Daizen Maeda’s overhead kick against Rangers already looked destined to become one of those goals Celtic supporters replay for years. Martin O’Neill’s reaction after the match only added to that feeling.
Maeda scored twice in Celtic’s 3-1 win at Celtic Park as the title race moved into its final week. His first came from sharp movement inside the six-yard box after Kieran Tierney drove a low cross across goal. The second stopped the stadium for a split second before the noise exploded.
Sebastian Tounekti’s cross looped awkwardly into the area and Maeda somehow adjusted his body from a standing position before hooking an overhead kick into the far corner. Jack Butland never moved. He just watched it drop in.
It changed the mood of the game completely.
Rangers had started the second half reasonably well and looked capable of making things uncomfortable again at 2-1. Once Maeda scored the third, Celtic were in complete control and Rangers looked beaten physically as much as mentally.
What stood out again though was everything Maeda did before the goals.
He chased lost causes. He pressed Rangers defenders into mistakes. He sprinted back into defensive areas when Celtic lost possession. O’Neill focused on that side of his game as much as the spectacular finish itself.
The Celtic manager could barely hide his admiration afterwards.
He said: (TCW), “Sensational, really sensational. His second goal was out of this world.
“But his whole performance, he starts off with closing down and the negative part of the game, which he galvanises the side because he’s so good at it.
“And then his own performance, scoring the goals with the ball was magnificent.
“Yes, it is (up there with Henrik Larsson’s iconic goal). Very much so. Henrik will disagree, of course. Great goal. He [Maeda] was super today. I’m going to take him out tonight! He was terrific. I don’t know where he gets the energy from.”
“Do you know what? Honestly, when he did it, I knew it was going in.
“Because there was enough pace to carry it across. And I thought, ‘This is going in’. And then it went in. Not because I said it was going to go in, [but] because it was great.”
Comparisons with Larsson are never thrown around lightly at Celtic. Especially by O’Neill.
That is what made the comments stand out so much after full-time.
Maeda now heads into the final two league matches playing his best football of the season. Celtic need that level again at Fir Park on Wednesday night because Motherwell caused Hearts plenty of problems just 24 hours earlier.
If Maeda keeps playing like this, Celtic still have every chance of finishing the season on top.
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