Last season, Hibernian managed a respectable 0-0 draw at Easter Road and narrowly lost 2-1 at home, a result influenced by refereeing decisions that heavily favored Celtic. This victory marked Brendan Rodgers’ first win at Easter Road across his two tenures as Celtic manager. Despite the gap between the teams, the match wasn’t a foregone conclusion when they met again at Easter Road on a sunny Sunday lunchtime.
However, Hibs’ optimism was quickly dashed as they conceded within three minutes. A lapse in concentration allowed Kyogo Furuhashi to break through, and after Joe Bursik parried his shot, James Forrest set up Nicolas Kuhn for a simple tap-in. Both Hibs full-backs, Lewis Miller and Jordan Obita, were caught ball-watching, repeating defensive mistakes seen in previous games.
Celtic doubled their lead soon after, with Callum McGregor given too much time and space to unleash a long-range shot that left Bursik with no chance. Hibs’ midfield trio of Joe Newell, Josh Campbell, and Dylan Levitt struggled throughout the game, highlighting ongoing issues in the team’s central area. The midfield’s lack of effectiveness, an issue that has persisted since Jack Ross’ tenure, raises concerns about Hibs’ ambitions for a top-six finish and even their top-flight status.
The failure of recent signings like Nathan Moriah-Welsh and Luke Amos to displace the old guard in midfield reflects poorly on Hibs’ recruitment strategy. CEO Ben Kensell’s efforts to address this, including bringing in Malky Mackay, offer some hope, but it’s clear the club needs better signings, like the rumored pursuit of Dundee’s Luke McCowan, who could bring much-needed tenacity to the team.
Despite the defeat, there were some positives. Kieron Bowie’s brief appearance showed promise, and Hibs’ second-half performance was an improvement, though still below expectations. The challenge for Malky Mackay and interim manager David Gray is to find solutions for a midfield that consistently underperforms at this level.
Looking ahead, Gray will need to use the lessons from this defeat to plan for the upcoming Premier Sports Cup match against Celtic in Glasgow. He’ll be urging his players to show more courage on the ball and to remain focused throughout the game to avoid the kind of sloppy goals they’ve conceded so far. It’s a difficult start to the season for Gray, and he needs time and support to get the team playing his way, especially against a dominant Celtic side.
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