It was just over a year ago that Scottish champions Celtic went to the Allianz Arena looking to spring a surprise against Bayern Munich, having fallen to a 2-1 defeat in the first-leg clash at Parkhead.
Until the dying embers, it proved an undoubtedly positive night for the Hoops as Brendan Rodgers’ side took a shock lead through Nicolas Kuhn, with the visitors’ fluid forward line posing real problems for the Bundesliga giants.
Much has changed since then, however, with Kuhn joining Como on an £16.5m deal over the summer, while Jota hasn’t featured at all this season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury back in early May.
As for the final member of that Munich triumvirate, Daizen Maeda, the Japanese speedster has looked like a shadow of his former self in 2025/26, now comfortably dethroned as Martin O’Neill‘s main attacking weapon from the flanks.
Daizen Maeda’s regression at Celtic this season
It had unsurprisingly been Maeda who gave Celtic hope in that playoff tie a year ago, after netting late on in the first leg, marking his fourth and final goal of a fruitful Champions League campaign.
Deployed through the middle or off the left, the 28-year-old was rampant in 2024/25, although the decline has been stark this time around, notably failing to score at all in nine Europa League outings.
Having come close to joining Wolfsburg at one stage over the summer, there have been question marks over the forward’s application since then, with this certainly not the player who netted 33 times in all competitions last season.
The 26-cap Japan international has scored just eight times to date in the current campaign, having proven particularly erratic under O’Neill’s watch, with his last goal having come against Dundee United back in January.
He’s already missed 21 ‘big chances’ in the Premiership this season – after missing just 17 in the whole of last term – with his conversion rate dropping from a stellar 28% to just 13% at present.
|
Maeda – 24/25 vs 25/26 SPFL stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
24/25 |
Stat |
25/26 |
|
34 |
Games |
28 |
|
16 |
Goals |
7 |
|
160 |
Mins per goal |
304 |
|
17 |
Big chances missed |
21 |
|
28% |
Goal conversion |
13% |
|
10 |
Assists |
5 |
|
10 |
Big chances created |
11 |
|
1.3 |
Key passes* |
1.0 |
|
82% |
Pass accuracy* |
83% |
|
9.6 |
Possession lost* |
8.8 |
His work off the ball appears to have dipped too, it must be said, having averaged 1.3 tackles per game last term, to now averaging just 0.7 in that regard.
While keeping him on board appeared a real coup last year, an exit this summer now appears the best for all parties. Thankfully, O’Neill is already overseeing the rise of his replacement.
Celtic monster is looking like a Maeda & Jota hybrid
Saturday’s vital 3-1 win over Motherwell not only helped to end the visitors’ slim title hopes, but also saw Celtic close the gap on leaders Hearts to just two points, ensuring it is all to play for heading into the final stretch.
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The Hoops were fearing the worst.
Unlike for much of 2026 too, which has seen Benjamin Nygren steal the show, Celtic’s hero came in a different form, with Yang Hyun-jun proving the difference maker following his deadly double.
The South Korean winger reacted quickest to score on the rebound for the home side’s opener at the weekend, before wrapping up the points late in the second half with a superbly taken, left-footed strike after bursting in behind the Motherwell defence.
Now up to six Premiership goals for the season, the 23-year-old has been revived under O’Neill’s watch, having previously looked destined to depart over the summer, amid the collapse of a £3m move to Birmingham City.
That debacle has proven a blessing in disguise, following the winger’s former since, having nailed down that problematic right-wing berth in recent months.
The beauty of Yang, on current form, is that he looks almost like a hybrid between Maeda and the aforementioned Jota, with his recent hot streak seeing him emerge as arguably Celtic’s best winger right now.
That likeness to Maeda was notably seen in his second of the day on Saturday, boasting that devastating speed and acceleration to burst clear of the opposition.
Off the ball too, the young forward looks like Maeda in his pomp, having memorably put a real shift in during the 2-2 draw at Ibrox earlier this month, winning the ball back repeatedly with perfectly timed sliding challenges.
As his two strikes at the weekend also showcased, he has that Jota-esque quality to be able to finish on either foot, while bucking the trend by shining as a right-footer operating on the right flank, something Jota so often did under Postecoglou’s watch.
The flair that the Portuguese provides may not quite be there, but as Yang’s solo stunner in the derby meeting back in January showcased, he is an adept ball carrier in his own right, gracefully gliding his way up the pitch and jinking his way past opponents.
What does need to come next is that added creative streak, having failed to register a single assist in the Premiership, although he has now created three ‘big chances’ this season from his 23 outings.
With Jota sidelined and Maeda not firing on all cylinders, it looks like Yang might have to be the man to help drag O’Neill’s side to the title.
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