Celtic 3-1 Hibernian: Champions extend mammoth lead at top of the table after comeback win
Celtic came from behind to beat Hibernian 3-1 as the champions extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to 20 points.
Martin Boyle gave the visitors the lead but Celtic turned the game around with two goals in four minutes just before the break from Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah.
Reo Hatate scored his 11th goal of the season in the second half as Celtic inflicted just a second defeat in 20 league matches on David Gray’s team, who remain three points above Aberdeen in the race for third place.
Brendan Rodgers had flagged big changes to his team but the three alterations were all influenced by fitness issues. Kasper Schmeichel and Kuhn returned, while Auston Trusty replaced the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Celtic dominated the early stages but Idah could not beat goalkeeper Jordan Smith when clean through and twice failed to connect with square balls from Daizen Maeda before he eventually netted.
Schmeichel made an excellent stop from Boyle, although the Hibs attacker might have been offside, before being beaten by the same player in the 25th minute.
Trusty failed to divert Josh Campbell’s shot to safety and Boyle stabbed home from nine yards.
Arne Engels fired over and Hibs survived a VAR check for handball against Chris Cadden before Celtic turned the game on its head in the final four minutes of the half.
Kuhn rounded Smith to equalise after Rocky Bushiri had eased Idah off course for Anthony Ralston’s ball over the top, only to leave the coast clear for the German winger.
Kuhn soon turned provider as the Hibs defence failed to track Idah’s run and the Irishman slotted home from the through ball.
Bushiri headed not far wide from a long throw early in the second half before Jack Iredale and Kuhn were each handed a yellow card following an off-the-ball grapple.
Celtic moved further ahead in the 58th minute after some excellent one-touch football in and around the box, ending with Hatate sweeping home from an Engels pass.
Idah twice shot over from decent chances, although he was flagged offside from the second, and Schmeichel ensured there would be no nervy finish as he saved from Jordan Obita and substitute Junior Hoilett.
Rodgers introduced 18-year-old midfielder Sean McArdle for a debut in the 85th minute and the young player showed some good touches and a willingness to get forward.
Luke McCowan forced a decent late save from Smith as Celtic saw out the win.
What the managers said…
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers:
“On a day like today, a beautiful day, we’ve already won the league, it would have been so easy just to turn up and not play with that tempo and intensity.
“As I said to the players before, this club is all about building on your past success, not dwelling on it.
“Two weeks ago you were a champion, we have a chance in two weeks’ time to gain another title. We need to build on the other two by keeping our rhythm, keeping our mentality to arrive for the Scottish Cup in a really good place.
“But the work we did as a team, that was the difference. To be a team of dominance, you need to counter-press the game.
“Against a team like Hibs, who are very good, you see it so many times when they defend well, like they’ve done, then they break out with speed and pace, and the strikers up front, they can be a real handful.
“But how we pressed the game from the first minute to the end made me so proud of the team. Just that ethic and mentality to win, and then that gave us the platform to play our football.”
Hibs head coach David Gray:
“The goals we lose are poor goals but also the timing of it as well.
“To be 1-0 up with five minutes to go before half-time, to then be 2-1 down before half-time, it was difficult for the players because then naturally you’re going to get that bit of a body blow at that point.
“Celtic have demonstrated that against us in all the games we’ve played against them. If you switch off for one second or you don’t quite do your job properly, they punish you.
“That’s why they’re the best team in the league and they’ve certainly done that again to us.”
