CELTIC 5 ABERDEEN 1
CELTIC powered back to winning ways with a convincing scoreline against a true grit Dons team at Parkhead tonight.
Daizen Maeda took his goal haul for an impressive season to 25 with a crisp double as the champions eased into a 16-point advantage at the Premiership pinnacle.
The Hoops were heading for victory at half-time with goals from the unstoppable Japanese ace, Filipe Jota and Callum McGregor, but it had been anything but three and easy for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
THAT’S MY BHOY…Alistair Johnston hails two-goal Daizen Maeda.
They toiled in the opening 20 minutes and were more slack than slick against opponents who arrived with a game plan and had two opportunities to score before the hosts claimed the breakthrough strike in the 24th minute.
In the ninth minute, Kasper Schmeichel had to display great reactions to go down bravely at the feet of Oday Dabbagh to whisk the ball off the striker’s toes in a blistering breakaway by the Dons.
A minute later, the Danish keeper came close to presenting the visitors with the opening goal with a sloppy piece of distribution.
Normally fairly adept with the ball at his feet, Schmeichel hit a pass straight to Kevin Nisbet, lurking about 25 yards out.
The frontman was so surprised at the free gift, he fluffed his attempt at goal and Cameron Carter-Vickers raced back to guide the ball past the right-hand post.
Schmeichel, who went into this encounter with a record of nine successive shut-outs in home league games, looked mightily relieved.
Thankfully, normal service was resumed in the 24th minute when Rodgers’ side took the lead through a familiar source, top scorer Maeda who pounced with a typical opportunist’s effort.
VOLLEY GOOD SHOW…Daizen Maeda claims the breakthrough goal against the Dons.
Arne Engels attempted to pick out Jeffrey Schlupp in a packed penalty box, but Kristers Tobers did enough to deflect the pass away from the on-loan Crystal Palace left-back.
However, the wayward ball spun into the danger zone and that was all the deadly Daizen needed as he sprinted in to hook a clever finish over the head of the stranded Ross Doohan.
Six minutes later, Jota doubled the advantage with an untypical scruffy finish.
Celtic turned defence into attack in the blink of an eye when Nicolas Kuh picked out the Portuguese maverick with an astute forward pass.
Jota flicked it to Engels on the right and the Belgian waited until the precise moment to slide the ball back into the tracks of the flamboyant forward.
SEALED WITH A KISS…Filipe Jota celebrates his goal with a gesture to the fans.
The winger didn’t quite make a proper connection as he swung his right boot at the pass, but he still managed to get enough oomph into his attempt for the shot to sneak in at the far post.
Just on the stroke of half-time, skipper McGregor made it three goals to the good after Reo Hatate and Maeda had combined to set up the opportunity.
Engels played his part in making sure the ball arrived at his midfield colleague and the onfield leader struck a clean, angled drive low past Doohan to his left.
The second-half got an injection of impetus when Rodgers sent on Luke McCowan, Yang Hyun-jun and Adam Idah for Hatate, Kuhn and Jota with Saturday night’s game against St Mirren in Paisley obviously in the manager’s thinking.
The hosts had to wait until the 72nd minute to claim No.4, but when it arrived it was well worth the delay.
The rampant Celts pieced together 17 passes in an eye-catching build-up before Yang played a one-two with McCowan and raced onto the return pass.
The South Korean took aim before whipping the ball in at Doohan’s right-hand upright.
WHAM, BANG, THANK YOU, YANG…the South Korean slides in No.4.
In the 80th minute, Rodgers replaced Engels, who had produced a midfield masterclass with an energetic performance, and Schlupp with Liam Scales and 19-year-old debutant Jude Bonnar.
There was a shock for the team and the fans when Schmeichel conceded 10 minutes later, the first league goal he has lost at Parkhead since Graeme Shinnie git Dons’ equaliser in October.
Shayden Morris too easily tricked his way past Scales in the box to drag the ball to his right foot before squeezing an angled drive between the Great Dane and his near post.
However, it was that man Maeda who sent the crowd home happy with the fifth in the second minute of stoppage-time when he knocked in a low cross from Alistair Johnston, making his 100th appearance for the Hoops, after good service from Yang.
Title No.55 is on its way!
TEAM: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Schlupp (Scales 80); Engels (sub: Bonnar 80), McGregor, Hatate (sub: McCowan 59); Kuhn (sub: Idah 59), Maeda, Jota (sub: Yang 59).
