Celtic prevailed at Easter Road last weekend in a comfortable 2-0 victory over Hibernian to maintain their spot at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Brendan Rodgers named an unchanged starting line-up from the Bhoys’ 4-0 thumping of Kilmarnock on Flag Day, and they made light work of the hosts courtesy of goals from Nicolas Kuhn and Callum McGregor.
Hibernian came into proceedings a little in the second half. Nevertheless, Kieron Bowie saw their best chance of gaining a reprieve strike the woodwork in the dying embers of the affair.
Truthfully, Celtic were imperious in the capital and could’ve increased their advantage before full-time. Nevertheless, a positive result at a difficult away venue has added more valuable momentum at an early stage of the campaign.
Speaking about the affair, Hibernian defender Warren O’Hora has opened up on why facing the Bhoys was an eye-opening experience.
Warren O’Hora on facing Celtic
Cited via The Edinburgh Evening News, O’Hora admitted that the speed and physicality of Celtic possessed was an ‘eye-opener’ in Leith. The two sides are again preparing to battle this weekend in the Premier Sports Cup second round.
He explained: “It’s a tough one to take. Losing the first home league game is never nice. We concede way too early in the first half and concede again shortly after that. Against the league champions, you can’t afford to do that. I thought the second half was much better.
“I felt we got in their faces a bit, got into some good areas. Defended as a team much better. Look, they are a good squad with good players and you know they are going to have chances and get into good areas. I felt in the second half, it was the way we should have started the game.
“That is what we said in the dressing room at half-time, and we did. We showed that in the second half, and the positive is we play them again on Sunday, and we have a clean sheet in the second half. It’s the way we have to look at it.
“The speed, the physicality is different and something we have to get up to and me personally have to get up to. That is why I have come to this club and this league as I want to play the best in this league, this country. I want this club to be up there with teams like that and that’s what we are excelling to be.
“It’s an eye-opener but I felt we did well enough in the second half to maybe nick a goal and maybe nick something out the game. It didn’t go that way for us and there is a cup game against them on Sunday at Celtic Park. Anything can happen.”
Celtic will hope to repeat the trick against Hibernian
With the Premier Sports Cup knockout rounds upon us, there is no room for Celtic to be complacent as they eye a quarter-final berth.
Being drawn out of the hat at home is all you can ask for. Nevertheless, Rodgers suffered defeat in the second round last season at Kilmarnock, so there is some motivation there to ensure there is no repeat scenario.
Celtic were value for their victory over Hibernian last weekend. Picking the lock on several occasions, the scoreline flattered the hosts in the end.
However, the jeopardy of cup football forms a different dynamic at Celtic Park. In a one-off game, the Bhoys have to make sure they come flying out of the blocks again to book a place in the last eight.
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