DAIZEN MAEDA’S love affair with the Scottish Cup continued when he thundered Celtic’s opening goal into the roof of the Hibs net in the holders’ 2-0 quarter-final triumph at a rocking Parkhead yesterday.
The pacy Japanese ace claimed his 27th strike of a remarkable crusade when he pounced on a rebound from Jordan Smith after the keeper had clawed away a drive from Nicolas Kuhn.
As the ball spun away from the grounded netminder, Maeda, as usual, reacted quicker than anyone else in the vicinity to sprint in and blast the ball home from practically under the crossbar.
NUMBER ONE…Daizen Maeda pounces to ram the ball into the net with Nicolas Kuhn and the bewildered Hibs defenders looking on.
NUMBER TWO…Adam Idah whips in the stoppage-time clincher after being set up by Luke McCowan.
No one should have been surprised the international raider had broken the barrier to set the Hoops back on the road to Hampden.
Maeda netted the winner in the 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock at the first hurdle in the competition on January 18 in the east end of Glasgow and he did even better in the next round against Raith Rovers at the same venue the following month.
The Bhoy racer rattled in a hat-trick against the Championship side as Brendan Rodgers’ men eased through on a 5-0 scoreline.
David Gray’s side were next in line for the Maeda treatment and now all eyes are on which club could suffer the same fate when the semi-final draw is made this evening after the Livingston v St Johnstone tie in West Lothian.
Hearts and Aberdeen have already made their way through to the last four alongside the holders.
Maeda’s breathtaking penalty-box prowess is certainly worth a second look – courtesy of those good folk at Celtic TV Unique Angle.
Please enjoy!
TREBLE AHEAD AS MAEDA, IDAH STRIKE
