Scottish Cup
Quarter-final
Sunday, March 10, 2024
Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC… 4
(Maeda 7, 22 & 86, Kyogo 90+5)

LIVINGSTON… 2
(MacKay 12, Yengi 54)

Daizen Maeda marked his 100th appearance for Celtic with a hat-trick to put the Hoops into the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.

Kyogo also scored in added time to give Celtic a 4-2 win over a resolute Livingston side and ensure Brendan Rodgers maintains his record of having never lost a Scottish Cup tie.

Celtic started the match strongly, with Nicolas Kuhn looking lively on the right wing, although there was a scare in the fourth minute as Livingston hit the post when Ayo Obileye shot from inside the area, but the referee blew for a free-kick in any event.

And just three minutes later, Celtic took the lead. Kuhn cut inside from the right a floated a ball over the top of the defence for Maeda, who had raced beyond his marker.

The attacker took a touch before slotting the ball beyond Michael McGovern in the Livingston goal.

Just three minutes later, Maeda had another chance, but this effort went over the bar, and in the 12th minute, Livingston equalised.

A long ball found its way to Daniel MacKay, and he raced into the box before firing beyond Joe Hart and into the net to make it 1-1.

However, Maeda was intent on marking his 100th appearance for the Hoops in the best possible style and he restored Celtic’s lead on 22 minutes.

The Hoops hit Livvy on the counter-attack, and Matt O’Riley had two efforts on goal. The first was blocked by a defender while his second shot was saved by McGovern, but he only pushed the ball into the path of Maeda who headed home to make it 2-1.

And the Japanese internationalist had further efforts to grab a first-half hat-trick.

On 27 minutes, he surged past his marker before shooting from a right angle, with the keeper pushing the ball away. Then, just before half-time, his header at the back post from a Kuhn cross was saved on the line by McGovern.

And just before the break, Adam Idah had a chance, meeting a Liam Scales cross with his head, but it was saved at the near post.

Daizen celebrates his Celtic century with Scottish Cup hat-trick