A tremendous defensive performance from Hibs earned a well-deserved point against champions Celtic at Parkhead this afternoon.
Hibs head coach David Gray made two defensive changes from their midweek draw with Falkirk with Grant Hanley and Jack Iredale replacing Rocky Bushiri who returned to France yesterday for personal reasons and Nicky Cadden who dropped to the bench.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers made five changes to the side that started Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with Red Star in the Europa League.
Anthony Ralston and Marcelo Saracchi replaced Colby Donovan and Kieran Tierney in defence.
Luke McCowan and Arne Engels started in midfield in place of Reo Hatate, who missed out altogether after a hamstring issue, and Benjamin Nygren.
Up front Yang Hyun-jun was replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho.
Celtic started on the front foot and Daizen Maeda’s low ball was flicked on by Arne Engels and just evaded Iheanacho sliding in at the back post.
Then a tremendous cross to the back post by Arne Engels, but Grant Hanley managed to beat Kelechi Iheanacho in the air at the back post and clear the danger,
Jordan Obita and Kieron Bowie linked up well and managed to win a corner but Celtic hit on the break.
A superb McCowan pass found Maeda and his cross found Iheanacho unmarked racing into the penalty box, but the striker hit his first-time shot off the top of the crossbar.
Bowie went down with a head knock following a corner then some carelessness at the drop ball allowed Iheanacho to try his luck from the edge of the area but his effort was too high.
Marcelo Saracchi delivered a first-time effort from a difficult angle, but the on-loan Boca Juniors left-back’s effort skimmed the top of the crossbar.
In the 37th minute Jamie McGrath who had twice required treatment for knocks was replaced by Josh Campbell.
Raphael Sallinger did well to stop a powerful strike from Callum McGregor as Celtic continued to press forward,
Hanley did well to block an effort from Maeda before Sallinger palmed away a Iheanacho chip to the back post
At the other end Bowie set up Boyle but his deflected shot was easily saved by Kasper Schmeichel.
Hibs should haave opened the scoring in added time at the end of the first-half. Boyle was fouled 40-yards out and the resultant free-kick was headed back across goal by Bowie into the path of Warren O’Hora but somehow he managed to scoop the ball over the bar from three-yards out.
Chris Cadden replaced Miguel Chaiwa at the start of the second-half allowing Josh Mulligan to move from right-back into midfield.
The home side almost took the lead four minutes after the restart.
Engels latched on to a ball cut back from the byline, but his first-time effort in a crowded penalty box was saved on the goalline by Sallinger.
From Engels’ corner, Iheanacho had a free header but he was unable to hit the target.
A misplaced pass from Iredale allowed McGregor to shoot from distance but once again Sallinger did his job.
Moments later Saracchi fired a low cross into the danger area but a touch by Sallinger knocked it through the legs Iheanacho who may have been offside.
In the 63rd minute Iheanacho put the ball in the net from close range but the assistant’s flag was immediately raised and a VAR check confirmed the decision.
Four minutes later Dylan Levitt and Thibault Klidje replaced Daniel Barlaser and Boyle.
For Celtic James Forrest replaced Iheanacho, and Benjamin Nygren took over from Engels.
Hibs survived a penalty claim when the ball struck Cadden’s before Liam Scales was booked and Cameron Carter-Vickers was also shown a yellow card for a foul on Bowie.
Sebastian Tounekti tried his luck from distance but his shot was high and wide.
Tounekti, Maeda and McCowan then made way for Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Johnny Kenny and Paulo Bernardo for the last 15-minutes.
Hanley did well to block another Celtic effort before Sallinger produced a great save to deny Bernardo from just outside the penalty box.
Hibs won a late corner but O’Hora headed wide under pressure from the Celtic defence.
Mulligan was booked for a foul on Nygren then in the last action of the day Sallinger produced a fine acrobatic save to deny Kenny and the points were shared.
The result means Hibs remain unbeaten in the league and they visit Tynecastle next weekend.
Celtic: Schmeichel, Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Saracchi, McGregor, McCowan, Engels, Maeda, Tounekti, Iheanacho.
Substitutes: Sinisalo, Nygren, Balikwisha, Kenny, Bernardo, Murray, Forrest, Donovan, Tierney.
Hibernian: Sallinger, Hanley, O’Hora, Iredale, Mulligan, Chaiwa, McGrath, Barlaser, Obita, Bowie, Boyle.
Substitutes: Smith, Levitt, C Cadden, Klidje, N Cadden, Hoilett, Mitchell, Campbell, Molotnikov.
