HIBS 2 CELTIC 1
CELTIC lost their second Premiership game of 2025 amid controversy at Easter Road this afternoon.
The champions were strangely off-colour in a wretched first-half, but, after three substitutions at the break, they displayed a lot more vim and vigour in the second period.
Daizen Maeda pulled one back and the Japanese ace thought he had claimed a deserved equaliser in the 83rd minute, but VAR, with Alan Muir at the screens, interrupted the celebrations to have the goal chalked off.
They deemed the whole of the ball was over the right touchline when Alistair Johnston drove in a near-post cross.
The ball broke to Maeda who gleefully thumped the ricochet into the roof of the net. Referee Steven McLean awarded the strike, but VAR intervened to rule it out.
It could only have been a matter of inches, but that was enough in a match where the visitors rode the big dipper – clueless in the first 45 minutes and switched-on after the turnaround.
GOAL…Daizen Maeda forces the ball behind Hibs keeper Jordan Smith to throw Celtic a lifeline.
NO GOAL…Daizen Maeda blasts the ball into the Hibs net, but VAR ruled the effort out.
They were also out of luck when Filipe Jota raced half the length of the field only to see Rocky Bushiri kick his effort off the line to deny him what would have been Celtic’s second goal.
Alarmingly, the Hoops gifted the hosts a two-goal start by the interval after some utterly woeful defending.
They were a goal behind inside two minutes and the dozy defence allowed Josh Campbell to claim his second and double his side’s advantage in first-half stoppage-time.
The champions just couldn’t find a rhythm following their mystifyingly sloppy start and too many performers were marked absent in in a contest where Hibs were prepared to fight and scrap for every ball.
David Gray’s men went into this encounter on the back of a 12-game unbeaten run and they demonstrated their high levels of confidence as they raced into an early lead.
Greg Taylor, given the nod ahead of Jeffrey Schlupp, failed to match the run of Campbell when Nectarius Triantis, running free of Callum McGregor, was given too much time in midfield to pick out his team-mate who was clear on the right.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was left exposed without any assistance of the left-back or out-of-position Auston Trusty and Campbell took the ball in his stride to strike a first-time drive low past Kasper Schmeichel from 12 yards to send the home fans into ecstasy.
HORROR SHOW…Josh Campbell fires Hibs into the lead with Like McCowan, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor and Greg Taylor looking on.
That was a horrible goal to concede, but it got even worse in added-on time when Martin Boyle whipped in a left-wing cross and a hesitant Trusty allowed Campbell to get in front of him to cushion a close-range header past the static Schmeichel for No.2.
The goal was checked by VAR, but Hibs got the benefit of any doubt – as they did in the second-half.
Brendan Rodgers had every right to be concerned as he looked on disbelievingly on the touchline.
His team rarely threatened Jordan Smith’s goal and the keeper was tasked with just two saves in the opening period.
He pushed away a cute right-wing cross from Luke McCowan on the right as Maeda hurtled in at the far post.
Smith also denied Johnston in the 23rd minute after another astute piece of work by the former Dundee midfielder.
On this occasion, he lofted the ball into the tracks of the Canadian as he timed his run into the box to perfection.
KASPER TO THE RESCUE…Celtic keeper Schmeichel pushes away a rocket shot from Kieron Bowie.
Unfortunately, Johnston rushed his final effort and the netminder was able to smuggle the ball behind for a corner-kick.
A wayward pass from Taylor summed up Celtic’s fairly miserable first-half performance when the defender, under no pressure, sent a raking crossfield ball right out of play without a team-mate in sight.
Earlier, he had also invited danger with a bewildering header inside to McGregor. The unprepared captain was taken unawares, Boyle got in front of him to nudge the ball to Kieron Bowie whose crisp effort was pushed away by Schmeichel at his left.
Arne Engels squandered a good free-kick opportunity from just outside the box with a half-hit drive that was easily picked by the grateful Smith.
Adam Idah, who also looked cumbersome and off the pace, failed to detect Nicolas Kuhn and Maeda in great positions in the box on another occasion.
The Republic of Ireland striker fluffed his lines completely and another fine chance was gone.
There was no surprise to see Rodgers ring the changes at the start of the second-half with Schlupp, Reo Hatate and Filipe Jota replacing Taylor, McCowan and Idah.
In the 68th minute, Rodgers’ side got their reward for incessant pressure when Jota picked out Hatate and he appeared to miskick the ball into the air.
The Hibs defence relaxed, Smith lacked urgency in leaving his line – and that was the signal for Maeda to sprint in and force the ball over the line.
Game on! Alas the fates – and VAR – were against them on this puzzling day in the capital.
NO JOY FOR JOTA…the Celt whips a shot past Jordan Smith, but the ball is about to be cleared off the line.
Jota was so unfortunate not to score the goal of the game after running from the halfway line, teasing his way inside Lewis Miller and then slipping the ball under the outrushing Smith.
However, the Portuguese maverick’s joy was cut short when Bushirii blocked in on the line and then ball was frantically cleared.
A lacklustre first-half presented too steep a problem for Celtic to conquer after the break.
TEAM: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor (sub: Schlupp 46); McCowan (sub: Hatate 46), McGregor, Engels; Kuhn, Idah (sub: Jota 46) and Maeda.
