Transfer-listed young striker Mark Burchill grabbed a sensational hat-trick in the space of just three first-half minutes as Celtic blew away the part timers of Luxembourg. The Scotland international was forced to hand in a transfer request several weeks ago after becoming disillusioned with life in the shadows of Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton. But Burchill capped his first start of the season with a clinical treble to give manager Martin O'Neill a reminder ahead of Sunday's Old Firm clash and make the watching scouts take notice of his exciting talents.

Israeli international Eyal Berkovic also played himself into the reckoning for a place in Sunday's starting 11, while Vidar Riseth and Stilian Petrov completed the rout.

O'Neill clearly felt his side would stroll through the second leg as they held a four-goal cushion and he could afford the luxury of making eight changes and fielding young stars Simon Lynch and Colin Healy.

But Burchill stole the show with a brilliant virtuoso performance. He almost opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute but defender Jean Wagner made a desperate challenge to deny him. The Scotland international looked sharp on every occasion and he opened his account in the 12th minute when he dived low to head home Healy's cross from close range.

That sunk the visitors and two minutes later the want-away star capitalised on some slack defending when he controlled a long ball down field from Oliver Tebily before firing low past John Van Rijswick. Burchill was now dreaming of a treble but even he could not envisage how quickly it would come. Just one minute later he found himself in space to fire home Berkovic's cross.

The floodgates had well and truly opened and the desperate visitors went further behind in the 21st minute, when Berkovic was felled by David Borbiconi and he hit a tame 20-yard free kick into the bottom corner. But Burchill was clearly relishing the time and space he was getting and he should have grabbed his fourth of the night in the 29th minute, but he blazed Berkovic's cross wide of the mark.

Jeunesse Esch looked understandably shell shocked, but in the 31st minute Healy was on the goal line to deny them their first away goal in Europe for 13 years when he cleared a Claude Meylender header.

O'Neill was clearly impressed by Burchill's first half display but he replaced him with another youngster, Liam Miller, at the break but Celtic's attacks were relentless.

Berkovic was also relishing the opportunity to impress O'Neill ahead of Sunday's showdown and he grabbed his second of the night in the 46th minute, albeit if fortuitously following a comical blunder from the goalkeeper who let a tame effort bounce over him.

Riseth was being employed as a striker during the second period and the Norwegian was looking to get in on the act when he was clear through on goal, but he fired at the feet of Van Rijswick. He too added his name to the score sheet in the 53rd minute when he found space in the box to drill the ball home, with a hint of a deflection on its way.

Miller went close to making it a memorable night in the 64th minute when Petta brilliantly beat three men on the left wing before picking the youngster out. His point blank header was well saved by Van Rijswick.

Petta was a man full of confidence and he came within inches of capping a fantastic display with a goal in the 69th minute, cutting in from the wing before unleashing a right foot drive inches past the post. The goals kept coming when, in the 72nd minute, substitute Petrov made it seven on the night as he drilled home a right foot volley from Petta's cross.

But it wasn't all glory for O'Neill, who would have been worried at the sight of Petta hobbling off with minutes to go with what appeared to be a leg strain.