RODGERS 5 HIBS 2

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BRENDAN RODGERS sampled his first victory in five visits to Easter Road in the dramatic last-gasp 2-1 win on February 7 this year.

It took a double penalty-kick salvo from on-loan Norwich City striker Adam Idah to seal the Celtic’s manager’s breakthrough triumph at the home of Hibs.

Previously, Rodgers had seen the Hoops lose and draw on two occasions at the capital venue.

Overall, the Northern Irishman has led his team to five wins and witnessed three stalemates and two defeats in 10 encounters against the Leith club in his two stints as Parkhead gaffer.

BEST OF ENEMIES…Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon embrace before Celtic’s 4-2 League Cup semi-final over Hibs at Hampden in October 2017.

First time around on September 30 2017, Rodgers saw Celtic held to a 2-2 deadlock by Hibs, then managed by Neil Lennon, in the east end of Glasgow.

Callum McGregor notched two, but John McGinn replied with two for the visitors.

The Edinburgh side, who had just been promoted back to the top flight, made a fight of it a month later when the teams met in the League Cup semi-final before a double each from Mikael Lustig and Moussa Dembele fired the holders into the showpiece silverware shoot-out the following month.

Goals from James Forrest and Dembele (pen) gave Celtic a 2-0 win over Motherwell and handed the Hoops boss his fourth trophy following the treble in The Invincibles’ campaign the previous year.

The champions shed another two points in the next Premiership meeting between the clubs in Edinburgh in December when the Hoops carelessly threw away a two-goal advantage – with Scott Sinclair on target twice – to draw 2-2.

Next up, a solitary strike from Leigh Griffiths was enough to give the hosts the points in Glasgow in January 2018, but Hibs stalled Celtic’s title celebrations with a 2-1 success at Easter Road on April 21.

Odsonne Edouard was the scorer of the consolation goal and the Frenchman was on target again eight days later as the Hoops sealed Rodgers’ second successive championship triumph with a landslide 5-0 trouncing of their Ibrox opponents.

The former Paris Saint-German prospect claimed two that joyous afternoon with Forrest, Tom Rogic and McGregor joining in the goal parade.

MAKE MINE A DOUBLE…Odsonne Edouard sweeps in a left-foot drive in Celtic’s 4-2 win over Hibs at Parkhead in October 2018.

The following season saw Edouard thump in another double in a 4-2 success in October at Parkhead with Rogic and Olivier Ntcham also on the scoresheet.

However, there was a 2-0 reverse when the teams locked horns again in December in the capital – just two months before Rodgers quit for Leicester City.

There wasn’t much for the Irishman to celebrate on his return to the venue in October last year as the champions were involved in a drab scoreless stalemate.

Celtic got back to winning ways in December in a 4-1 victory with Oh Hyeon-gyu hitting a double and Matt O’Riley and Luis Palma (pen) adding the others.

Then came the nailbiting grand finale in February this year when it looked as though Rodgers’ misery in Leith would be extended until Idah thrashed in the winner from the penalty spot.

The Hoops team chief could not disguise his joy at full-time as he swept onto the pitch to congratulate his victors and acknowledge the away support.

That confrontation will be a hard act to follow, but Rodgers and Co will be hoping to stage an action replay when the game kicks off in Edinburgh at 12.30pm today.

JUST CAPITAL…Brendan Rodgers celebrates after the 2-1 success at Easter Road in February this year.

RODGERS v HIBS: THE RECORD SO FAR

PREMIERSHIP 2017/18

September 30 2017

CELTIC 2 Hibs 2

McGregor 2

December 10

Hibs 2 CELTIC 2

Sinclair 2

January 27 2018

CELTIC 1 Hibs 0

Griffiths

April 21

Hibs 2 CELTIC 1

Edouard

LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL

October 21 2017

CELTIC 4 Hibs 2

Lustig 2, Dembele 2

PREMIERSHIP 2018/19

October 20 2018

CELTIC 4 Hibs 2

Edouard 2, Rogic, Ntcham

December 16

Hibs 2 CELTIC 0

PREMIERSHIP 2023/24

October 28 2023

Hibs 0 CELTIC 0

December 6

CELTIC 4 Hibs 1

Oh 2, O’Riley, Palma (pen)

February 7 2024

Hibs 1 CELTIC 2

Idah (2 pens)

* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report and best action images from Hibs v Celtic this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.

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