CELTIC 0 HIBS 0
CARELESS Celtic threw away two points as they failed to add penetration to possession in a frustrating afternoon against Hibs at Parkhead this afternoon.
Chances came and went and the one time the champions did manage to get the ball in the net – via Kelechi Iheanacho – it was ruled out for offside in the 65th minute.
Brendan Rodgers’ side lacked the killer touch against the Edinburgh club and paid for it with a blankety-blank performance.
The Hoops now topple off the pinnacle with Hearts taking over following their 3-0 win over Falkirk at Tynecastle.
The hosts almost got off to a dream start when Daizen Maeda whipped over a low right-wing cross, Arne Engels got a touch to send it across the six-yard box and Iheanacho was a stud away from diverting an effort on target.
Celtic dominated the early stages as they moved the ball around from wing to wing, but they were creating few precious clear-cut openings.
Sebastian Tounekti looked eager to make an impression on his Parkhead debut and showed some neat touches on the left.
ON A WING AND A PRAYER…Tunisian wide Bhoy Sebastian Tounekti was eager to make an impact on his Parkhead debut. Alas, the dream didn’t come true.
In the 15th minute the twinkle-toed Tunisian drifted in to send the ball to Anthony Ralston about 25 yards out, but the move came to an abrupt end when the defender fired waywardly over the bar from 20 yards.
In the 21st minute, Iheanacho blew the chance to get his first goal in Paradise after he had been set up by an angled pass from Maeda.
The UEFA deadline-day signing had a clear sight of Raphael Sallinger’s goal, but from eight yards slammed his shot off the top of the crossbar and the ball flew into the crowd.
Iheanacho had another go nine minutes later, but once again his attempt was too high.
In the 32nd minute, Marcelo Saracchi was next to be denied by the woodwork when he sent in a vicious left-foot drive from the edge of the box.
Sallinger was helpless, but, unfortunately, the ball clipped the bar on its way over.
The champions’ frustration at the failure to get the breakthrough strike was highlighted by a 37th-minute wild 30-yard drive from Engels that cleared the bar and must have dropped somewhere near Parkhead Cross.
HEADSCRATCHER…a frustrated Brendan Rodgers on the touchline.
Maeda then had a drive blocked by a frantic defender and Callum McGregor saw a first-time 25-yard effort pushed away by Sallinger.
Hibs were happy to absorb the pressure and attempt to hit on the break as they showed in the 42nd minute when a long ball saw Martin Boyle running clear, but his shot took a touch off Liam Scales and was directed straight into the grateful arms od Kasper Schmeichel.
There was a scare for the Hoops just before the interval when the defence failed to clear a left-wing free-kick to the far post, it was headed back across goal and Warren O’Hora failed to make proper contact and sent the ball spiralling over the bar from four yards.
Celtic went in at half-time with almost 78 per cent possession and nothing to show for it.
Shortly after the turnaround, Tounekti clipped over an inviting left-wing cross, but Iheanacho’s timing was just out and the chance was lost.
The procession of opportunities continued when Engels whipped in an inviting left-wing corner-kick, Scales helped it on and Iheanacho nodded past at the far post.
The Nigerian international hitman had every right to look frustrated.
Two minutes before the hour mark, Saracchi sizzled in a cross from the left, the diving Sallinger got a touch to knock the ball away from the lunging Iheanacho.
In the 65th minute, Iheanacho turned in a low ball from Saracchi, but his joy was cut short when referee Don Robertson ruled it out for offside and VAR agreed with the decision of the match official.
Two minutes later, the frontman made way alongside Engels as Brendan Rodgers threw on James Forrest and Benjamin Nygren in an effort to get something for all their control.
Maeda moved into the middle with Forrest going to his usual wide right berth.
In the 74th minute, Paulo Bernardo, Johnny Kenny and Michel-Ange Balikwisha came on for McCowan, Maeda and Tounekti.
Eight minutes later, Bernardo thumped in a right-foot drive from 25 yards, but the keeper thwarted the Portuguese with a flying save to his left.
Deep in stoppage-time, Kenny had the chance to claim the points, but he didn’t get the power or direction behind his close-range header and Sallinger was allowed to claw the ball away.
And that miss summed up a day of utter frustration foe the misfiring champions.
TEAM: Schmeichel; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Saracchi; McCowan (sub: Bernardo 74), McGregor, Engels (sub: Nygren 67); Maeda (sub: Kenny 74), Iheanacho (sub: Forrest 67), Tounekti (sub: Balikwisha 74).
