Maeda scores twice to remind Celtic fans of his credentials

So integral to Celtic’s approach in both attack and defence has Daizen Maeda become from out on the wing, it is easy to forget that Ange Postecoglou signed him as the J1 League’s top scorer and that centre forward is still where he often turns out for his national team.
Indeed, Maeda started three games up top at the 2022 World Cup, scoring in the round of 16 against Croatia at the tail end of a year that had started with him netting less than four minutes into his Celtic debut as a striker — at home to Hibernian.
Here we had the same opponents and the same outcome as Maeda led the line with aplomb in the absence of his countryman Kyogo Furuhashi, who was not risked after having suffered yet another shoulder issue when these sides met on Premiership duty at Easter Road last weekend.
With Adam Idah having completed his permanent return from Norwich City, Brendan Rodgers is no longer quite so short of strikers and this display may have had the manager wondering whether he still needs to add a third out-and-out frontman to his squad after all.
Maeda had a double after 16 minutes, had a couple of opportunities to claim a hat-trick and caused Hibs all manner of issues throughout with his hassling, harrying and ability to link with the myriad support runners.
His pressing also played a key part in Celtic’s third — from Nicolas Kühn — which finished off a Hibs challenge that had briefly flared in the wake of an exceptional header from Mykola Kukharevych. Idah got the last half hour, while Maeda was spared the closing 19 minutes of this Premier Sports Cup second round tie after a typically ceaseless shift.
Maeda’s first involvement was to manoeuvre himself across Marvin Ekpiteta to sweep the ball home at the near post after Reo Hatate drove onto a Kühn pass before squaring to his countryman. Hibs had held out a whole minute longer than had been the case seven days previously in Leith, but the writing on the wall was immediately apparent.
That right side of the Celtic attack is so menacing these days. If there wasn’t enough for opposing teams to worry about in the movement and combinations of Kühn and Alistair Johnston, Hatate and Matt O’Riley are also wont to drift into a pocket of space to create further headaches.
Only a timely interception from Rocky Bushiri prevented Maeda from notching another after an O’Riley cut-back, before the coveted midfielder took the wrong option in trying to pick out his striker instead of taking a pop at goal when located by a Hatate ball over the top.
Celtic’s second duly arrived when Kühn lifted a pass from out on the right which always looked to have Maeda’s name on it, even if the attacker still had plenty to do to beat Ekpiteta to the punch and tuck the ball under Josef Bursik on the slide. From the hosts’ perspective, it was a gloriously simple goal, but the already embattled David Gray could probably think of other descriptions.
Maeda could have had a 30-minute hat-trick but blasted over when teed up by Hatate’s cute reverse pass, while O’Riley should have used acres of time and space at the edge of the box rather better than to produce a left-foot trundler that struggled to make it to Bursik.
Hibs had barely existed as an attacking force since the opening couple of minutes when Kukharevych threw them a lifeline with a beautifully angled diving header after Martin Boyle picked him out at the far post with a deep free kick.
The first goal Kasper Schmeichel has conceded in Celtic colours, its set-piece source will have been frustratingly familiar for supporters. The free kick had come about when Cameron Carter-Vickers clattered into Kukharevych in an aerial collision which saw the United States defender booked.
Straight away, Celtic wanted a penalty, James Forrest burrowing his way into the penalty area before going down amid the joint attentions of Ekpiteta and Joe Newell. Kevin Clancy, the referee, was not interested and neither was the VAR Andrew Dallas.
There was a fresh spring in Hibs’ collective step in the wake of that towering work from Kukharevych, and Nicky Cadden — an interval replacement for Nathan Moriah-Welsh, who had been on a booking — had a half-chance to level things early in the second period when Lewis Miller got to the byline to collect a hoofed clearance and hook it back across goal. Cadden’s connection was not the cleanest and Schmeichel easily saved.
Down the other end, Kühn’s aim was marginally off target as he aimed for the far corner after Greg Taylor served the ball to feet at the edge of the area. Forrest then hammered a shot over from distance.
The next goal was crucial, and Celtic did not so much grab it as find it dished up on a silver platter formed of Hibs’ inadequacies. It all started when Bushiri played the ball across goal to Ekpiteta, his fellow centre back, instead of going left to the unmarked Jordan Obita. The Englishman looked to be in two minds as to what to do next, and opted to run the ball out with Maeda right on his tail.
Feeling the striker’s breath on his nape, Ekpiteta turned back and hit the ball awkwardly in the vague direction of Bursik. Kühn was straight on top of the goalkeeper, who couldn’t sort his feet out to do anything other than knock the ball off the German, whereupon it spun into the net. Talk about cutting your own throat: it was grisly, it was grim and it killed the contest stone dead.
Just as the Celtic celebrations were dying down, Rodgers ignited a fresh burst by sending on Idah. The Republic of Ireland striker replaced Forrest, with Maeda switching to the left wing. There had been nothing peripheral about the former Yokohama F. Marinos man all afternoon.
Celtic (4-3-3): K Schmeichel 6 — A Johnston 7, C Carter-Vickers 5, L Scales 6, G Taylor 7 — M O’Riley 7, C McGregor 7, R Hatate 8 (P Bernardo 81min) — N Kühn 8 (L Palma 81), D Maeda 9 (Yang Hyun-Jun 71), J Forrest 7 (A Idah 60, 6). Booked Carter-Vickers.
Hibernian (5-3-2): J Bursik 5 — L Miller 7, M Ekpiteta 5 (C Cadden 63, 6), W O’Hora 6, R Bushiri 5, J Obita 6 — J Campbell 6, J Newell 6 (L Amos 89), N Moriah-Welsh 5 (N Cadden 46, 6) — M Kukharevych 8 (K Bowie 63, 6), M Boyle 5 (R Molotnikov 76). Booked Moriah-Welsh.
Scorers: Celtic Maeda (4, 16), Kühn (56)Hibernian Kukharevych (35)
Referee K Clancy.