Simo Valakari on St Johnstone’s plan to stop Daizen Maeda | OneFootball

Simo Valakari believes his St Johnstone defenders should relish the task of shackling Celtic’s star striker Daizen Maeda on Sunday…

Simo Valakari, Manager of St Johnstone, speaks to Sven Sprangler during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Johnstone at Celtic Park on December 29, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

What can’t Daizen Maeda do?

Daizen Maeda has already scored 30 goals this season and is a strong favourite for all the Player of the Year awards this season.  He’s also made the loss of Kyogo in January a  lot less painful that the Celtic support probably expected especially as the club were unable despite their best efforts, to bring in a replacement. That is now unlikely to happen so he’s saved the Celtic Board £10m too. What can’t Daizen Maeda do?

Daizen has already scored against St Johnstone in both meetings with Celtic this season and is hungry for more goals today.

Daizen Maeda after scoring during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Hearts at Celtic Park on March 29, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Daizen promised to score a hat-trick today

Last weekend after scoring twice in the 3-0 win over Hearts at Celtic Park, the Japan international promised Celtic TV that he’d go one better and score a hat-trick in his next game and unfortunately for St Johnstone they are the ones in the Maeda firing line.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Champagne spraying

Celtic – on and off the park – will of course be boasted by the Hibs victory at Ibrox that potentially brings the title party closer. All that the Bhoys now need is two wins rather tn three so a win today and next Saturday against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park and the Champagne spraying will begin.

Simo Valakari’s need for points is desperate and yesterday’s results – with both Dundee and Kilmarnock winning – made a bad situation worse for the St Johnstone boss.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic is seen during the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Quarter-Final match between Celtic and Hibernian at Celtic Park on March 09, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Speaking on Friday, the Saints Head Coach had this to say about his defenders relishing the opportunity to play against a top striker rather than fearing the prospect.

Daizen Maeda? ‘What a player’ Simo Valakari

On Daizen Maeda he said via PA Media: “What a player but it’s Celtic’s collective structure that brings the best out of the players. You need to be tight with him, but how is it possible because you go too tight, he will exploit the space.

“If you let him run freely, he will exploit the space but it’s about communications, and one-versus-one defending, it’s a skill of picking up in the box where he makes his movements.

Daizen Maeda celebrates. St Mirren v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Saturday 1st March 2025. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“As a defender you want to have these challenges. You want to play against maybe the player of the year and say, okay, let’s see what he does, how I can try to stop him?

“We need the points because of the situation we are in”

“That’s why we should go into this match with our eyes bright and heart like this (pumping) and say okay, let’s go. Then, we need the points because of the situation we are in, so it doesn’t matter who we play.”

Daizen Maeda of Celtic scores against Bayern Munich in the Champions League match on February 12, 2025. Photo IMAGO.

Will Simo Valakari’s defence respond as he hopes and can they keep Daizen quiet? Or will Daizen’s wee hat-trick joke turn out to be a kept promise instead ? We’ll find out shortly…

The St Johnstone v Celtic match kicks off at midday and is live on Sky Sports with Celtic TV showing the match live for subscribers based outside of Britain and Ireland.

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