Celtic matchwinner Daizen Maeda spoke post-match Saturday, previewing the Hoops’ must-win Champions League game at Celtic Park on Wednesday night against Swiss champions Young Boys.

Maeda, who netted the winner for the Hoops against Derek McInnes’ side in a 2-1 win, only returned to the starting XI this week after missing Celtic’s last two league games through injury. However, he is now fully fit and ready to make his mark in the Champions League, having already scored against Slovan Bratislava, Borussia Dortmund, and Club Brugge in the competition this season. The Japanese winger has stepped up in Europe this season.

Daizen Maeda Goal
Soccer Football – Champions League – Celtic v Club Brugge – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – November 27, 2024 Celtic’s Daizen Maeda scores their first goal past Club Brugge’s Simon Mignolet REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

Simply put, Maeda was at times underappreciated during his first two years at the club. However, over the last year, he has shown why, when he is out injured, the Hoops are not the same team.

His return from injury last season coincided with Celtic’s best run of form after a lacklustre first six months of Brendan Rodgers’ return.

Since then, the Japan international has been vital to Rodgers and Celtic. The team, once doubted, is now seen by the Scottish media as far and away the best in Scotland, even if Hoops supporters already knew this.

Celtic have been flying so far this season, with the Premier Sports Cup already to their name and 13 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The Hoops have the chance to seal a place in the Champions League knockout playoffs on Wednesday with a win, and Maeda is by no means taking a victory for granted, despite Young Boys sitting bottom of the Champions League table and having already been eliminated.

He said: (Daily Record), “Well, if we play against Young Boys the way we did on Saturday, then it will be very difficult for us.

“If we have these opportunities, we need to convert them to goals. The next game is the most important for us, of course. We need to recover well from the weekend and prepare for this next one.

“There have been some good performances here so far. But I think we’ll be able to say after this game whether we feel our home form in the competition has been good or bad.

“Right now we just have to focus on this one. You can say Young Boys cannot qualify but that means they have nothing to lose.

“That is dangerous. They can come here and give 100 percent. We cannot allow ourselves to be comfortable. We have to perform like we are the challengers rather than think about how they will be treating us.”

Daizen Maeda Celtic
15th December 2024; Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland; Premier Sports Cup Football Final, Celtic versus Rangers; Daizen Maeda of Celtic shoots and scores to make it 2-1 in the 60th minute

It’s exactly what you want to hear from Maeda and shows the mentality that Rodgers has instilled in the team.

The Japanese winger, at times, sets the tempo for Celtic in the way that Scott Brown did from midfield. Further up the pitch, when the Hoops lose the ball, he is there to pounce, bringing the team to life and giving Celtic Park something to cheer.

His goals and assists are vital to the team, but so is his work rate. The relationship he has built with Greg Taylor and Reo Hatate has gotten the most out of him, linking up well with the pair in the final third.

Come Wednesday night, Maeda is not taking anything for granted and knows what a win will mean for the club in what is Celtic’s biggest European match in a number of years.

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