Match Pictures | Matches: 2024 – 2025
Trivia
- KO: 15:00; Sunday; Premier TV;
- Scottish Cup Quarter-final
- Hibernian have been resurgent of late and even defeated Celtic two weeks back in a surprise result. They’re now third in the league table having been stuck at the bottom earlier in the season! Incredible turn in form and one of the stories of the season.
- Ex-Celt Shaun Maloney sacked by Wigan as manager.
- Former Celtic coach Harry Kewell is surprised Daizen Maeda is still with Celtic and says “there’s no limit” for the player.
- Celtic unveil Limited Edition Irish Origins Collection, the extortionate £90 price for the main top has led to an online backlash.
- Kyogo Furuhashi, who left Celtic recently for Rennes in January, says he felt “depressed and frustrated” after being snubbed by Japan while playing for Celtic. He’s not getting any gametime at Rennes and has been snubbed by their new manager.
- Arts: Scottish painter Jack Vettriano, best known for his painting The Singing Butler, has died at the age of 73.
- Report: Alistair Johnston has emerged as a transfer target for Serie A leaders Inter Milan. (Inter Live).
- Ben Doak’s agent Jackie McNamara says the Scotland winger would have stayed at Celtic rather than move to Liverpool if ex-boss Ange Postecoglou had guaranteed him a place in his first team.
- A new £300m project – which will include a new stadium for Aberdeen and is being compared to the planned redevelopment of Old Trafford – has been unveiled for Aberdeen beach.
- SPFL bosses say Police Scotland has told them it is open to discussions’ aimed at lifting Scottish football’s alcohol ban after more than 40 years.
- Celtic will have 500 less fans the next time they are at Hampden for a cup tie. The SPFL has made the ruling after fans used pyro at the semi-final of the league cup against Aberdeen then against Sevco in the final.
- Celtic’s kit sales through Adidas are among the top 20 across Europe.
- Celtic also sit in the top 20 across Europe for kit and merchandising revenue, with the club recording revenue of €35m (£29.3m) in this department for 2024. Again, Celtic saw a strong growth over a five-year period from 2019, with a €14m (£11.7m) jump in kit and merchandising revenues since then.
- Ex-Celt Mark Wilson is in interim charge of Partick Thistle until end of season.
- Union Saint-Gilloise working on £5m deal for Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller who has been linked with Celtic repeatedly.
Summary
John Collins Former Hibernian midfielder and manager on BBC Sportsound From start to finish, Celtic passed the ball well. Credit to Hibs, they dug in. They kept their shape second half, I thought they posed a few problems. Boyle still looked sharp, I wouldn’t have taken him off. Most teams that come here, it’s always difficult. Celtic have got better players all over the pitch. Hibs, could they have done any more? I don’t think so. I think they gave it everything.
Celtic striker Adam Idah tells Premier Sports: “It was a great performance. “After the result last time against them we knew today would be tough but we wanted to prove to everyone what kind of team we are. “We knew we had to put the game from last week to bed and put it right today. We were brilliant the whole game, disappointing we didn’t score more goals, but happy with the win. “I don’t know how many games that is in a row that he’s [Maeda] scored. It’s not just his goals, his performance on the pitch is amazing. He’s the first name on the teamsheet, I don’t know where we’d be without him. “I haven’t scored in a while, to get the goal and get that feeling back was nice. Hopefully I can continue that going forward.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tells Premier Sports: “We had a spell of about 10-12 mintues in the second half where we gave the ball away cheaply but I thought overall we controlled the game well. “The Hibs supporters were brilliant. The atmosphere was good. We knew we had to be the real Celtic today and play and I thought the boys did that really well. “The professionalism of the players is very important. When you’re winning trebles, the professionalism and attitude to training every day, you can’t do that unless you have the mental fitness to keep going and keep working and the guys have done that today.”
Brendan Rodgers also spoke about Daizen Maeda post-match: “I think he’s an amazing role model. He’s so honest to the game. He’s just been brilliant. I said [when Kyogo left] he can play as a striker but I didn’t want him to, I wanted another body in. You don’t play for Japan in the World Cup as a number nine if you can’t finish. He’s not a target man but look at all the goals he scores, he’s a goal scorer, maybe not a direct, out-and-out number nine but he scores goals.”
Hibernian head coach David Gray tells BBC Sportsound: “It’s disappointment straight after the game, we’ve not had this feeling for a long, long time. It’s never nice when you lose a game of football and find yourself out of the cup. “We need to dust ourselves down quickly because our attention has to quickly change towards league form now. We can’t dwell on the result. “The performance itself wasn’t through a lack of effort. The players gave us absolutely everything again. When we did have opportunities to hurt Celtic, when we did turn the ball over, we weren’t as good as we have been in recent weeks.” And, on Nicky Cadden’s injury, Gray said: “It’s too early to say exactly what it is, his hamstring tightened up when he was chasing back there.”
El Salto of KDS:
A great win, totally in control except for a wee 10 minute spell after the subs. Our possession football was a joy to watch. Their keeper kept the score down, 2-0 flattered Hibs.
Hibs’ game plan is all muscle and very little football, they never looked like scoring.
Impressed by McCowan when he came on, but over the piece I thought Schlupp, Engels, and of course, Daizen were best.
Teams
Celtic
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Formation: 4 – 3 – 3
01 K. Schmeichel
15 J. Schlupp 86′, Yellow Card at 86mins
06 A. Trusty
20 C. Carter-Vickers
02 A. Johnston
41 R. Hatate
42 C. McGregor (c), Captain, subbed for L. McCowan at 75mins
27 A. Engels
07 Jota, subbed for Yang Hyun-Jun at 75mins
38 D. Maeda
10 N. Kühn, subbed for A. Idah at 84mins
Subs:
09 A. Idah
24 J. Kenny
14 L. McCowan
47 D. Murray
56 A. Ralston
12 V. Sinisalo
03 G. Taylor
13 Yang Hyun-Jun
Goals:
D. Maeda (39′)
A. Idah (90’+2)
Assists:
L. McCowan (90’+2)
Hibernian
Manager: David Gray
Formation: 3 – 5 – 2
13 J. Smith
15 J. Iredale 23′, Yellow Card at 23mins
33 R. Bushiri
02 L. Miller
12 C. Cadden
22 N. Moriah-Welsh, subbed for D. Levitt at 64mins
32 J. Campbell 28′, Yellow Card at 28mins, subbed for J. Hoilett at 78mins
26 N. Triantis 48′, Yellow Card at 48mins
19 N. Cadden, subbed for J. Obita at 35mins
20 K. Bowie, subbed for D. Gayle at 64mins
10 M. Boyle (c), Captain, subbed for É. Youan at 78mins
Subs:
01 J. Bursik
34 D. Gayle
23 J. Hoilett
99 M. Kuharevich
06 D. Levitt
05 W. O’Hora
21 J. Obita
07 É. Youan
Goals:
Assists:
Referee Nick Walsh
Video Assistant Referee Kevin Clancy
Assistant Referee 1 Frank Connor
Assistant Referee 2 Colin Drummond
Fourth Official Grant Irvine
Assistant VAR Official Andrew McWilliam
Att:
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
Stats
Overall possession
Celtic 77% Hibernian 23%
Shots
Celtic 18 Hibernian 3
Shots on target
Celtic 8 Hibernian 1
Goalkeeper saves
Celtic 1 Hibernian 6
Fouls
Celtic 9 Hibernian 5
Corners
Celtic 13 Hibernian 2
Advanced match stats
Shots
Celtic 18 Hibernian 3
Shots on target
Celtic 8 Hibernian 1
Shots off target
Celtic 6 Hibernian 1
Blocked shots
Celtic 4 Hibernian 1
Fouls
Celtic 9 Hibernian 5
Total yellow cards
Celtic 1 Hibernian 3
Goalkeeper saves
Celtic 1 Hibernian 6
Diving saves
Celtic 0 Hibernian 1
Saved shots from inside the box
Celtic 1 Hibernian 4
Saved shots from outside the box
Celtic 0 Hibernian 2
Goal kicks
Celtic 5 Hibernian 10
Articles
Celtic Defeat Hibs 2-0 to Reach Scottish Cup Semi-Finals
The match report from today’s game
The Celtic Underground
Mar 09, 2025
https://thecelticunderground.substack.com/p/celtic-defeat-hibs-2-0-to-reach-scottish?r=3wldy3&triedRedirect=true
Celtic took another step toward securing a domestic treble with a composed 2-0 victory over Hibernian in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals. Goals from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah, one in each half, ensured Brendan Rodgers’ side progressed to the semi-finals in front of a packed Celtic Park.
With the league title all but secured, this competition remains a key target for Celtic as they look to add another piece of silverware to their growing collection. Against a well-organised Hibs side that defended deep, patience was required, but Celtic ultimately got the job done with a professional performance.
A Fast Start, Then a Tactical Battle
Celtic started brightly, moving the ball quickly and looking to stretch the Hibs backline. The visitors, however, had set up defensively, with a back five designed to frustrate the Hoops and limit space in the final third. Despite the congestion, Celtic found joy in the wide areas, with Maeda and Jota looking dangerous early on.
The opening goal arrived in the first half through Maeda, who reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box to fire past the helpless Hibs goalkeeper. The Japanese international is known for his relentless energy, and his anticipation in this moment proved crucial. He remained a lively presence throughout the half and could have added to his tally with a couple of other opportunities.
Despite falling behind, Hibs remained compact, sitting deep and hoping to stay in the game as long as possible. However, they rarely threatened Kasper Schmeichel in the Celtic goal. The Danish keeper had a quiet afternoon, with the visitors struggling to create any clear-cut chances.
Celtic’s Patience Pays Off
As the game progressed into the second half, the tempo dropped slightly, with Hibs continuing to frustrate Celtic’s attacking play. The deep defensive setup from David Gray’s side made it difficult for Celtic to break through, leading to spells of the game becoming somewhat bogged down.
However, as the minutes ticked away, Celtic’s quality shone through. They remained composed, continued to probe, and crucially avoided allowing Hibs a route back into the game. While the visitors kept themselves in contention, they never truly looked like testing Schmeichel, with Celtic’s defence standing firm.
Then, in the final moments, came the goal that sealed the result. Adam Idah, who has been making an impact since his arrival, took his chance superbly, finishing confidently to ensure there would be no late drama. The goal allowed Celtic to relax and see out the remaining minutes comfortably, with the home fans able to enjoy the closing stages knowing a semi-final place was secured.
The Treble Is Within Reach
With the league title virtually wrapped up, the Scottish Cup remains a crucial part of Celtic’s ambitions for another historic treble. This win moves them one step closer, with just a handful of big matches remaining between now and the end of the season.
Brendan Rodgers will be pleased with his team’s discipline and ability to grind out a result against a defensive opponent. While it wasn’t a free-flowing attacking performance, Celtic showed the patience and quality required to break down a stubborn side—something that will be important as the season reaches its defining moments.
For Hibs, there was no shame in their effort. They defended well in spells and stayed in the game longer than many expected, but ultimately, they lacked the attacking threat to cause Celtic real problems. Their fans, numbering around 7,000, gave them strong backing throughout, staying with their team until the final whistle.
Now, all eyes turn to the semi-finals, where Celtic will face another crucial test. With the team in strong form and confidence growing, the dream of another domestic clean sweep remains very much alive.
Thanks for reading The Celtic Underground
This is vengeful Celtic’s treble to lose as sizeable roadblock removed in clinical dismantling of Hibs
Mark Atkinson
By Mark Atkinson
Sports Editor
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/latest-celtic-news/this-is-vengeful-celtics-treble-to-lose-as-sizeable-roadblock-removed-in-clinical-dismantling-of-hibs-5024521
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Published 9th Mar 2025, 17:25 GMT
Celtic made up for Easter Road hiccup with Scottish Cup success
No slip-up from Celtic this time around. Fifteen days after a surprise 2-1 Premiership defeat by Hibs at Easter Road, the two teams reconvened on Scottish Cup duty at Parkhead. It is Brendan Rodgers’ men who are safely in the draw for the semi-finals.
Celtic ended Hibs’ 15-game unbeaten run in the process with a 2-0 triumph over David Gray’s in-form team. The visitors’ last defeat prior to this trip was west was on December 7 when they lost 3-0 at … Celtic Park. Given the Hibees were also knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup earlier in the season at this venue, Gray and Co will be glad to see the back of the east end of Glasgow.
They can have no quibbles about the outcome on a glorious early spring afternoon. This was cup-final day weather. The sunshine dazzled down on Parkhead but not the Leithers. Hibs were largely kept in check by a tenacious, hungry Celtic side that would have scored more had visiting keeper Jordan Smith, fresh from signing a new contract on Saturday night, not pulled off a number of excellent saves.
Daizen Maeda scored his 27th goal of the season for Celtic against Hibs.
Daizen Maeda scored his 27th goal of the season for Celtic against Hibs. | SNS Group
As it was, strikes from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah were enough to secure Celtic’s passage in a cup tie they largely controlled but never tucked up in bed until the 92nd minute.
Backed by a noisy travelling support of 7000 from the capital, Hibs provided plenty of effort but little endeavour. They were strangled right from the off by Celtic, who were clearly eager to right the wrongs of two weeks ago. It was the largest visiting crowd at this stadium since 2018 and added to the sense of occasion.
Hibs will now solely focus on the Premiership. Currently in third place, they are favourites to secure best of the rest in Gray’s first season in charge. Given they were bottom with just two wins four months ago, there has been much to shout about recently. Hibs will now be cheering on Celtic to lift the trophy in May so that if they do take third, they get the benefits of guaranteed group-stage European football.
The treble is now right in Celtic’s grasp. With the Premier Sports Cup already in the satchel and a 16-point lead over Rangers at the top of the league, only Hearts, Aberdeen, St Johnstone and Livingston stand in their way. This was another significant stop on the silver-plated road.
Hibs were backed by 7000 supporters at Celtic Park.
Hibs were backed by 7000 supporters at Celtic Park. | SNS Group
With a full week to prepare for this tie, it was no surprise to see Celtic fly out of the traps at Hibs. Captain Callum McGregor took aim from just outside the penalty box on four minutes but the alert Smith plunged across his goal and made a smart stop.
Hibs’ big chance in the match came five minutes later when Josh Campbell’s intelligent quick throw-in set Kieron Bowie free. The angle was tight and the striker tried to lash the ball past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who stood firm. It will irk Gray that this was Hibs’ only moment of note in front of goal in the whole encounter.
Bowie and Martin Boyle were muted by Celtic’s excellent defensive pairing of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty. Ahead of them, the midfield probed and set Nicolas Kuhn and Jota free down the flanks. Hibs held firm until the 38th minute, when Jota’s cutback found Kuhn and while Smith saved well from his effort, Maeda reacted quickest to net his 27th goal of a rampant season.
Smith turned a fierce Reo Hatate drive over his bar and Hibs suffered a further blow when left wing-back Nicky Cadden, so often a source of goals for them, was forced off with a muscle injury. The break came at a good time for Gray as he tried to rally his team but it was more of the same after the interval.
Adam Idah ended the contest with a stoppage-time strike.
Adam Idah ended the contest with a stoppage-time strike. | SNS Group
Maeda slid wide from presentable range, Smith blocked from Jota and then Jeffrey Schlupp fired inches wide of goal. Hibs had their greatest spell of possession in the last 15 minutes but never created a tangible opportunity.
Exposed as they pushed for a leveller in stoppage time, Hibs were caught by the sucker punch. It was made by two subs, with Luke McCowan sprinting to the byline and cutting back for Idah to net from close range. The tin lid was put on affairs.
The Hibs fans loudly cheered their players at the full-time whistle. Like their hosts, they still have much to play for this season – but it is Celtic who have winners’ medals glinting in their eyes now.
Daizen’s sensational season continues with strike against Hibs
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/march/09/daizen-s-sensational-season-continues-with-strike-against-hibs/
First Team
By Matthew Campbell
Share
09 Mar 2025, 6:25 pm
Daizen Maeda’s excellent campaign continued today at Celtic Park as he fired the Celts in to the lead just before half time in today’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Hibs.
That goal, his 27th of the season so far, made it 1-0 to the Hoops, and as the match wore on, it looked like it would be Daizen’s goal that would separate the sides until Adam Idah made it 2-0 in the 91st minute.
The Japanese forward’s work rate throughout the match was typically relentless as he put in a shift in both defence and attack to not only ensure that the Hoops’ place at Hampden was secured, but to also grab yet another Man of the Match award.
And speaking to Celtic TV after the match, Daizen expressed his delight at reaching the last four of the Scottish Cup.
He said: “It was a difficult game, but we played our style of play and we got the win, so I’m very happy about that.
“We knew that the game was going to be difficult, and as a team we knew the importance of the first goal, and I was happy to score that.
“As a team, we got the win and we move on to the next stage. We’ll try to get the results in the next two games.”
Dominant Celts book semi-final spot with 2-0 win over Hibs
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/march/09/dominant-celts-book-their-hampden-spot-with-2-0-win-over-hibs/
First Team
By Matthew Campbell
Share
09 Mar 2025, 5:07 pm
Scottish Cup
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Celtic Park, Glasgow
CELTIC…2
(Maeda 38, Idah 90 +1)
HIBS…0
Celtic delivered a dominant and impressive performance at Celtic Park this afternoon as they overcame Hibernian thanks to goals from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah to book their place in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
The Celts looked dangerous from the start and they fashioned a good opportunity within the first few minutes when Nicolas Kühn drifted a ball in to the six-yard box where Daizen Maeda was prowling, but the Japanese forward couldn’t get a touch on the ball before Jordan Smith gathered it up.
Less than two minutes later, Callum McGregor drew a good diving save from the Hibs keeper as the captain hit a vicious strike from outside the box which looked destined for the bottom corner.
Celtic were in full command of the opening stages of the match, however Hibs have shown over the course of the last few months that they carry a threat going forward, and with 18 minutes played, they showed that again when Kieron Bowie burst in the Celtic penalty area and powered a shot towards goal, which Kasper Schmeichel done well to keep out.
As the half wore on, the visitors started to grow in to the game as they disrupted the Celts’ rhythm by committing fouls and breaking up the play wherever they could.
The Hoops, however, continued to try and cut Hibs open and with just under 10 minutes of the first half left to play, Daizen Maeda had a massive opportunity to make it 1-0.
Reo Hatate sent a dangerous ball in Daizen’s direction, which the forward controlled and carried in to the box, however, his shot drifted well over the bar.
He made no mistake with his next opportunity however, which came just a minute later when a ball to the back post from Jeffrey Schlupp found Nicolas Kühn.
Kühn’s effort was saved by Smith, but as he so often is, Daizen was the first to react to the rebound and he slammed it in to net to make it 1-0 to Celtic.
In the 43rd minute, Hatate almost scored a goal-of-the-season contender when he fired an effort towards the top corner from 25 yards out, but Jordan Smith got up well and tipped the effort over the bar with his fingertips.
77%
Possession
23%
18
Shots
3
8
Shots On Target
1
13
Corners
2
9
Fouls
5
1
0
Cards
3
0
With just under 10 minutes of the second half gone, Jota produced a moment of brilliance as he carried the ball down the left wing from the halfway line, leaving Chris Cadden in his wake as he skipped in to the box and had a shot at goal, which the keeper was able to keep out.
In the 60th minute, Daizen found himself with another huge opportunity to score as Nicolas Kühn flashed a ball across the face of Hibs’ goal towards the Japanese forward, but incredibly the ball ricocheted off of Daizen two yards out from goal and ended up drifting over the bar.
Jeffrey Schlupp then almost grabbed his second Celtic goal five minutes later as the chances kept coming for the Hoops, but his low, curling effort crept just wide of the post.
As the game wore on, the massive travelling Hibs support started to grow in belief that their side could grab a late equaliser to take the match to extra-time, however Celtic limited the visitors to few chances as they focused their efforts on securing a spot in the last four.
Brendan Rodgers made two changes with 15 minutes of the match remaining, bringing Luke McCowan and Yang on for Callum McGregor and Jota as the Celts continued to hunt for a second goal to put the game beyond Hibs.
And Yang found himself with a chance to kill the game off in the 90th minute after a good ball across the Hibernian back line from Daizen, but Yang was unable to make a convincing connection with the ball.
However, the Celts’ place in the semi final was made certain in the 91st minute when Adam Idah made it 2-0 after some great work from Luke McCowan to set up the chance.
Brendan Rodgers and his side will find out tomorrow who they will face in the semi-final, as they look ahead to next weekend’s Glasgow derby at Celtic Park.
Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Schlupp, Engels, McGregor (McCowan 75′), Hatate, Kühn (Idah 84′), Maeda, Jota (Hyunjun Yang 75′)
Subs: Taylor, Idah, Sinisalo, Hyunjun Yang, McCowan, Kenny, Murray, Ralston
Hibernian: Smith, Miller, Bushiri, Iredale, Nicky Cadden (Obita 35′), Triantis, Campbell (Hoilett 78′), Moriah-Welsh (Levitt 64′), Chris Cadden, Boyle (Youan 78′), Bowie (Gayle 64′)
Subs: Bursik, O’Hora, Levitt, Youan, Obita, Hoilett, Gayle, Kuharevich
BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cp9y0j475kgt#Report
Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park
Daizen Maeda’s 27th goal of the season and Adam Idah’s injury-time strike kept Celtic on track for the domestic treble after a keenly contested Scottish Cup quarter-final with Hibernian.
The capital side had not won in the Scottish Cup at Celtic Park since 1902 and Japan international Maeda prolonged their agony just before the break with his 13th goal in 13 games.
The 27-year-old fired high into the roof of the net after goalkeeper Jordan Smith saved superbly from Nicolas Kuhn, minutes after Maeda blasted over when he looked set to score.
Smith ably demonstrated why Hibs tied him to a new contract, keeping his side in the tie with two superb first-half saves from Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate.
Celtic’s ‘physical beast’ Maeda makes mark again
Published
2 hours ago
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All you need to know about Hibs
At the other end, Kasper Schmeichel demonstrated his value to the Scottish Cup holders with a fabulous early save to thwart a powerful shot by Kieron Bowie.
Celtic had plenty of chances to extend their lead, none more glaring than a close-range stab past a post from Maeda.
Similar applied to a late, wild slash wide by substitute Yang Hyun-jun.
His blushes were spared when fellow substitute Luke McCowan set up Idah for a tidy finish from a tight angle to ensure Celtic will be in Monday’s semi-final draw live on BBC Scotland.
With the League Cup already in the cabinet and a huge lead in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic’s designs on the treble hold firm.
As does an unbeaten domestic home record that stretches back to December 2023 and Brendan Rodgers’ record of winning all 20 Scottish Cup ties as Celtic manager.
Media caption,
Maeda pounces on rebound to give Celtic the lead
What they said
Hibernian head coach David Gray: “It’s disappointment – we’ve not had this feeling for a long, long time. We need to dust ourselves down. We can’t dwell on the result.
“The players gave us absolutely everything again. But when we did have opportunities to hurt Celtic, we weren’t as good as we have been in recent weeks.”
Celtic striker Adam Idah on Premier Sports: “After the result last time, we knew today would be tough but we wanted to prove what kind of team we are.
“We were brilliant the whole game, disappointing we didn’t score more goals, but happy with the win.”
Former Celtic and Hibs midfielder John Collins on Sportsound: “Credit to Hibs, they dug in. They kept their shape second half, I thought they posed a few problems.
“Most teams that come here, it’s difficult because Celtic have better players. Hibs, could they have done any more? I don’t think so. I think they gave it everything.”