Dazzling Daizen Maeda at Celtic double to storm past hapless Hibs and reach Premier Sports Cup last 8 – 3 talking points

Celtic stormed into the Premier Sports Cup quarter finals as hapless Hibs were put to the sword by the Hoops for the second week in a row with Daizen Maeda at the double at Parkhead in a 3-1 victory.

It ensured Brendan Rodgers didn’t repeat last season’s failure when they fell at the first hurdle in the League Cup and they can now look forward to a quarter final after they’ve kicked off their Champions League campaign next month. But for opposite number David Gray it was more misery as Maeda netted twice inside the first quarter of an hour, however, returning Hibs loanee Mykola Kukharavychik did pull one back before the break with a magnificent header only for a defensive cock-up to hand Nicoas Kuhn a third.

Hibs conceded after just three minutes against Celtic seven days earlier and the key was to keep the Hoops out for longer. And they managed to do that - by 60 seconds! Nicolas Kuhn was the scorer at Easter Road but this time he was involved in the build up with a pass in for Reo Hatate who crossed for compatriot Maeda - leading the line in place of the injured Kyogo - to stab home.

The Hibees were two down after 19 minutes in Leith but found themselves conceding a second here after just a quarter of an hour. Kuhn was involved again with a lovely dinked pass and Maeda showed great determination to get to the ball ahead of Rocky Bushiri and knock it past the advancing Josef Bursik.

That looked to be that but the visitors somehow hauled themselves back into it before the break. Cameron Carter-Vickers conceded a free kick which Martin Boyle floated in and Kukharavychik, back for his second loan spell at Hibs did brilliantly to direct his header high into the net beyond Kasper Schmeichel.

It was a lifeline for Hibs