Celtic cruised to a 3-0 victory over Hibernian at Celtic Park, extending their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to nine points.
In a match where Brendan Rodgers made key changes, the Hoops showed their class despite moments of defensive vulnerability.
Kasper Schmeichel’s heroics and an artistic finish from Kyogo Furuhashi sealed the win, ensuring Celtic remain the dominant force in Scotland.
First Half: Hibernian Threaten, but Celtic Lead
Hibernian started brightly and could have taken the lead when Mykola Kukhareyvch found himself one-on-one with Kasper Schmeichel.
The Danish keeper produced a stunning save to deny the forward, setting the tone for his excellent afternoon.
Celtic responded in clinical fashion. Alistair Johnston’s pinpoint cross found Arne Engels, who made no mistake to give the Hoops the lead.
Engels, recalled to the starting XI, rewarded Brendan Rodgers’ faith with a composed finish. Moments later, Luke McCowan came close to doubling the advantage, his powerful shot striking the crossbar.
Despite falling behind, Hibernian continued to pose a threat. Joe Newell missed a golden opportunity to level, blasting over from close range. Their wastefulness in front of goal would prove costly.
Second Half: Celtic’s Quality Shines
After the interval, Celtic took control. Adam Idah’s flick-on caused confusion in the Hibernian defence, leading to an own goal by Newell in the 55th minute. It was a cruel blow for the visitors, who had battled hard to stay in the game.
Rodgers’ substitutions proved decisive. James Forrest and Kyogo Furuhashi injected fresh energy, and the latter delivered a moment of magic in the 84th minute.
Latching onto Forrest’s through ball, Furuhashi executed a brilliant stepover before delicately chipping the ball over Jordan Smith to seal the victory.
Player Ratings
Kasper Schmeichel – 9
Not often does your goalkeeper pick up man of the match in a seemingly routine 3-0 victory. In truth, Celtic were exposed more than they would’ve liked, but Schmeichel was there every time to save the day in a masterful goalkeeping display.
Alistair Johnston – 7
Another energetic performance from the Canadian that was topped off with an assist for Arne Engels’ opener. He is picking up quite the knack for goal contributions.
Liam Scales – 7
Came back in for Cameron Carter-Vickers today and fared well enough. Always a reliable option ready to step up to the mark.
Auston Trusty – 7
Continuing his clean sheet run, Trusty has proven to be an astute piece of business for the club, even if the backline were a little exposed today.
Greg Taylor – 6
Adding a clean sheet to his assist against Aberdeen in midweek, Taylor was purposeful in possession and rarely lost a pass. However, Hibernian did find joy down the right-hand side on a few occasions.
Callum McGregor – 8
Typical captain’s performance today. Showed grit and determination to recover possession on several occasions while always an option in possession.
Luke McCowan – 7
Bright and always alive to receive a pass, was lively in the first-half and put in another competent engine room display.
Arne Engels – 8
He appeared to be more of a presence in the final third and got his goal from excellent anticipation. Someone with huge potential that you feel can now kick on after an indifferent period of late.
Daizen Maeda – 6
Not his finest all-round performance in the grand scheme of things. Still, his work rate was excellent as the Bhoys pushed themselves onto another three points.
Nicolas Kuhn – 7
So often the go-to guy for Celtic this season and had lively moments. Created three chances before being substituted off at the interval.
Adam Idah – 6
Not his day in front of goal as he was denied by Jordan Smith on a couple of occasions. Imposed himself well at times and had a hand in forcing Newell to put the game beyond doubt.
James Forrest (sub) – 7
Brought on at half-time, Forrest claimed an excellent assist for Furuhashi and illustrated his turn of pace throughout the second 45. Still has a big role to play.
Kyogo Furuhashi (sub) – 7
Introduced to the party for Idah, Furuhashi took Celtic’s third of the afternoon in superb fashion and his stunner will live long in the memory.
Hyunjun Yang (sub) – 6
Some neat footwork and unlucky not to score himself. Becoming an exciting impact player that can help freshen things up.
Paulo Bernardo (sub) – 6
Kept things in midfield neat and tidy, not a lot of time to make an impact.
Reo Hatate (sub) – 5
Similar to Bernardo, didn’t do anything wrong, per se, but the game was already over by the time he came on.
What’s Next for Celtic?
With this win, Celtic maintain a firm grip at the top of the Premiership table. Brendan Rodgers’ ability to rotate his squad while keeping performances consistent has been key to their dominance.
Up next, the Hoops face a challenging Champions League tie against Dinamo Zagreb, where they will look to carry their domestic form onto the European stage. Meanwhile, Hibernian must regroup as they strive for consistency in their campaign.
