Celtic’s draw with Rangers is likely to be spoken about for the rest of this week.
The result means that Celtic’s huge 17-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table and their +42 goal difference remains intact after the Bhoys’ Ibrox stalemate.
However there was a slight panic amongst fans when footage emerged of Daizen Maeda missing Celtic’s last training session before the big Glasgow Derby clash.
Celtic’s current injury worries meant that Brendan Rodgers couldn’t afford to be missing his talisman for the Ibrox clash but as it was, Maeda was fit and available and made his usual big impact with an assist for Adam Idah’s equaliser.
And here, the Celtic manager explains why the Hoops striker was missing from training all week.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty ImagesBrendan Rodgers explains Daizen Meada’s Japan dash before Celtic faced Rangers
Maeda has been prolific against Rangers as he continually terrorises their captain James Tavernier.
And the Ibrox defender must have been praying Maeda was going to miss the big game when he saw the winger miss Celtic’s last training session.
But here, Rodgers explains the real reason Maeda spent a week in his homeland before Celtic’s draw with Rangers.
Rodgers told the Daily Record, “We have to give him a bit of leeway, he has been in Japan all week.
“He flew out expecting his wife to have their third child, she didn’t have it so he had to come back and then come into a game here at Ibrox. You analyse it, he is through on goal. Can he go around the keeper?
“In fairness to Liam [Kelly] he has done well, he has had a good spread on it.”
Daizen Maeda’s imperious Celtic record vs Rangers
Maeda has given Rangers nightmares ever since he joined Celtic back in December 2022.
The Celtic wingers speed and never-ending energy sources has troubled the Ibrox club for almost three full years.
So here are the stats that show just how important Maeda is to Celtic in the Glasgow Derby.
record vs RangersPlayedWonLostDrawnGoalsAssistsDaizen Maeda20124455
AloJapan.com