Daizen Maeda scored twice – including a brilliant overhead kick – as Celtic hit back to beat Rangers 3-1 and maintain their challenge at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
It looked bleak for Martin O’Neill’s men when Mikey Moore slotted the visitors in front after nine minutes but Yang Hyun-Jun equalised 14 minutes later and then Maeda took centre stage after the break.
The Japan international diverted Kieran Tierney’s cross past Jack Butland to make it 2-1 and then applied the coup de grace with a stunning acrobatic effort that settled a typically high octane encounter.
Celtic’s win moves them to within a point of leaders Hearts, who drew 1-1 at Motherwell last night.
Both teams have one more game to play before they clash at Parkhead on the final day of the season next Saturday.
Moore strikes first against nervy Celtic
Rangers’ defeat at Hearts on Monday effectively ended their title challenge but they were still determined to frustrate their arch enemies, and they made a bright start on a sunny day in Glasgow.
Moore led a rapid counter-attack before slipping in Youssef Chermiti but his shot flashed wide.
Moore took matters into his own hands shortly after, pouncing to fire home after Chertmiti’s shot had been partially blocked.
Maeda fluffed a wonderful chance to level after 16 minutes, sidefooting wide when well placed but South Korean Yang made no mistake seven minutes later, capping a fine move with a low finish – the goal surviving a VAR check with Benjamin Nygren deemed not to be impeding Butland while in an offside position.
Celtic were bossing possession but Rangers carried a significant attacking threat on the break.
Nasser Djiga denied Maeda with some fine defending while, at the other end, Emmanuel Fernandez’s powerful header was off target.
Maeda double sends Celtic fans wild
Maeda almost nudged Celtic in front seven minutes after the restart but just failed to get on the end of Nygren’s cross. He did better from Celtic’s next attack, deftly cushioning the ball into the net after a brilliant Tierney centre.
Parkhead was rocking but it went wild after 57 minutes when Sebastian Tounekti’s cross fell to Maeda. His first touch was not great, the ball bouncing up but that enabled him to acrobatically hook the ball over his head and into the top corner.
Maeda ought to have scored a hat-trick but skewed his shot wide having been played clean through.
Rangers poured forward in search of a way back into the contest but Bojan Miovski’s header that came back off the bar deep into injury-time was as close as they came.
Celtic go to Motherwell on Wednesday night with Hearts hosting Falkirk.
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