Daizen Maeda Inspires Celtic to Dramatic Derby Victory
Daizen Maeda lit up Celtic Park with a moment that will live long in the memory and dragged the champions right back into the title fight.
With Celtic already in front and the stadium crackling, the Japan forward arched his body, met a looping ball, and sent an overhead kick spinning into the top corner. It was outrageous. It was ruthless. It was his second goal in four minutes, his sixth in four games, and it ripped the game away from Rangers.
From behind, Celtic won 3-1. From doubt, they moved to within a single point of William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts. The roar at full-time told its own story: this race is not done.
Rangers strike first, Celtic hit back
Rangers had arrived in Glasgow’s east end with purpose and struck early. In the ninth minute, Mikey Moore silenced the home end, finishing clinically to give the visitors the start every away side dreams of in this fixture.
Celtic wobbled, but only briefly. The first half quickly turned into a furious, end-to-end contest, tackles snapping in, space opening and closing in a heartbeat. Both sides traded attacks, both looked capable of scoring again.
Yang Hyun-jun did. His equaliser midway through the half came in controversial circumstances, Rangers protesting as Celtic celebrated. The arguments raged, the noise rose, the temperature of the game climbed. The goal stood. The derby burned.
By the interval, it felt like anything could happen. Celtic Park crackled with tension and possibility.
Maeda takes control
The second half answered the question of who would handle the moment better.
Celtic came out with a different edge, pinning Rangers back and turning possession into pressure. The visitors began to creak. The pressure finally told in the 53rd minute.
Maeda, already in the form of his Celtic career, struck first with a sharp, first-time finish to complete the comeback and send the home support surging to their feet. It was the kind of goal that belongs to a player who knows exactly where the net is and exactly what the occasion demands.
Four minutes later, he produced something even more spectacular.
The ball dropped, bodies crowded the box, and Maeda improvised. His overhead kick looped beautifully, almost cruelly, into the top corner. Time seemed to slow as it arced beyond the goalkeeper’s reach. When the net bulged, Celtic Park exploded.
Rangers tried to respond, pushing bodies forward, but the pattern had shifted. Celtic had the lead, the momentum, and the belief. The champions stood firm as the visitors chased a way back that never truly arrived.
Title race re-ignited
This was more than just a derby win. The result, combined with Hearts’ draw at Motherwell on Saturday night, reshapes the top of the table.
Celtic now sit one point behind Hearts, with a trip to Fir Park next. A single point there would be enough to ensure that when the champions meet Hearts next Sunday, they will have the chance to take the title off the leaders head‑to‑head.
Hearts still cling to a goal difference advantage of three, but that only matters in a narrow scenario: Celtic drawing at Motherwell and Hearts then losing at home to Falkirk. For now, the maths can wait.
What cannot be ignored is the shift in mood. From chasing shadows to chasing the title, Celtic have dragged themselves back into the fight — and with Maeda in this kind of form, the run‑in suddenly looks very different.
