Maeda inspires Celtic again
Celtic 3 - 0 Hearts
Daizen Maeda struck twice in Celtic's commanding Scottish Premiership victory over Heart of Midlothian, bringing his season tally to an impressive thirty goals.
The Celtic boss had hinted before the match that both he and the club were eager to extend the Japan international's contract, which currently runs until the summer of 2027.
This latest performance served as yet another reminder of why that would be a wise move. Maeda has now scored in eight consecutive league games and shows no sign of slowing down. The forward was at the heart of all three goals and appears almost unstoppable in Scotland at present.
A closer look at what happened at Celtic Park
Hearts had arrived to this match with some confidence, having lost just twice in their previous fourteen matches. They were aiming to take another step towards securing a top-six place.
All eyes were on Viljami Sinisalo, who stepped in for the injured Kasper Schmeichel in goal. He was called into action early as the visitors started on the front foot. A corner led to a chance for Lewis Neilson, but the defender's close-range effort was well saved by Sinisalo, making only his second start for Celtic.
Despite an uncertain start, the home side swiftly found their rhythm and ruthlessly took control of the match.
A slick move saw Callum McGregor, returning as captain, thread a perfect pass through to Maeda. The forward made no mistake, drilling his finish past Craig Gordon to open the scoring.
Celtic doubled their lead soon after when Nicolas Kuhn played in Maeda, whose header struck the inside of the post. The rebound fell perfectly for Jota, who arrived from the left to slam the ball home.
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Hearts refused to surrender and pressed forward in search of a response. Jeffrey Schlupp made a crucial block near goal before James Wilson squandered a golden opportunity, heading well wide.
That missed chance effectively ended any lingering hopes for the visitors.
Celtic then swept from back to front with devastating speed, Kuhn outpaced the defence and squared the ball for Maeda to tap home his second goal of the afternoon. It was yet another moment to underline his importance in what has become a remarkable season for the Japan international.
By half-time, the result was beyond doubt. Hearts attempted to change their shape in the second half, but Celtic remained in control and cruised to another emphatic victory.
There was some positives for Hearts
The opening stages of the match unfolded just as visiting head coach Neil Critchley would have hoped. Hearts caused Celtic problems, with Elton Kabangu proving a constant threat and chances being created.
However, their setup always carried a risk of leaving gaps at the back, and that vulnerability was soon exposed.
McGregor was given too much space in the build-up to the opening goal, allowing Maeda to break in behind far too easily.
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Maeda found himself through on goal again with little resistance for the second, and for the third, Hearts' defence was left wide open as they failed to halt Celtic’s rapid counter-attack.
They remain in sixth place and still have a Scottish Cup semi-final to look forward to. Earlier in the season, most supporters would have gladly accepted that position.
With home games against Dundee United and a trip to Motherwell to come, their final league standing is still to be determined. Given the progress they have made this season, they will likely approach those fixtures with confidence.
