Celtic bounced again from their disappointing defeat to their native rivals earlier than the worldwide break with a 3-0 win over Hearts at Parkhead within the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
The Hoops ran out snug winners, scoring all three of their objectives within the first half, and it was a much-needed victory after that they had two weeks to mull over their loss to Rangers in entrance of their house supporters final day trip.
An 88th-minute winner from Hamza Igamane secured a 3-2 win for the Gers once they got here throughout Glasgow to face Brendan Rodgers’ aspect, who had introduced it again to 2-2 from 2-0 down.
Celtic needed to bounce again from that disappointing efficiency and consequence, and that’s precisely what they did by claiming all three factors in opposition to the Jam Tarts in emphatic style.
The Scottish giants, who have been with out first-choice goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, helped Viljami Sinisalo to maintain his first clear sheet within the league, while the attacking gamers did their job on the different finish.
Daizen Maeda added two extra objectives to his season tally, both aspect of a strike from Jota, because the Japan worldwide put in yet one more sensible efficiency.
Daizen Maeda’s goalscoring type this season
The 27-year-old dynamo scored his twenty ninth and thirtieth objectives of the marketing campaign in all competitions for Celtic to set the Hoops on their method to the win in opposition to Hearts, while he additionally scored one of many two objectives within the 3-2 defeat to Rangers earlier than the break.
Maeda has scored 30 objectives and offered 9 assists in 43 appearances for the Bhoys, together with 15 objectives in 28 outings within the Premiership to date.
The Celtic quantity 38 scored two objectives from three photographs in opposition to Hearts, showcasing his medical edge in entrance of objective, and he has been the best finisher within the squad this season at Premiership stage.
Celtic gamers with essentially the most xG (Premiership) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
24/25 season | xG | Targets | xG differential |
Kyogo Furuhashi | 14.14 | 10 | -4.14 |
Daizen Maeda | 13.02 | 15 | +1.98 |
Adam Idah | 10.28 | 8 | -2.28 |
Nicolas Kuhn | 9.43 | 10 | +0.57 |
Arne Engels | 8.76 | 9 | +0.24 |
Stats by way of WhoScored | |||
As you possibly can see within the desk above, he’s the one participant within the prime 5 within the squad for xG to have outperformed his anticipated tally by multiple objective, with 15 strikes from 13.02 xG.
Maeda’s efficiency in opposition to Hearts was essential, as a result of he scored two of the three objectives, however he was removed from the one prime performer on the pitch for the Scottish giants, as central defender Maik Nawrocki was simply pretty much as good as him.
Why Maik Nawrocki was pretty much as good as Daizen Maeda
The Polish central defender was given the nod subsequent to Cameron Carter-Vickers, regardless of Auston Trusty being again accessible, and repaid Rodgers’ religion in him with a sensational show at centre-back.
Nawrocki blended unimaginable composure in possession with resolute defensive work to supply Celtic with a platform to construct out from the again on, while additionally giving Sinisalo little to do on his Premiership debut – dealing with simply two photographs heading in the right direction.
The previous Legia Warsaw star accomplished a whopping 98% of his tried passes (123/125), dropping possession twice from 144 touches, which speaks to how dependable he was with the ball at his toes.
Vs Hearts | Cameron Carter-Vickers | Maik Nawrocki |
|---|---|---|
Clearances | 3 | 10 |
Blocks | 0 | 3 |
Deal with | 1 | 1 |
Dribbled previous | 0x | 0x |
Floor duels gained | 1/6 | 1/2 |
Aerial duels gained | 2/3 | 7/7 |
Touches | 139 | 144 |
Possession misplaced | 3x | 2x |
Stats by way of Sofascore | ||
As you possibly can see within the desk above, Nawrocki was even higher than skilled central defender Carter-Vickers out and in of possession all through the sport, due to his defensive and passing contributions.
The 24-year-old star gained 89% of his duels within the sport to forestall Elton Kabangu and James Wilson from inflicting Sinisalo too many issues, while additionally permitting Celtic to dominate the sport by constantly slicing out opposition assaults.
Chalkboard
Soccer FanCast’s Chalkboard sequence presents a tactical dialogue from across the international sport.
He was, due to this fact, simply pretty much as good as Maeda in opposition to Hearts as a result of the centre-back was equally as essential to the consequence together with his imperious defensive work within the backline, outperforming Carter-Vickers and preserving the away aspect at bay for the overwhelming majority of the match.
Maik Nawrocki has revived his Celtic profession
Previous to the conflict with Rangers earlier than the worldwide break, Nawrocki had not performed a single minute of motion within the Premiership this season and had not began a single match in all competitions.
The central defender, who joined the membership from Legia Warsaw in the summertime of 2023, has been behind Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Liam Scales, and Stephen Welsh – earlier than his exit in January – within the pecking order in his place all through the 2024/25 marketing campaign.
Given his lack of minutes and the way far down the pecking order he was, it appeared as if Nawrocki was headed for an exit from Parkhead in the summertime switch window, however a possibility arose when accidents to Scales and Trusty offered him together with his first league look of the season in opposition to Rangers.
Nawrocki, regardless of the consequence, put in an outstanding show with seven clearances, 4 interceptions, one sort out, and 7 of ten duels gained within the match, with out being dribbled previous a single time.
Rodgers backed the 24-year-old colossus to duplicate that show, regardless of Trusty being accessible once more, and that’s precisely what he did in opposition to Hearts, placing in one other dominant exhibiting alongside Carter-Vickers.
The shirt ought to now be Nawrocki’s to lose between now and the top of the season. If he can proceed to place in performances like he has executed within the earlier two matches then it will likely be extremely troublesome for the supervisor to drop him out of the beginning XI.
A robust finish to the marketing campaign may then set him up for a giant season at Parkhead within the 2025/26 marketing campaign, because the central defender may go into it as a first-choice choice.
Associated
Celtic star almost left for greater than Kyogo & Frimpong, then he went for £0
Celtic as soon as rejected a big-money bid for his or her star earlier than he went on to go away for nothing.
Due to this fact, Nawrocki’s final two performances have revived his Celtic profession, which gave the impression to be over earlier than the Rangers sport, and it’s now all the way down to him to benefit from the alternatives that ought to, now, come his manner within the remaining weeks of the season.
