The last time Celtic met Hibernian, the Hoops got themselves a 6-1 win as the gulf in quality between the two sides was quite clear. Their upcoming game is expected to be much closer though, when Ange Postecoglou’s side travel to Easter Road. Lee Johnson’s side have quite clearly improved since their previous encounter.
Celtic have racked up the wins and points themselves. They did not look at their best against either Aberdeen or Livingston, but rediscovered some of their form in the 4-1 win over St Johnstone.
Fans will be hoping that they continue on the same path. Hibernian might have to say something about that though.
Going into the match, Hibernian boss Lee Johnson seems to be playing down the chances of his side though and pointed out the difference between the two teams at the moment. As reported by the Daily Record, he said:
"“Celtic are very, very strong at this time. One of the best sides I have seen and I have faced Man United and Man City as a coach. You can also lose quality in those moments because you are concentrating so hard. It is almost like driving a Punto and you are pretty comfortable and almost on autopilot, but then you are shoved into a Formula One car, in a Formula One race and, whoosh. It is a different level.“So that purposeful practice should allow you to improve as a player and as a team when you encounter more and more games like that. We’re a kit car at the moment! Still being pieced together. But we have a good engine.“That’s the fanbase, the history of the club, that’s the training ground, the stadium and now we need to fine tune some bits around it to make sure we are moving dynamically forward.“We will be better for our last Celtic experience, which we showed at Rangers. In our journey, which isn’t at that level yet, it is about doing that to those types of teams.”"
Hibernian boss makes remarkable Celtic admission before two sides meet at Easter Road
Is Johnson just being honest about the situation or is he playing a bit of mind games before they meet each other at Easter Road? It could very well be a bit of both.
Celtic must remain on their toes though. An away trip to Easter Road is never easy, and Hibernian seem to have improved a lot in recent times.
After the World Cup break, they lost 3-2 against the Rangers away at Ibrox in a very close game. And then they got themselves a 4-0 win over Livingston at the weekend.
Also, while Hibernian might be sitting at 7th in the Premiership table right now, that does not tell the full story, with the difference between 3rd and 7th being two points. So, they are not a million miles away by any stretch of the imagination. As a result, when Celtic go visiting Easter Road, they must be at their best.