Celtic Extend Lead with 3-0 Win Over Hibernian

Celtic extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a 3-0 victory over Hibernian and Brendan Rodgers praised their attacking performance. Despite dominating the match, Celtic’s manager criticized his team’s pressing game which allowed Hibs to create several clear chances especially in the first half. The match saw Celtic extend their winning streak to seven league games.

Hibs had early opportunities with Mykola Kuharevich being denied twice in one-on-one situations by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Joe Newell also missed a great chance when he fired over the bar from close range. Celtic made Hibs pay for their missed chances. Arne Engels opened the scoring with a tap-in, followed by an own goal from Newell and Kyogo Furuhashi’s classy finish after the break.

Despite the two-goal deficit, Hibs continued to miss chances with Schmeichel denying Elie Youan and Nicky Cadden before Lewis Miller’s header went straight at the Danish goalkeeper. Celtic’s intensity out of possession led to their third goal as James Forrest won the ball back high up the pitch and Kyogo finished with finesse. The win kept Celtic two points behind leaders Rangers with a game in hand.

Rodgers rotated his squad with Engels and Luke McCowan coming in and dropped Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kyogo to the bench for rest. Hibs on the other hand showed attacking intent but failed to capitalize on their chances, marking their worst top-flight start since the 1979-80 season. Manager David Gray remained positive, citing the team’s attacking potential despite the defeat. Looking ahead, Rodgers will likely rotate his squad again as Celtic prepare for a Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb.