Celtic winger Daizen Maeda scored for Japan as they thumped China 7-0 in the World Cup qualifier at Saitama on Thursday (5 September).
The 26-year-old winger, who scored against Rangers in the Old Form derby prior to the international break, can’t stop scoring at the moment as he scored another goal for his national team.
The Hoops attacker has been in “red-hot” form at the moment, and Brendan Rodgers will be very pleased with the effort.
He came off the bench and scored the sixth goal for his country as Japan produced a terrific performance.
Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo opened the scoring for his country, while former Reds midfielder Takumi Minamino scored a brace.
Maeda scored a typical poachers goal. He positioned himself into a fantastic area and timed his header perfectly, meeting his cross from the right-hand side.
FT | 🇯🇵 Japan 7️⃣-0️⃣ China PR 🇨🇳
Seven heaven for Japan as the Samurai Blue make an early statement in their #AsianQualifiers opener with a dominant performance over China PR!#JPNvCHN pic.twitter.com/4ws8fc6OXr
— #AsianQualifiers (@afcasiancup) September 5, 2024
Brendan Rodgers must be absolutely delighted with Maeda’s form this season. Kyogo Furuhashi has been ignored once again by his national team manager despite the fact that he has been one of the consistent players for Celtic since he joined the club.
However, Maeda has been a regular for his country. He has been outstanding for Celtic since he joined the Glasgow club, and his record in big games, especially against Rangers is superb.
Known for his pace and energy, he has been heavily praised by his national teammate Daichi Kamada, who has joined Crystal Palace this summer.
Rodgers will keep track of Celtic players who are playing for their country, and his prime concerns will be they must return to the club injury-free within this period.
Celtic have a wealth of attacking options, but Maeda’s form is hugely encouraging. Rodgers will be thrilled to find that Maeda is enjoying a rich vein of scoring form and will plan accordingly how he can still get the best out of him.
The new format of the Champions League could help Celtic get into the knock-out stages, and Rodgers would expect his key players to step up.
