Celtic 3-0 Hibernian: Hoops move further clear in Premiership title race as wasteful Hibs drop back to bottom
Celtic took a significant step forward in the race for the Scottish Premiership title, while Hibernian will be regretting their missed opportunities after suffering a 3-0 loss at Celtic Park, which has sent them back to the bottom of the league standings.
David Gray's team seemed to be experiencing a comeback and had two fantastic chances to take an unexpected early lead against the defending champions.
Max Kucharevic took a shot directly at Kasper Schmeichel, but the Celtic goalkeeper was able to block Nicky Cadden's long-distance attempt.
In the sixth minute, Arne Engels found the net after receiving a cross from Alistair Johnstone. Shortly after, Luke McCowan fired a powerful shot that hit the crossbar.
Before halftime, Joe Newell missed a scoring opportunity by sending the ball over the crossbar. Later, in the second half, he accidentally redirected Adam Idah's header into his own goal.
Kyogo Furuhashi made a great impact as a substitute, scoring a stylish goal by deftly lifting the ball over Jamie Smith, which secured a decisive victory for Celtic. This win puts them nine points ahead of Aberdeen, who are in second place, and they still have a game in hand. Meanwhile, Hibs have slipped to the bottom of the standings following Hearts' victory over Dundee.
Celtic's Unbeaten Streak Reaches 40 Games
Brendan Rodgers stuck to his rotation plan, bringing in defenders Liam Scales and Greg Taylor, midfielders Luke McCowan and Engels, along with Idah. This adjustment helped the team achieve an impressive streak of 40 consecutive domestic games without a loss.
Hibs, now strengthened by the return of Lewis Miller and Jordan Obita to their defense, almost scored in the second minute when Kuharevich was set loose by Nectarios Triantis. However, Schmeichel managed to block his weak shot with his foot.
A short while later, the goalkeeper for the Hoops successfully stopped a powerful shot from midfielder Nicky Cadden, which came from the edge of the penalty area.
The feeling that Hibs would regret their early missed opportunity became clear when full-back Alistair Johnston, who was overlapping, received a pass from Nicolas Kuhn and set it up for Engels to score from just a few yards out.
McCowan struck the crossbar after receiving a pass from Daizen Maeda, as the home team seemed to gain complete command of the match.
Hibs goalkeeper Jordan Smith stopped a shot from Idah, but the team from Leith had a chance to equalize in the 17th minute. After another quick counterattack, Newell shot over the bar after receiving a pass from Miller.
In the 22nd minute, Kuharevich had another chance to go up against Schmeichel, but he mishandled the ball just before his shot. The former Leicester goalkeeper was able to stop the attempt, resulting in a corner kick that ultimately didn’t lead to anything.
The Hibs forward quickly hobbled off the field and was substituted by Josh Campbell, while Elie Youan took over as the primary striker.
Idah couldn't make a solid connection with Kuhn's pass just a yard from the goal. Shortly after, referee Chris Graham gave Engels a yellow card for his foul on Newell, and VAR reviewed the incident but determined that it didn't need further investigation for a potential red card.
Idah took a powerful shot at Smith from eight yards away, but the Celtic defense was nearly broken again. Fortunately, Johnston managed to outrun Youan and prevent any further trouble.
Smith made a crucial save against Engels and then denied a close-range shot from Scales as the home team kicked off the second half with determination, featuring James Forrest coming on for Kuhn.
The second goal was scored from a corner taken by McCowan, where Idah directed a header towards the goal, and unfortunately for Newell, he ended up putting the ball into his own net.
On the other side, in the 61st minute, Youan took advantage of a misplaced back pass from McCowan. However, Schmeichel was able to deflect the shot, and Cadden sent the follow-up attempt off target.
The Celtic goalkeeper faced a header from Miller that came directly from a corner taken by Cadden, but he managed to handle it, and yet another opportunity for Hibs slipped away.
Smith managed a fingertip stop against Auston Trusty's fierce header, but Celtic increased their lead when Forrest assisted Furuhashi, who skillfully lofted the ball over Smith from 10 yards out, securing the victory.
Rodgers Lauds Team's 'Mental Toughness'
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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers shared his thoughts with Sky Sports News:
"It was an incredible victory for us after a challenging match earlier in the week against Aberdeen."
You can really see how much Hibs’ confidence has grown since their recent victory. They created several opportunities, so we relied on Kasper to step up and make some crucial saves.
"Our defending hasn't reached the level we aim for, although we managed to keep a clean sheet. This says a lot about Kasper, as we've hardly conceded any goals this season."
"Today, we weren't quite at our best, which allowed them some chances to score. However, I believe that securing the victory and maintaining our winning streak really highlights the team's mental strength and character."
"We Failed To Showcase Our True Potential"
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Hibernian's manager David Gray shared his thoughts with Sky Sports News:
I'm really frustrated. Considering all the effort the players put in, we truly let ourselves down by not scoring when we had the chances.
"I refuse to just stand by and accept defeat; I believe that's a strong message in itself."
We lost the match 3-0, which is obviously disappointing. However, it's worth noting that I can't recall a Celtic goalkeeper being named man of the match, which highlights how well we performed overall.
"The total number of saves he made was surprising; he shouldn’t have been able to pull off those stops. For example, when Kyogo had his moment against the goalkeeper, he confidently found the back of the net. In contrast, we missed several one-on-one chances that we should have capitalized on."
"We’ve had nine opportunities to score, and the goalkeeper has managed to stop all nine shots. This highlights our aggressive approach but also reveals how we’ve fallen short, which has likely been a recurring theme throughout our season."
