Celtic begin Scottish Cup defence
Celtic 2 - 1 Kilmarnock
Daizen Maeda’s second-half goal ensured Celtic began their defence of the Scottish Cup with a hard-fought win over Premiership rivals Kilmarnock.
Author - Sean M
The victory preserved Brendan Rodgers' unbeaten record in this competition across his two spells in charge. However, after an early spell of dominance, his league-leading side were pushed to their limits by a spirited Kilmarnock.
Celtic signalled their intent from the first whistle. Within 20 seconds, Nicolas Kuhn raced through but took a heavy touch, colliding with goalkeeper Robbie McCrorie, who had to be replaced by Kieran O’Hara.
Despite this setback, Kilmarnock came close to opening the scoring. Fraser Murray won and took a free-kick, his curling effort rattling the crossbar. Moments later, Kuhn surged forward and set up Maeda, but the forward couldn’t convert.
Click here to discover more Celtic news and stories from European Super Football
What else has been happening across Scotland?
Celtic were firmly in control, and Callum McGregor’s opener was a fine strike, though the Celtic captain was given far too much room to pick his spot. The chances kept coming: Kyogo fired wide, Reo Hatate blazed over from close range, and Robbie Deas made a crucial intervention to deny Kuhn a simple tap-in.
However, the momentum shifted as half-time approached. Derek McInnes' side showed bravery, pressing high and committing numbers forward while going man-for-man at the back. Their bold approach paid off when Murray’s cross deflected off Deas’ hand and fell to Bobby Wales, who scored. VAR reviewed the incident and upheld the goal, injecting belief into the visitors.
Kilmarnock’s confidence was evident as they continued their aggressive approach. However, the gaps they left at the back proved costly. Maeda looked to capitalise but was denied by a brilliant recovery from Lewis Mayo, which McInnes celebrated as if it were a goal. Moments later, though, Maeda made no mistake, slotting home after Kuhn’s run created space.
Celtic regained control from there. Kuhn struck the bar, Hatate was denied by O’Hara, and Kuhn missed another chance from close range. But the holders had done enough to secure their place in the next round of the competition.
