Celtic 5 Aberdeen 1: Five-star Hoops go 16 points clear as impressive Maeda makes it 25 goals for the season

GREG TAYLOR missed the game to be with his wife who was giving birth.

But Celtic didn’t labour without him.

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Daizen Maeda scored Celtic’s first and last goals of the game[/caption]

Kenny Ramsay

Jota was among the goals yet again[/caption]

Kenny Ramsay

Callum McGregor scored the third goal for Celtic[/caption]

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Brendan Rodgers’ men are 16 points clear at the top of the table[/caption]

Brendan Rodgers demanded one big push from his side and got it.

Daizen Maeda, Jota and Callum McGregor all scored first-half goals to have Aberdeen panting for breath.

After the break, Celtic’s attacks came at the shattered Dons like regular contractions with Yang Hyun-jun adding to their pain.

There was a rare bundle of joy for Jimmy Thelin’s side – which brought an end to Celtic’s incredible ten-game run without conceding a goal at home – when substitute Shayden Morris scored a last gasp consolation.

But even then Maeda scored again which must have made the away fans wanting to cry like babies.

The Pittodrie side actually started the game really well and looked like a group buoyed by the fact they were the only team in Scotland that has taken any points from Celtic Park in the league this season.

What a stat that is.

Maybe seeing Rodgers’ side lose to Hibs at Easter Road at the weekend was another reason for optimism.

Then again, what were the chances of them slipping up again?

There was obviously some controversy at the end of that game, with Maeda having a goal disallowed.

But despite the injustice Rodgers felt, he was honest enough to admit their performance was nowhere near good enough. 

Losing once was careless.

The idea of Celtic dropping three more points inside three days seemed highly unlikely.

Especially when Rodgers reverted back to the starting line-up that kicked off in the Champions League against Bayern Munich in Germany last week.

He’d made changes for the Hibees clash in Leith with Adam Idah up front and Maeda on the wing.

But it’s clear now that when the Celts’ boss names his strongest line-up, the Japanese forward will be up top.

Jeffrey Schlupp also started again – with Taylor unavailable for selection – and he’s another player who’s grabbed his chance.

The left-back is on loan from Crystal Palace but don’t be surprised if that turns into a permanent deal sometime soon.

All that said, Celtic were lucky not to go behind early on.

Thelin’s side could have scored twice inside the first ten minutes if they’d been more clinical.

First Oday Dabbagh could have been braver when Jeppe Okkels slipped him in, as the Dons attacked on the break.

Then Kevin Nisbet let the home side off the hook when he missed the target after more uncertainty at the back.

It was more encouragement for Aberdeen.

Celtic weren’t at it at that stage in the game and they needed to give themselves a shake.

Jota was first to show he might be the one to create something out of nothing after drifting in from there left and firing off a shot that was well saved by goalkeeper Ross Doohan, who was one of three changes to Thelin’s line-up

But it wasn’t long before the Dons shot-stopper was picking the ball out from the back of his net – with his captain Graeme Shinnie questioning whether he could have done more to prevent it.

On 24 minutes, Arne Engels had tried to play a slipped pass into the box.

Defender Kristers Tobers slid in to make an intervention with the ball spinning up into the air.

No-one in a red shirt reacted, with Doohan staying on his line.

And before any of them knew it, Maeda was off his mark and firing the ball home.

Thelin must have been cursing his luck even at that stage but it was soon to get worse with Celtic 2-0 ahead within another six minutes.

Engels broke forward and set up Jota to score his third goal since returning to the club. But he almost couldn’t have struck the ball any worse. 

There was real composure from the winger to steady himself. But his scuffed shot virtually trundled into the net.

And that was that.

Celtic had done the hard work to grab complete control of the game and there was no way back for the visitors.

That was confirmed when McGregor scored before half-time with a rare right-foot finish.

The Dons appealed for a free-kick and there was a VAR check on a possible foul. 

But the goal stood, McGregor now on 50 league strikes and one more for the club than legend Paul McStay.

It almost made the second half a damage limitation exercise for Thelin.

That said, half-time substitute Shayden Morris almost pulled one back in 63 minutes.

He stole possession from centre-back Auston Trusty and burst through on goal, only to pull his shot wide.

Celtic had so much of the ball, though, that it was inevitable they’d score again and in 72 minutes Yang made it 4-0 after combining with Luke McCowan.

Morris scored the Dons’ consolation strike in the dying minutes to end Celtic’s 10-game run without conceding a goal.

But Celts weren’t finished and added their fifth in stoppage time with Maeda tapping in a cross from Alistair Johnston.

Kenny Ramsay

Yang Hyun-jun got in on the act[/caption]

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Shayden Morris scored in what was a thumping defeat for Aberdeen[/caption]

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