The Premiership leaders performed poorly in the city, losing 2-1 to David Gray’s men.
On a frenetic day, Hibs stunned champions Celtic with two goals from jubilant Josh Campbell.
The Easter Road ace scored a fantastic first-half double for David Gray’s side, extending their undefeated run to 13 games. Campbell’s third and fourth goals of the season put the hosts in command, but they had to withstand a fierce fightback from Brendan Rodgers’ side before crossing the line.
After watching his team struggle in the first period, Brendan Rodgers made adjustments, and the results were dramatic. Daizen Maeda’s 23rd goal of the season cut the margin in half in the second period, and the Japanese appeared to have earned a point for his side with a second place finish. However, Celtic’s celebrations were cut short after a VAR review determined that Alistair Johnston simply failed to maintain the ball in play before crossing.
That was a sore one for Celtic, who, despite suffering a hangover from their Champions League exploits in Munich in the first 45 minutes, shown resilience and character by pushing on to avoid loss. In the end, Hibs made it. Campbell’s goals were enough, and their fans screamed Gray’s name near the end of a match that extended their impressive recent run.
It was a thrilling match that began with an explosion. Hibs desired a fast start and couldn’t have asked for a better one, as they took the lead just two minutes. It was superbly executed, as Kieran Bowie held it up to get the attack started, and Nectar Triantis let Campbell through on Kasper Schmeichel.
The runner kept his calm and finished ahead of the Dane, forcing the Celtic No.1 to make a fantastic save from Bowie. Greg Taylor shot over, Warren O’Hora wonderfully blocked Maeda, and keeper Jordan Smith blocked Johnston as the champs looked for a response.
Arne Engels’ free-kick was saved, and Adam Idah squandered a clear chance to set Nicolas Kuhn up in the box as Celtic failed to equalise. Hibs doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time when Campbell superbly cushioned a header over Schmeichel from Martin Boyle’s cross.
VAR checked for offside, but the scorer was set up by defender Auston Trusty, and it was a fantastic opportunity for Gray’s men to strike again and gather momentum for the restart. Rodgers made wholesale changes, bringing back Jota, Jeffrey Schlupp, and Reo Hatate after they had been absent since Munich, and they rifled back with power.
Lewis Miller missed a clear-cut chance at the far post, which Schmeichel still had to save, but Celtic had begun to gather momentum and earned a lifeline midway through the second half. Jota rolled a cutback for Hatate, who missed a shot that bounced into the air. Smith was not confident enough, so the Japanese kept rushing to beat him to the ball and stab over the line.
This set up a spectacular finish as the hosts attempted to deny the league leaders while scrapping for an equaliser to rescue a point. It was frenetic. Hibs called for a penalty after substitute Mykola Kuharevich was brought down in the box by Cameron Carter-Vickers. Celtic raced down the other end instantly, and Jota ran 60 yards and nearly went all the way, only for Bushiri to kick his shot over the bar.
With eight minutes remaining, Maeda felt he had equalised after Hibs failed to deal with a Johnston cross, and the Asian rifled the loose ball home. However, after VAR reviews, it was determined that the ball had gone out of play before the Canadian produced his centre, and Hibs maintained their lead. Eight minutes of stoppage time were introduced to test Hibs’ nerves, but they held Rodgers’ team out to win.
Now, there are no grey skies.
The manager had a tough start to life in the permanent position, but he has a firm hold on the team today, and this was another significant step for the boss. A historic triumph versus Celtic. Grey took some time to get things operating the way he wanted, and the first step was to be more firm. With only one goal conceded in the previous five games, they hurled bodies at blocks, played offside brilliantly, and defended admirably, save for the keeper’s error, which allowed Maeda to score. Confidence is also important, and the team now has goals again. Hibs are heading in the right direction. Sunshine on Leith belting it out full-time is a positive sign.
Rodgers was right.
But not in the way he would have preferred. In his pre-match press conference, the Celtic manager dismissed discussion of next season’s Champions League, emphasising that the title has yet to be won and that there is still work to be done. That reality was demonstrated well at Easter Road. The champions were not at their best, and while some clubs fail to capitalise in such situations, Hibernian made them pay. Celtic were simply not at their best during the first period. They came back strong after the break, as is typical of them. They were millimetres from the spot at which the ball was judged to have rolled out of play, leading to Maeda’s second goal. It was not their day, and they understand that they must persevere in order to win the championship.
Bowie was great.
After joining Hibs from Fulham in the summer, the striker made his first start for the club and performed admirably. Nine substitute appearances demonstrated the skills that made him Scotland Under-21 striker, and he was a real handful for the Celtic defence. Bowie’s excellent offer and link placed Hibs up for an early lead, and he expanded on it. The kid’s ability to hold it up inspires midfielders like Campbell to make runs beyond. He doubled his season total in one half. The striker’s 62 minutes were brilliant, and Steve Clarke will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on him in the coming months, as Grey has nurtured him back to health with great patience.
