Overview
- Celtic, which beat Falkirk 3-1 on Saturday, drew level on points with Hearts after Daizen Maeda scored twice and set up Kieran Tierney.
- Maeda has five direct goal contributions across his last two outings and earned man of the match against Falkirk, ending a months‑long drought at a key stage.
- Manager Martin O’Neill praised Maeda’s pressing and finishing and suggested the collapse of a move to Wolfsburg last summer may have dented his confidence earlier in the season.
- O’Neill said the club would look to sell Maeda this summer if he does not agree new terms, while reports note he is under contract to 2027 and teammate Viljami Sinisalo said he hopes the forward stays.
- The run‑in tightens with five Premiership games left in the post‑split schedule and a Scottish Cup final next month, and defender Alistair Johnston’s first appearance since October boosts Celtic’s depth for that push.