Celtic have failed to win three of their last five matches in all competitions and have been held to drab scoreless draws in two of those matches.
The Hoops failed to make the breakthrough against Hibernian at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon, despite creating seven ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, per Sofascore.
Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed that his team were unable to score from 26 shots and seven ‘big chances’ at home in front of their own supporters, particularly as the result has left them second in the table.
It will be doubly frustrating because the Scottish giants also had six ‘big chances’ to score against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday night, but only scored once.
This means that Celtic have scored one goal from 13 ‘big chances’ created in the last two matches against Red Star Belgrade and Hibernian, which does not paint their attack in the best light.
Kelechi Iheanacho was the player who scored in the draw against the Serbian side in midweek, with a terrific finish into the top corner, but he lost his mojo for the clash with Hibernian.
Why Kelechi Iheanacho let Celtic down against Hibernian
The left-footed marksman made a terrific start to his career at Parkhead with a debut goal, from the penalty spot, against Kilmarnock to win the game in the 96th minute.
Iheanacho then registered an assist for Sebastian Tounekti against Partick Thistle in the League Cup in his second outing, before scoring an excellent goal against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League.
His contributions across those three matches earned him a start in the number nine position against Hibernian, having come off the bench in the matches to score against Kilmarnock and Red Star Belgrade.
Iheanacho was unable to build on those promising cameos, though, as his performance against Hibernian left a bit too much to be desired, particularly with his play in front of goal in the 0-0 draw.
The Nigeria international played the opening 67 minutes of the match against Hibs and was unable to make the breakthough in front of goal, despite the team creating enough chances for him to do so.
Minutes
67
Shots
4
Shots on target
1
Big chances missed
2
Passes completed
9/10
Key passes
1
Big chances created
0
As you can see in the table above, his teammates helped him to take four shots at goal and have two ‘big chances’, but he squandered his opportunities, including one from close-range that smacked the crossbar.
The former Sevilla marksman, who arrived at Parkhead as a free agent, will be hoping that he can improve his efficiency in front of goal as he gets back up to full match sharpness, given that the clash with Hibernian was just his second start of the season.
Iheanacho lost his goalscoring touch for the weekend’s clash, having scored in two of his first three games, but there is another player in the squad whose decline in form in front of goal is even more concerning.
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Rodgers unleashed Daizen Maeda on the right flank against Hibernian, with Iheanacho through the middle and Sebastian Tounekti on the left flank, and the Japan international produced an underwhelming display.
Daizen Maeda has lost his Midas touch for Celtic
In the 2024/25 campaign, it seemed like everything Maeda touched turned to goals. He ended the season with a return of 33 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.
The Japanese marksman, who scored 16 goals in the Scottish Premiership, earned the Player of the Year award in Scotland, thanks to his prolific form in front of goal.
Unfortunately, it currently looks like last season’s exploits were a flash in the pan for the 27-year-old attacker, whose output in front of goal has declined since the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
As explained in the clip below from the Daily Record’s show, Maeda has “lost his Midas touch” for Rodgers at the top end of the pitch on this season’s evidence so far.
The Celtic forward missed two ‘big chances’, as many as Iheanacho, whilst playing on the right wing against Hibernian, per Sofascore, and earned a player rating of 6/10 from 67HailHail.
Unfortunately, missing ‘big chances’ has become a theme for the Japan international this season in the Premiership, as he has failed to kick on from his 33-goal campaign last term.
Appearances
34
6
Goals
16
1
Minutes per goal
160
446
Conversion rate
28%
13%
Big chances missed
17
4
As you can see in the table above, Maeda’s conversion rate has plummeted by 15% in the Premiership, which shows that he has been far too wasteful with his shots in the current season.
One possible explanation for his decline in form is the fact that he missed out on a summer move away from Parkhead. In his pre-Hibernian press conference, Rodgers suggested that the attacker may have a “subconscious” thing holding his performances back because of that failed move.
Maeda scored 33 goals last season and may have been excited to get a move to a major European league, but the Hoops were unable to source a replacement for him late on in the window, and staying at Parkhead may have been tough to take.
This is, of course, just speculation, but Rodgers’ comment about it being a “subconscious” issue does point towards that being a possible reason for the forward losing his Midas touch in front of goal.
Hopefully, Maeda can get back on track and start to show the lethal efficiency in the final third that resulted in him winning the Premiership Player of the Year award last season.
