to play provider for the Bhoys' fifth and final goal.

QPR: Cole, Curtis, Barker, Shimmin, Stewart, Bailey, Bolder, Ward, Rowlands, Nygaard, Moore.

Subs: Thomas, Blackstock (46), Timoska (46), Nardiello (46), Cullip (59), Howell (69), Cochrane (69), Arthur (59), St Aimie (46), Rehman (59), O'Brien, Rose, Baidoo (69).

Scorers: St Aimie 65

Celtic: Boruc, Wilson, Naylor, McManus, Brown, Miller, Hesselink, Donati, Caponi, Kenneddy, McGeady.

Subs: Balde, Hartley (63), Riordan (78), Gravesen, Pressley, Jarosik (69), Brown, MacDonald (63), O'Brien (86), Irvine (63), Caddis, Bjarnason.

Scorers: Caponi 22, Brown 38, Venegoor of Hesselink 54 & 56, MacDonald 75

Referee: A P D'Urso

Attendance: 13,782