Celtic stunned at Easter Road
Hibernian 2 - 1 Celtic
Hibernian continued their impressive form as Josh Campbell’s first-half brace condemned Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic to only their second league defeat of the season.
Celtic, fresh from a spirited display against Bayern Munich in midweek, struggled to find their rhythm in the opening hour. Their passing was uncharacteristically sloppy, and Hibs’ well-drilled defence coped comfortably with the waves of crosses into their box.
Campbell made the most of Celtic’s sluggish start, drilling a low strike into the bottom corner inside two minutes to give the hosts the perfect start. Then, just before the break, he doubled Hibs’ lead with a well-placed header from Martin Boyle’s looping cross.
David Gray’s side had chances to put the game beyond doubt, with Kieron Bowie and Lewis Miller both denied by Kasper Schmeichel in what was a commanding all-round display.
Celtic, though, inevitably fought back. Daizen Maeda pulled one back in the 68th minute, setting up a frantic finale as Brendan Rodgers’ side piled on the pressure.
The visitors thought they had found an equaliser when Jota rounded Jordan Smith, only for Rocky Bushiri to make a stunning goal-line block. Then, with seven minutes remaining, Maeda had the ball in the net again—only for celebrations to be cut short when officials ruled that Alistair Johnston’s cross had gone out of play before reaching him.
Replays were inconclusive, leaving Celtic frustrated, but Hibs held firm through eight tense minutes of stoppage time to secure a crucial victory.
The result extends Hibs’ unbeaten run to 13 matches in all competitions, keeping them firmly in contention for third place.
More reaction
Andy Cheshire, a Celtic fan, was still positive despite the defeat: "It was always going to be a challenging game following the Bayern match. We were underwhelming in the first half, but I'm not too concerned overall since we have a significant lead at the top. Additionally, the ball was out of play for the disallowed goal."
Thomas had a similar view, saying: " In the first half, we we were really poor. We improved in the second half, Hats off to Hibs; they played well and are now in really good form. Honestly, I didn’t believe the ball was in play for our disallowed goal, and I think the right call was made. We will regroup and try again on Tuesday."
