Three and easy!!

Hibs make the journey across the M8 to Glasgow to face the Champions today who have been away on a tough European leg to Riga. Can the nine in a row champs go on to complete a good week of results against a team doing surprisingly well in the league in these early weeks.

The big team news before kick off is the exclusion of Edouard from the starting line up. The French hitman has been a little off top form since the season has begun and starts from the bench today - as does Leigh Griffiths who come in from the cold after early season injuries and a lockdown lack of fitness.

The starting team:

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The team looks to be set up in a 3-5-1-1 with Christie likely to be just behind the main striker Ajeti. Elyounoussi and Frimpong start after coming on and combining well at the end of the previous game in Europe against Riga. Christopher Jullien misses out with a back issue and James Forrest is also sidelined with an injury picked up in the first half in Latvia.

Early on McGinn was very lucky not to see yellow for a foul on Frimpong who broke well from a Hibs corner. McGinn pulled him down as he bore in on the 18 yard box but the resultant free kick was hammered into the Hibs wall by Christie.

Hibs were slack defensively and Brown intercepted a clearance. The ball was passed a little around the Celtic midfield before Christie passed infield to McGregor who took a touch before rifling the ball low and hard inside Marciano's left hand post. A great start and an early one nil lead to build upon.

On 15 minutes, Duffy seemed to misjudge the flight of the ball which allowed Hibs a shot through Doidge which - luckily - flew over.

Kevin Nisbett had a chance on 22 minutes with a long ball to chase. It looked like Duffy was favourite to get ahead of the striker but with what looked like a push, Nisbett had a chance on goal albeit from a difficult angle which went past Barkas's left post.

Good work by Frimpong down the right was pulled across to McGregor who headed the ball down and then passed in to the feet of Taylor on the left. An opportunity looked certain but the left back's pass was too far behind all his team mates who had peppered the penalty area and the chance was gone.

Christie had a shot from 25 yards which trundled by without troubling Marciano, after some good work in midfield and a neat lay off from the industrious Brown.

The second goal came from superb footwork on the right by Christie. He shimmied a little and skipped the ball to Ellyounoussi. The ball got stuck in about his feet but he managed a decent attempt on target saved by Marciano, but the little Alabanian predator Ajeti was awake in the box to pounce on the rebound and slam the ball hard into the net.

Ajeti's goal was his last touch of the match as he picked up an injury in the attempt, with what looked like a hamstring strain. Edouard came on to replace the goal scorer and seconds later Doidge appeared to catch the ankle of Jeremie Frimpong as the winger blocked his run on goal. Thankfully, with Forrest injured, it didn't stop the player from continuing.

With a couple of minutes left on the clock for the first half Ellyounoussi got in the way of Greg Taylor who nearly got on the end of a good cross into the box. The breakaway saw Martin Boyle come close at the other end with a firm shot firing over the bar from 20 yards.

Duffy came close from a Brown cross and a towering climb at the back post which went over the bar, and this was closely followed by a nice pass from Brown to Taylor. A great cross fell to the boot of Jeremie Frimpong but the little magician couldn't find the target with a volley.

Half Time : Celtic 2 Hibernian O
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A quick change at half time for Celtic with Turnbull coming on for Ryan Christie.

The game opened up for Bitton to make a long run out of defence. He stepped forward and unleashed a very decent effort goalbound, but was pushed around the edge of the post by Marciano for a Celtic corner.

Broony came close to making it three on 53 minutes with a shot after the ball broke inside the box from a corner. Turnbull came close too with two efforts. The first was from 25 yards touched over the bar. The second was a very clever attempt when he latched on to a clearance from his own corner kick as it dropped to him from an acute angle.

Bitton broke out from the right once again and into space, which allowed him to play a slide rule pass to Frimpong. The little Dutchman shimmied into the box and took a shot from his left foot which went harmlessly wide.

Newell had a toe poke towards goal on a rare Hibs foray up the park. The ball bobbled around in the box and Newell's effort nipped over the bar.

Turnbull and Bitton combined on the right and another great pass to Frimpong saw him hit the afterburners and fly away from the despairing Stevenson at left back but the Hibs central defence stood strong and blocked the cross ball to Edouard.

McGregor had a shot from distance which stung the hands of the Hibs goalie and out for a corner.

Murphy drove in on the Celtic right into an alleyway of home defenders, but the blocked ball fell to the feet of Newell who skied the ball aimlessly over.

Hibs were definitely upping their game and came close with a Duffy block inside the box, but as is often the case Celtic moved forward and got a break of the ball in a dangerous area. Turnbull slid the ball into the path of Mo Elyounoussi to stroke the ball past Marciano for the Celtic third.

A double substitution on 81 minutes saw Klimala and Ntcham come on to replace Brown and Elyounoussi. Joe Newell got the first card of the game for a cynical tug on Edouard followed closely by the last of the substitutions, which saw Ismaila Soro come on for the excellent Callum Mcgregor.

McGinn went into the book for a foul on Klimala on the right hand side as the Pole cleverly turned his man. Eddy had an effort easily saved. A low shot off his left foot was taken comfortably by Marciano.


A very convincing three goal advantage at the end of the game. Some excellent performances from Brown, Frimpong, Ajer and Bitton topped off a very decent game indeed. Hibs, to their credit, never sat in, but tried to play the game, but the champions were clinical at times and, particularly in the second half, controlled the game beautifully.

We move on to a difficult away fixture in Sarajevo on Thursday, but if we play like we did today, I don't see it being an issue.

Final score:

Celtic 3 Hibernian 0​