Hibernian boss David Gray has heaped praise on one Celtic winger ahead of Saturday’s game at Easter Road.
After Tuesday’s sensational performance in Munich, Celtic are back to domestic action at 12:30 against an in-form Hibs side in what will undoubtedly be a tough test.
It’s a chance for Celtic to go 16 points clear of Rangers for at least a couple of hours, with Philippe Clement’s side kicking off at 3pm against St Mirren at Ibrox.
One Celtic player stood out to Gray against Bayern on Tuesday night, and surprisingly, it’s not goalscorer Nicolas Kuhn. Instead, it’s another player who starred in the game, playing a huge role in Kuhn’s goal.
With Celtic travelling to the capital, Gray, who played as a right-back for Hibernian from 2014 until 2021, reflected on the Celtic winger he wouldn’t have known how to deal with during his playing days.
He said: (Edinburgh Evening News), “I say he’s (Daizen Maeda) one of the players that, even watching him against Bayern, he played through the middle, he’s incredible, his energy with and without the ball.
“It’s incredible when you think about. Regardless of what it says on the clock, you wouldn’t really know what minute the game is by watching him; it could be the first 30 seconds or well into injury time.
“You’d just see how he acts, and he doesn’t seem to tire. That’s credit to him for his fitness but also his ability.”
Maeda has been outstanding for Celtic this season. His determination to win the ball against Bayern high up the pitch led to the Hoops’ goal. A supernatural sprint caused Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae huge problems, leading to Kuhn calmly slotting it past Manuel Neuer.
Hibernian will likely face the same issues on Saturday if Rodgers chooses to start Maeda. With Aberdeen at Celtic Park on Tuesday, the Irishman may choose to rotate; however, if he does go with his best team, Maeda is one of the first names on the team sheet, alongside the likes of Callum McGregor, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Kasper Schmeichel.
After such an impressive performance in Munich, Easter Road won’t be an easy game, as it never is for Celtic. With the Hibees in good recent form, it will be a challenge for the Hoops after such an emotional end to the game at the Allianz.
