LIKE the Magnificent 7 theme tune when Henrik Larsson used to score.
Or the Big Bad John music whenever Hartson hit the net.
Daizen Maeda fired the opening goal[/caption]
Brendan Rodgers’ treble ambitions are very much alive[/caption]
Adam Idah’s late goal sealed the points[/caption]
It’s only taken the Celtic sound system team three years and 27 goals this season.
But Daizen Maeda has finally got his own tribute song.
For Maeda it’s TEQUILA.
It’s the catchy jingle originally by The Champs – how apt – which supporters have been chanting for long enough.
But it’s not official and likely to have been in the heads of every one of the 60,000 crowd after this Scottish Cup win for Celtic.
Certainly David Gray’s men.
The Japanese striker scored the crucial opener against Hibs which went a long way to booking Brendan Rodgers’ team’s place in the semis.
Adam Idah sealed the victory in stoppage time.
But it was that one shot of a Maeda slammer that had the Hibees unsteady on their feet.
The goal itself was just typical of the man.
The kind of finish we’ve seen so often this season.
Hibees goalkeeper Jordan Smith pulled off a brilliant save to keep out a shot from Nicolas Kuhn from point blank range.
But when everyone else stopped, Maeda pounced.
It was all about his reaction. His instinct to sense an opportunity when other strikers are so often caught on their heels.
The frontman is obviously such a bundle of power and energy.
But that’s where a large proportion of his goals have come this season – from his speed of thought when others around him pause and hesitate.
He’s still capable of missing chances, like he did after an hour when he failed to find the net after a brilliant ball across goal put it on a plate for him.
But Maeda is bringing so much to this Celtic team right now and justifying the club’s decision to sell off Kyogo to Rennes.
Remember him?
https://twitter.com/PremSportsTV/status/1898761811463188769
Big Rocky Bushiri tried all he could to slow Maeda down in open play – to the striker’s clear frustration at times – but whenever he was knocked down he’d just get right back up and go again
Did Hibs deserve to be behind at the break?
Maybe, maybe not.
They certainly put plenty into the first 45 minutes and could even have scored themselves.
Striker Kieron Bowie burst through on Kasper Schmeichel at 0-0 – after a quick throw-in from Nicky Cadden was smart thinking – but he fired straight at the Denmark No1.
Other than that, it was pretty much all Celtic.
There was a real intensity to the way Rodgers’ side were passing and moving.
Whenever the ball went out of play, they quickly got it back onto the pitch.
After taking the lead on 39 minutes, Reo Hatate almost scored a rasper from 30 yards. It took a sensational save from the Hibees No1 to keep it out.
It felt like Hibs’ league win at Easter Road just a few weeks ago was a telling factor. That Celtic were in no mood to be caught out again and prevented from reaching the cup semis.
Being backed by a massive 7,000 away support helped Gray’s men and made for a brilliant atmosphere.
It’s worth pointing out that there was one ridiculous booking for Hibees defender Jack Iredale in the first-half.
Linesman Frank Connor flagged to signal the ball struck his left arm – which it clearly did – but only after it flicked off his body.
To be shown a yellow card for that was just a dreadful decision.
It meant Iredale had to tread carefully thereafter and he didn’t deserve to be put in that position.
Two others cautions, for Josh Campbell in the first-half, and Nectarios Triantis a few minutes after the break, were fully justified.
But referee Nick Walsh and his assistant had to communicate better at the Iredale booking.
These are the types of incidents that must drive referee’s boss Willie Collum around the bend.
Walsh, at least, wasn’t fooled by a half-hearted Hibs penalty appeal going into the last half hour.
Gray changed things with Dwight Gayle one of his substitutes and not long after he stepped onto the pitch the away fans were screaming for a spot-kick, claiming their striker was tripped inside the box.
But there has been no foul and the officials thankfully didn’t need any help from VAR Kevin Clancy to get that right.
The Leith men had a real go for the closing stages and did everything they possibly could to try and force an equaliser and take the tie into extra time.
Martin Boyle played on the shoulders of centre-backs Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers and they always had to be wary of his movement and pace to run in behind.
He was taken off for the final ten minutes and replaced by Junior Hoilett and he looked none too pleased about it as he took his seat on the bench.
By that stage it was all about game-management for Celtic and making sure they didn’t do anything silly.
In stoppage time, though, they went one better.
Adam Idah makes it certain! 🔥@CelticFC are headed to Hampden! 🍀#ScottishCup | @ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/VlOtsPfKiU
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) March 9, 2025
Luke McCowan set up fellow sub Idah to make make it 2-0 and book Celtic’s place int he last four of the competition.
“When the Celts go up, to lift the Scottish Cup, w’ll be there’ their supporters sang.
And who’d bet against them now?
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