scottish champion celtics Just need a win in midweek to keep their place Premier League Their title hopes are now assured after a draw in Sunday’s derby.

It all started badly Martin O’NeillThe Ibrox players endured a first-half car crash in which everything that could go wrong went wrong for the Parkhead side.

To their credit, the Hoops responded after the break and turned the game around, deservedly leveling the scores with Reo Hatate’s nerve-wracking spot-on rebound following Kieran Tierney’s earlier header.

That second-half performance must now serve as the blueprint, despite finishing the game as Celtic’s midfielder Maeda Daizen Is the answer really center?

Maeda’s performance against the Rangers

The club’s recruitment was pretty poor, with the Hoops once again using Maeda as a makeshift forward, with Junior Adamu coming on at half-time, Thomas Chivankara not even coming on as a substitute, and Kelechi Iheanacho also missing from the squad.

The Japanese winger endured a miserable first half at Ibrox and was remembered for firing a wayward cross from the left that easily avoided the likes of Adame in the centre.

There were signs of life after a move towards the centre, with his header leading to a late handball from Dujon Sterling, although Maeda still looked a shadow of the player who lit up this game all those years ago, with just 25 touches of the ball in total on the day.

Lacking influence, the 28-year-old conceded the ball eight times, failed once a key pass and had a passing accuracy of just 69 per cent, with an even lower 40 per cent against Stuttgart on Thursday.

Perhaps Sunday’s second half did show that there’s still life left in Maeda and his compatriot Hatake, even if he’s not the 33-goal player he was last season after switching between the left and center with ease.

The former Yokohama man, who has scored just seven goals in the Premier League this season and just one since O’Neill replaced Nancy in January, is no longer the starter he once was.

In fact, the Celtics’ most reliable offensive threat appears to come from a different source.

£3m-rated Celtic star looks like former Maeda player

While last season’s free-scoring brilliance may have been an anomaly, Maeda’s game before that was characterized by his exceptional work ethic, known as “One person turns off the machine” Written by Chris Sutton in 2022.

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The expert was not impressed.

However, this quality has been rare in recent years, with Maeda only managing to recover the ball once, away at Ibrox, and winning just three of the eight duels he attempted.

During O’Neill’s two coaching periods, Maeda only scored 4 goals in 20 games. He does not seem to be thriving under the current regime and can be said to have been replaced by Yang Xianjun on the other side.

Although the Korean himself was not prolific, scoring just four league goals all season, he infused Maeda with the energy and perseverance that had been his key strength.

Indeed, Young came on as a second-half substitute against Stuttgart at Parkhead to breathe life into the hosts’ side, and was a real front-of-fire again against Rangers at the weekend.

The 23-year-old was arguably the brightest spark of the first half and was now a real outlet on the right wing, also twice demonstrating his Maeda-esque recovery abilities after sliding in to regain possession from two perfectly timed challenges.

There’s no denying that his final form needs to improve, with just 23 goals and assists in 99 games for the club, although he’s starting the 2025/26 season at crucial moments, whether with a stunning opener in the last derby or the 2-2 draw with leaders Hearts in January’s second game.

Like an earlier version of Maeda who was criticized for having issues with his end product, Young could be a talent worth holding on to and his failed sale to Birmingham City for £3m could prove to be a turning point.

then boss Brendan Rogers The Blues seemed willing to sanction a deal last summer but ultimately backed out as they were not keen on waiting for Celtic and Rodgers to acquire a replacement.

This seems to be a blessing in disguise given the lack of options on the right wing, other than James Forrest, and while Young is certainly not perfect, he seems to have more to offer than someone like Maeda right now, both on and off the ball.

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