European Super Football

Celtic 4 - 0 St Johnstone Nicolas Kuhn opened the scoring in the first half, while Kyogo Furuhashi netted a double in the second half, with Daizen Maeda adding a fourth goal.  Author - Sean M A closer look at what happened at Celtic Park It was a largely one-sided affair, with Simo Valakari’s side putting up some resistance early on. Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo, and Arne Engels all came close to breaking the deadlock. The opener came from a familiar source. Nicolas Kuhn, receiving the ball from Reo Hatate, cut inside and slotted it home with ease, leaving the goalkeeper no chance. The German forward’s knack for producing key moments in front of goal has been exceptional this season. Moments later, Kuhn nearly struck again, forcing a superb save from Josh Rae as his curling effort seemed destined for the far top corner. Celtic Football Club news and stories St Johnstone made a few changes at half-time and briefly showed signs of improvement, but they couldn’t turn the tide. Pi...

Celtic 3 - 0 Rangers Celtic continued their recent dominance in the Glasgow derby with a straightforward win over Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. Arriving as strong favourites on their home turf, the champions weathered an early burst of energy from Rangers before reasserting their familiar control. Daizen Maeda calmly finished from close range after a cross from Alistair Johnston, with Rangers caught off guard from a simple throw-in. Earlier, Kyogo had a goal disallowed for offside against Nicolas Kuhn. Still, the Japanese striker soon added to his impressive derby tally with a precise strike from the edge of the box. Rangers were fortunate not to be further behind by half-time and came out with more intensity in the second half. However, Cyriel Dessers squandered a key chance, firing tamely at Kasper Schmeichel when a sharper finish could have reignited the game. The second half was more subdued, with chances for both sides. Kyogo surprisingly hit the side-netting after bein...

Celtic 2 - 0 Hearts Celtic maintained their perfect start to the season as both sides faced contrasting outcomes with VAR for the champions and Hearts. Early in the match, the visitors were initially awarded a penalty in the first half after Lawrence Shankland's header struck Liam Scales' arm. However, the decision was overturned after a VAR review. In the second half, a cross from Nicolas Kuhn made contact with James Penrice's hand, leading to another VAR review. This time, the result was a penalty, and record signing Arne Engels scored his first goal for Celtic from the spot. To seal the victory, Luke McCowan also scored his first goal for Celtic with a late strike.  What about Hearts? Hearts find themselves one point behind at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership. This was an improved performance from the visitors, but the match ultimately ended in a seventh straight defeat in all competitions. Referee Colin Steven had been quick to point to the spot after the Sca...

 Celtic 3 - 0 Hearts Celtic moved a little bit closer to the title after easing past Hearts in Glasgow.  They face Rangers next weekend in a match that could decide the title. If Celtic avoid defeat, they will almost certainly end up as champions.  Kyogo Furuhashi scored the opening goal for Celtic in a fast-paced match at Celtic Park. He nodded the ball in from a cross by his fellow countryman Reo Hatate.  The Hearts team responded quickly, but Celtic extended their lead when Matt O'Riley's impressive long-range pass found Kyogo, who scored with a first-time shot and got his second of the match.  Kyogo then  had chances to score more goals in the first half, but Zander Clark, the Hearts goalkeeper, made some excellent saves. He also made a fantastic double save in the second half to deny Hatate and O'Riley. Celtic were awarded a late penalty after an on-field review showed that Lawrence Shankland had handled the ball in the box. O'Riley stepped up to t...

 Kilmarnock 1 - 4 Celtic Celtic are now only seven points away from retaining the Scottish Premiership after a ruthless first-half performance saw them easily win against Kilmarnock. The away raced into a stunning four-goal lead inside 27 minutes against hapless the hapless home side. Some calamitous defending compounded the home side's woe, gifting the league leaders an excess of chances, which were gobbled up by Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Matt O'Riley during a rampant first period. Fraser Murray's back pass was pounced on by Kyogo to open the scoring. Maeda troubled the visitors' advantage with a well-timed header five minutes later. With Kilmarnock in disarray, the killer blow was dealt when O'Riley profited from Joe Wright's mistake, tucking a neat strike inside the post, before being found by a pinpoint Greg Taylor pass and rifling into the far corner. Kyogo also missed a great chance to add to his mounting goal tally when hitting the post from t...

St Johnstone 0 - 6 Celtic  Celtic surged to the top of the Scottish Premiership after a resounding 6-0 victory against St Johnstone.  The defending champions initially believed they had scored early on through Daizen Maeda, but VAR disallowed the goal due to a foul in the build-up. A closer look at what happened in Perth Kyogo Furuhashi eventually put the visitors in front with a typical run and finish and Paulo Bernardo completed an excellent move with a fine finish. Kyogo then headed a third in first-half added time and Callum McGregor, Maeda and substitute Adam Idah added more goals in the second period. Brendan Rodgers' side lead Aberdeen on goal difference at the top of the table while Saints are a point above second bottom. Celtic looking unstoppable in Scotland. Positive signs for their Champions League campaign? Celtic made several changes once again in their 5-2 Scottish League Cup victory over Falkirk last week, and it was a similar story in Perth, with the injur...

Hearts 1 - 4 Celtic Clinical Celtic opened up a three-point gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a commanding victory over Hearts at Tynecastle. Author - Sean M With Aberdeen suffering their first league defeat of the season earlier in the day, Brendan Rodgers' side seized the opportunity to establish clear daylight between themselves and the Dons for the first time this campaign. Celtic were sluggish in the first half, though, and were lucky to head into the break level. Blair Spittal and Lawrence Shankland both squandered excellent chances to put Hearts ahead. The second half, however, was a completely different story. Kyogo Furuhashi broke the deadlock with his seventh goal of the season, pouncing on a deflected clearance by Daniel Oyegoke after Craig Gordon's initial save. Minutes later, Nicholas Kühn doubled the lead with a superb counter-attacking goal, finishing clinically to put Celtic firmly in control. Celtic Football Club news and stories Adam Idah add...

This could be huge in Celtic's bid to progress in the Champions League Author - Sean M Celtic fans loved the player in his first spell with the club. Celtic have successfully re-signed Jota from Rennes, while Kyogo Furuhashi has completed a transfer in the opposite direction. Jota initially left Celtic in July 2023 for a reported fee of £25 million. However, he struggled to secure a regular starting position at Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League and also faced challenges with a Rennes team that is currently on a five-match losing streak. The 25-year-old player has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Scottish champions, who hold a 10-point lead at the top of the Premiership. Jota first joined Celtic on loan from Benfica in September 2021. After a successful season, Celtic triggered an option to buy him for a reported fee of £6.5 million the following summer. He played a vital role in helping Celtic secure the treble in the 2022-23 season, scoring 28 goals in 83 appea...

Hibernian 0 - 2 Celtic A brilliant goal from Callum McGregor helped Celtic secure a comfortable Scottish Premiership victory over Hibernian at Easter Road. Nicolas Kuhn opened the scoring within three minutes, capitalising on a mistake by Hibs’ goalkeeper Josef Bursik, who failed to deal with Kyogo's initial shot. McGregor, who had announced his retirement from international football earlier in the week, then doubled Celtic's lead with a stunning left-footed strike from 25 yards, capping off an excellent first-half performance. Brendan Rodgers’ side could have added more goals if not for the woodwork, but they will be satisfied with taking three points from a ground where they have struggled at times under Rodgers' management. More Celtic news can be found by clicking here Sunshine on Leith: The place for more Hibs news and stories The home side were booed off at half-time, having failed to register a single shot, although they improved somewhat in the second half. Stri...

Celtic 6 - 0 Dundee Celtic strolled to a dominant 6-0 victory at home to Dundee, restoring their 13-point cushion at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park The Hoops barely had to shift out of second gear in the first half but still went into the break two goals up—Arne Engels converting from the penalty spot before Adam Idah added a second just before half-time. Jota, rewarded with a start after his goal against Motherwell, looked sharp throughout and once again underlined why bringing him back from Rennes was such an exciting piece of business for Celtic. It was his pinpoint cross that set up Daizen Maeda for his first of the night, before the Portuguese winger showed his class by lifting the ball over Trevor Carson to grab his second just minutes into the second half. Click here for more Celtic news Celtic's emphatic win was sealed in style with two stunning long-range strikes—one from Engels and another from substitute Nicolas Kühn—allowi...

Celtic kept alive their Europa League knockout hopes with a hard-fought win over the Hungarian champions Ferencvaros. Kyogo Furuhashi slid home the opener from a sublime Jota pass after a frustrating first half. Balint Vecsei's unfortunate own goal final confirmed Celtic's win after Callum McGregor's had previously missed a penalty. Celtic's defeats against Real Betis and Bayer Leverkusen meant they had to win this match to have any chance of progressing in the competition. This was something acknowledged by manager Ange Postecoglou before the match. Click here for more Celtic news Some stats for you Celtic have won six of their eight matches at home to Hungarian opponents in all European competitions (D1 L1), keeping a clean sheet in four of their last five such games. A stat provided from the BBC:  Celtic have now ended a run of fourteen Europa League matches without a clean sheet. They recordedone for the first time since October 2019 at home to CFR Cluj. The Glasg...

Chelsea 1 - 4 Celtic The second match of Chelsea's USA Tour saw them face a Celtic team playing their fifth game of pre-season and entered the contest on the back of beating Premier League champions Manchester City in their last match. Chelsea created several chances in both halves but goals from Matt O'Reily, Kyogo Furuhashi, Luis Palma and Mikey Johnston helped Brendan Rodgers' side to victory, with Christopher Nkunku adding a late consolation from the penalty spot. How did the teams line up? There were two alterations to Maresca's starting line-up for Chelsea. Wesley Fofana made his first start in more than a year in place of Tosin Adarabioyo and Mykhailo Mudryk replaced academy graduate Tyrique George. The Hoops went into this game at Notre Dame’s iconic stadium in South Bend, Indiana full of confidence. In this match, their 4-3-3 formation featured several players that won them the double last season. Kyogo Furuhashi, Callum McGregor and Daizen Maeda all start...

Celtic 4 - 0 Kilmarnock Celtic kicked off their Premiership title defence with a comfortable 4-0 victory at home against Kilmarnock. Reo Hatate opened the scoring after 17 minutes, coolly finishing from the edge of the box. Celtic doubled their advantage five minutes before half-time when Liam Scales headed a Matt O’Riley corner into the far post. Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn made it three on the hour mark with a deflected strike that looped over Kilmarnock’s goalkeeper, Robby McCrorie. Anthony Ralston sealed the win in stoppage time, netting his first goal for Celtic since 2021. Click here for more Celtic news and stories A closer look at the match Before the match, they were greeted to an impressive fan display when they took to the Parkhead turf. This created an amazing atmosphere and the Celtic players responded.  Reo Hatate put the champions ahead in the 17th minute, firing into the bottom corner from just inside the box. Earlier, Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi was denied by a bri...

Hibernian 1 - 2 Celtic Let's have a look at how the match unfolded and some of the best reaction Kyogo Furuhashi inspired Celtic to their first trophy under Ange Postecoglou with a compelling Scottish League Cup final victory over Hibernian. The Japanese forward finished smartly to get Celtic level within a minute of them going behind to Paul Hanlon's towering header for Hibs. He was then too quick for Hibs' defenders as he latched on to a quick free-kick to lob Matt Macey and win Celtic the trophy. The Celtic boss was delighted Ange Postecoglou spoke with the media after the match: "I can't guarantee success, but I wanted to give the fans hope and they saw that from the first day. It hasn't been smooth, we have had ups and downs, but I think they saw hope in us. "The players are so resilient. I'm so happy they have had their rewards for it today." 🗣 Ange Postecoglou on Kyogo: “Good luck trying to keep him out today mate, there was no cha...

Celtic 3 - 0 Hibernian Brendan Rodgers commended Celtic's attacking display as they capitalised on a wasteful Hibernian to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to nine points.  Author - Sean M Celtic secured their seventh consecutive league win with Arne Engels' first-half tap-in, an own goal from Joe Newell, and a sublime finish from Kyogo after the interval. Hibs, though, had their chances, particularly in the first half, where they exposed Celtic's high defensive line. Mykola Kuharevich was twice denied in one-on-one situations by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, while Joe Newell squandered a golden opportunity, firing over the bar unmarked inside the box. At the other end, Celtic proved clinical. Engels converted Alistair Johnston's cross, and Adam Idah's flick-on was inadvertently turned into his own net by Newell. Celtic Football Club news and stories Can anyone stop Celtic in Scotland? Hibs' inability to take their chances persisted i...

Celtic 2 - 0 Hibernian Daizen Maeda's 27th goal of the season and a stoppage-time strike from Adam Idah kept Celtic's treble dream alive as they edged past Hibernian in a hard-fought Scottish Cup quarter-final. Author - Sean M Stadium - Celtic Park Hibs, without a Scottish Cup win at Celtic Park since 1902, once again left empty-handed after Maeda struck just before half-time to extend the visitors’ misery. The Japan international’s ruthless finish – his 13th goal in as many games – came after Jordan Smith had produced a fine save to deny Nicolas Kuhn, only for Maeda to pounce and rifle the rebound high into the net. It was a moment of redemption for the forward, who had earlier squandered a glorious chance, blazing over the bar when it seemed easier to score. Smith, who recently signed a new deal with Hibs, kept his side in contention with two excellent first-half saves – first tipping away Callum McGregor’s low drive and then reacting sharply to deny Reo Hatate from close...

Motherwell 0 -  4 Celtic It was a very comfortable night for Celtic. Celtic cruised through to the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup and a meeting with Kilmarnock after Liel Abada's double helped them thrash Motherwell. Abada tapped home Greg Taylor's cross moments before the break, and then stuck a side-foot volley past goalkeeper Liam Kelly after it. The Israeli winger then turned provider for Reo Hatate, before his shot off a post fell to Kyogo Furuhashi to tap home Celtic's fourth, as they eased into the last four. Ange Postecoglou's side will face Kilmarnock at Hampden on the weekend of 14-15 January. They are seeking a seventh League Cup success in nine seasons. Rangers will meet Aberdeen in the other semi-final. The Ibrox club had a nervy evening but progressed 1-0 against Dundee.  Fan reaction  One Celtic fan told us: "Regardless of who we have played, ten goals in two games is a great achievement. Onwards!" Another tweeted: "Too strong for t...

 Rangers 0 - 1 Celtic Brendan Rodgers responded to questions about his second spell at Celtic with a statement win in what was a controversial Glasgow Derby.  Kyogo Furuhashi once again delivered the decisive moment, taking advantage of a poor defence just before half-time to score.  The winning goal goal came after a strike from Rabbi Matondo was disallowed for offside in the first minute.  Before the match, Michael Beale has stressed the importance of 'setting a milestone' after Wednesday's humiliating Champions League defeat at Eindhoven, but the pressure will now rest on the Ibrox boss, who has not only one win in six derbies.  Rangers fans created a memorable atmosphere at Ibrox in the build up to the match but they fell silent once they went 1-0 up.  UCL: PSV thrash Rangers Celtic's defence wasn't at full strength and included central defenders Lagerbielke and Liam Scales making their Old Firm debut. It wasn't pretty at times, but everyone associa...

Celtic 5 - 1 Slovan Bratislava Celtic delivered a commanding performance at a lively Celtic Park to secure their first-ever opening Champions League victory in emphatic fashion, overpowering Slovan Bratislava. In a rare instance where they started as favourites in Europe's top competition, Brendan Rodgers' team produced an energetic and composed display. Liam Scales sent the home crowd into raptures in the 17th minute, heading in Arne Engels' corner. Despite creating several chances before half-time, the Scottish champions couldn’t extend their lead. Kyogo Furuhashi eased any nerves just two minutes into the second half, steering Nicolas Kuhn’s powerful cross into the net, putting fears of missed opportunities to rest. Visit this page for more Celtic news and stories Celtic continued to create chances, and after Alistair Johnston was fouled by Danylo Ihnatenko, the impressive Engels calmly slotted home from the penalty spot for a third. Although Kevin Wimmer's exqui...

 Livingston 0 - 3 Celtic Four days after their disappointing loss in the Champions League in Rotterdam, Celtic were determined to reaffirm their dominance in domestic competitions.  They faced a close call early on as Bruce Anderson forced a save from Celtic's goalkeeper, Joe Hart, and Scott Pittman's subsequent shot was cleared off the goal line by Callum McGregor. As Brendan Rodgers' team increased their attacking efforts, Daizen Hatate found himself in a promising position to score after receiving a pass from Greg Taylor. Unfortunately for Livingston, Luiyi De Lucas fouled Hatate in the box, resulting in a penalty. The Japanese midfielder's penalty squeezed under the body of Shamal George, marking his first goal of the season. The home team needed to stay competitive, and George made an excellent save to deny another attempt by Maeda. Hart's day came to an abrupt end when Sangare chased a long ball and collided with the goalkeeper outside the penalty area. ...