| Match Pictures | Matches: 2018 – 2019 | 2018-19 Pictures |
Trivia
- Back to the league after qualifying thru to Europa League Group stages.
- Many injuries so number of changes (out: Christie, Rogic, Tierney,Boyata; in: Ajer, Morgan (sub), Izzy, Brown etc).
- Celtic slip up badly in a very poor performance, Sevco win 1-0 in their game and catch up. Killie won on Saturday and are top of the league but Celtic have 2 games in hand.
-
Huge game at Easter Road today, Hibs won 4pts from Celtic at home last season but their home form has been patchy so far this season, Celtic have only won 3 of their 9 away games in the league this season.
- Celtic’s supporter liaison officer sent a pointed message aimed at Hibs over the ticket allocation for the game between the sides. The Easter Road side decided to split the South Stand which houses the away support for the clash with the Scottish champions. Celtic were given just under 2,000 for the fixture which they sold out. Hibs fans were encouraged to snap up tickets for the other three stands as quickly as possible. With those three effectively sold out home fans were able to buy tickets for the South Stand. However, there are a considerable number of empty seats in the home section of the South Stand, something which was noted on Twitter by Celtic’s supporter liaison officer John Paul Taylor.
- Celtic are concerned over the fitness of midfielder Ryan Christie after the player was stretchered off during Thursday’s clash with Salzburg. The in-form Scottish international was in visible distress and had to have his lower leg put in a brace before leaving the field.
- Ryan Christie could return for Celtic before the end of the month, said Brendan Rodgers.
The midfielder was carried off on a stretcher during the club's defeat by Salzburg on Thursday after rushing to block a shot by Takumi Minamino. - Celtic taking tickets for Ibrox match following police meetings.
- Celtic player & Ex-Hibs player Leigh Griffiths has spoken for the first time after it was revealed the Celtic striker is to take time away from football to work on “ongoing issues”, believed to be gambling problems
- Hibs fans reveal a banner in support of Celtic player & Hibs fan Leigh Griffiths.
- Scott Brown will be offered a three-year deal to leave Celtic and join Western Melbourne when his contract is up at the end of the season. The new side were awarded entry to the A-League on Thursday morning and will look to make the Celtic captain their marquee signing.
- Fernando Ricksen (ex-Rangers player) who is battling Motor Neurone disease: "Fernando: "I’d like to thank the world’s best supporters – yep, that’s Rangers AND Celtic – for supporting me. It’s fantastic to know that you are united while I am fighting MND. You are both great, but together you are even greater. I feel very proud." We wish him all the strength in the world.
- Ex-Chelsea and Ireland player Damian Duff has signed up as assistant manager with Celtic Reserves.
Review
Brendan Rodgers has lashed out at his defence after Celtic were comprehensively beaten 2-0 by Hibs at Easter Road thanks to goals from Vykintas Slivka and Florian Kamberi.
The Hoops boss refused to use a Europa League hangover as an excuse, insisting: “Tiredness wasn’t an excuse for the goals. When you concede in the first minute it’s not to do with energy, it’s to do about positioning and pressing.
History Bhoys Abroad: "Lack of belief. Lack of depth. Lack of quality. Lack of drive from many players. Lack of interest from many players. Manager playing a formation that clearly isn’t working. "
(Wee ed KTF of KDS)
Team formation – baffling
Tactics – bewildering
Failure to change team formation and tactics when it was effin obviously not working – ludicrous
Players performances, individually and collectively – pathetic
Celtic have created a 'title race' via our own failures, on and off the pitch
(lebong of KDS)
I hope this is a line in the sand for our Manager, far too many grim away performances. Moving forward,
1. Brendan’s teams need to make sense to the fans – Sinclair wide right? Really?
2. CalMac must play centre midfield to dictate the play, move all other midfielders to accommodate CalMac.
3. Ajer must never play wide right in defence/right back.
4. Sinclair needs dropped, he offers absolutely nothing going forward or defending, a man short.
5. Edouard needs to get a first touch and show some interest.
Just how many games do Celtic need to play with at least two passengers? Get our young, fit and interested players on the pitch – play Morgan in place of Sinclair, get Boyata, Lustig and Christie back ASAP, then in January buy some real quality, a right-back, a centre forward and a forward facing midfielder.
Apologies for the rant, just a hurting Tim. Looking forward to Wednesday evening and the start of the fightback.
Teams
Hibernian
- 1Marciano
- 3Whittaker
- 25Ambrose
- 36Porteous
- 16Stevenson
- 8Slivka Substituted forMackieat 45'minutes
- 7Horgan
- 14Mallan
- 20Hyndman
- 32Shaw Substituted forAllanat 87'minutes
- 22Kamberi
Substitutes
9Maclaren
18Nelom
24McGregor
31Bogdan
43Mackie
47Gullan
49Allan
Goals
- Slivka (1' minutes), Kamberi (59' minutes)
Celtic
- 1Gordon
- 35Ajer
- 5Simunovic
- 32Benkovic
- 3IzaguirreSubstituted forHayesat 62'minutes
- 8BrownBooked at 38mins
- 21Ntcham
- 49Forrest
- 42McGregor
- 11Sinclair Substituted forMorganat 62'minutes
- 22EdouardBooked at 64mins Substituted forJohnstonat 75'minutes
Substitutes
4Hendry
15Hayes
16Morgan
27Mulumbu
29Bain
56Ralston
73Johnston
Referee:
Don Robertson
Attendance:
18,142
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Forum
MOTM
- Voting Thread
- Result Thread
- Winner –
Stats
Hibernian
Away Team
Celtic
Possession
Home43%
Away57%
Shots
Home7
Away12
Shots on Target
Home6
Away4
Corners
Home4
Away8
Fouls
Home13
Away6
Articles
BBC
By Andy Campbell
BBC Sport Scotland
Hibernian consigned Celtic to a third Scottish Premiership defeat of the season and prevented the champions returning to the top of the table.
Vykintas Slivka struck after just 46 seconds and Florian Kamberi finished a superb second-half counter attack with an emphatic finish.
Substitute Lewis Morgan fired narrowly wide in Celtic's best chance.
And they finished the weekend in third place after Rangers beat Hamilton.
Brendan Rodgers' team, however, still have a game in hand over the Ibrox side.
Hibs, meanwhile, will prepare for the second of their three home matches this week against Rangers on Wednesday.
Hibs have 'mojo' back, says Lennon
'I never felt we had enough' – Rodgers
Player rater – who was man of the match?
Celtic's Christie nearing return
Celtic caught cold by Hibs' quick thinking
Hibs' intent was clear from kick-off as Emerson Hyndman and Oli Shaw moved the ball left to right for Slivka, who cut inside Jozo Simunovic to sweep a shot beyond Craig Gordon.
Slivka took a sore one after being on the end of a late lunge by Scott Brown, who was booked, and the midfielder did not reappear for the second half.
But his replacement Sean Mackie played a major role in the hosts' second as Neil Lennon's side broke from a Celtic corner and Mackie's diagonal ball was collected by Kamberi and lashed past Gordon.
It could have been worse for Celtic, with Stevie Mallan's first-half free-kick and dipping long-range drive in the second period beaten away by Gordon.
Celtic looked to James Forrest for inspiration and he twice had dangerous balls cut out with Odsonne Edouard waiting to convert a tap-in, and the winger also drew a save from Ofir Marciano.
Edouard was booked for simulation after going down in the wake of Steven Whittaker's challenge right on the edge of the box, though replays suggested there may have been some contact.
Morgan, Jonny Hayes and Mikey Johnston were sent on to give the visitors more impetus and Morgan was inches away from halving the deficit after inventive play by Johnston.
Florian Kamberi scores
Kamberi's previous goal also came against Celtic, back in October
'Lennon gets answer he was looking' – analysis
BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin at Easter Road
Hibernian boss Neil Lennon said pre-match he would know within the opening five minutes what the attitude and application of his players was going to be against champions Celtic.
Well he only had to wait 46 seconds when they gave the manager the answer he was looking for.
In recent weeks the management team at Easter Road have been extremely critical of their players but on this performance they should receive nothing but praise.
The centre-back pairing of Efe Ambrose and 19-year-old Ryan Porteous was solid. Stevie Mallan and Emerson Hyndman never gave the Celtic midfield a sniff and Oli Shaw was tireless in his work-rate alongside Flo Kamberi, who put in his finest performance of the campaign.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was without four key players and changed formation with Kristoffer Ajer slotting into a back three but they should still have enough in their locker to test a Hibernian side who have struggled in recent weeks.
With key games to come before the break including a visit to Ibrox, Rodgers will be keen to have the likes of Ryan Christie and Kieran Tierney back sooner rather than later, and the Celtic fans will be looking for the squad to be freshened up in the January transfer window with strikers a priority.
Hibs 2 – 0 Celtic: Neil Lennon’s men ease past hapless Celts
Hibernian's Florian Kamberi makes it 2-0. https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/hibs-2-0-celtic-neil-lennon-s-men-ease-past-hapless-celts-1-4844775
Published: 14:45 Sunday 16 December 2018
Normally an early goal against Celtic signals trouble ahead for opposition foolhardy enough to have taken the lead. Hibs delivered a wake-up call in the form of Vykintas Slivka’s opener just 46 seconds into this early afternoon kick-off. Hibernian were still awaiting the fierce response they expected would be triggered by such impertinence when they scored a second shortly before the hour mark.
This was not just any goal either. It was one fit to decide any match. Florian Kamberi rocketed a shot past Craig Gordon into the roof of his net with his right foot to end a period of lean form for him personally.
Even then Celtic could not be roused. There was still over half an hour left following Kamberi’s strike. But Celtic were unable to test Hibs goalkeeper Ofir Marciano. They failed to stretch him throughout in fact. Only James Forrest managed a shot on target and this was sent straight at the goalkeeper. Some crosses flashed across the goal but no-one showed the required determination or displayed a striker’s instinct to get on the end of them.
Scott Brown did show a flash of rage and it really should have led to his afternoon being cut short – the fate befalling his victim, Slivka. Brown’s challenge after 36 minutes looked robust when witnessed live and grew worse – much worse – when viewed again via replays. Referee Don Robertson booked him at the time but Brown will know he got away with a very agricultural challenge that ultimately led to Slivka being removed from the fray with severe bruising to a foot.
The Lithuanian packed a lot into his 45 minutes on the pitch. Indeed, he needed around 45 seconds to make his mark. Slivka was involved near his own corner flag as Celtic sought to mount their first attack and helped Steven Whittaker out of trouble by playing a one-two. The Hibs right-back sent the ball towards Oli Shaw, whose intelligent lay-off found Slivka, who had continued his run up the park.
The mercurial midfielder transferred the ball from his right to his left foot and directed a curling shot past Craig Gordon. Slivka only scores against the Old Firm; this was his third Hibs goal, all of which have come against Celtic and Rangers. He scored in a 2-1 win over Celtic last season and also notched in a 3-2 victory over Rangers in the same campaign.
Meek, shot-shy and ultimately out-classed, Celtic delivered a worrying glimpse of life without a clutch of first-team regulars. Injured trio Kieran Tierney, Mikael Lustig and Ryan Christie were all missing. Christie, who until recently would have been identified as a squad player, has become so integral to Celtic’s output they looked lost without him.
Leigh Griffiths’ absence, for different reasons, was also marked. The home fans unveiled a banner with the message: Stay Strong Sparky. He scored a winner against his old club last season and how Rodgers could have done with the option of at least bringing him on in a bid to ignite the flat champions.
This was one of those afternoons where Rodgers appeared to be making a point with his substitutions. This seemed particularly apparent when taking off lone striker Odsonne Edouard for Mikey Johnston. The uncomfortable truth is the latter, a winger, caused Hibs more problems in the 17 minutes he was on than any of his teammates who started.
Every so often Celtic are capable of producing this type of performance, particularly on the road. There was one at Tynecastle earlier in the season. Edouard’s booking for simulation summed up an afternoon where Celtic clutched desperately for something, anything, to enliven them. They have won just three times away from Celtic Park in the league this season.
A smaller than usual band of Celtic supporters looked on – their allocation had been cut by Hibs in a seemingly misguided attempt to let more of their own fans in. The result was that half the stand lay almost empty save for a couple of hundred of home fans.
Still, this wasn’t a must–see spectacle for Celtic fans. A long way from it in fact. Hibs supporters, by contrast, relished the return to form we associate more the Hibs of last season. After seven matches without a win, they’ve collected successive victories and kept two clean sheets. They also had their own, perhaps more profound, problems in terms of personnel – the hosts were missing seven first-team regulars, including danger man Martin Boyle.
H
Kamberi responded well to recent criticism, from Hibs assistant manger Garry Parker among others, to lead the line effectively while also scoring one of the goals of the season. “He’s been half there for weeks,” said Neil Lennon afterwards as if to underline it was about time the striker shone again.
There were also significant contributions from unexpected sources. Sean Mackie is someone it’s possible even some Hibs fans were unaware of until yesterday. The 20 year-old came on after the interval to replace Slivka. Mackie, a left-back, was even asked to play out of position at left-midfield.
He had already swung in a couple of dangerous balls when Hibs broke upfield quickly after Olivier Ntcham hit the wall with a free-kick. Mackie was alert to Kamberi’s unchecked run and sent a long ball from the left flank towards the Swiss striker. Kamberi still had much to do and he chested the ball down before running into the box and rifling a fierce shot into the rigging.