Daizen Maeda could be a 'nightmare' for Rangers to handle on Sunday and he offers something different to Celtic's Jota.
That is the view of former Hoops star Simon Donnelly who believes the on-form Japanese hitman could use his attributes to cause Michael Beale's men a few problems on Sunday. The Viaplay Cup final is up for grabs as Beale's side look to continue their unbeaten run and take the League Cup from the grasp of holders Ange Postecoglou and co.
It is sure to be a firecracker at the national stadium as it was in January's 2-2 draw at Ibrox where Maeda sped past the Light Blues defence to open the scoring. The Japanese attacker has nine goals and five assists this campaign and has been a stalwart for Celtic since returning from a successful stint at the World Cup.
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Donnelly believes the 25-year-old gives Postecoglou something different to Portuguese star Jota who he does admit must go back to basics to reignite his previous electric form. He told the Daily Record: “Maeda has returned from the World Cup and, of course, he is different to Jota.
“His trick is pushing the ball beyond a defender and running at him. He must be a nightmare to play against, he’s contributing hugely in every game when he’s on the pitch.
“So, the manager has created an environment when these players have to be at the top of their game or they will find themselves sitting and watching. This is the reason why he has built the squad as strong as he has.”
On Jota, he added: “All players can have a wee dip at certain times.
"I would say players like Jota as well who are always being looked upon to go and create stuff and make things happen in the final third of the pitch, it’s the most difficult part of the game. You look at his figures since he moved to the club and they have been exceptional.
"The numbers of goals and assists are really, really good. I said last season, you look at players who operate in Jota’s area of the pitch.
"They can have all the skill and ability, but the end product might not be there. That is not something you can point and say about Jota. He most certainly has an end product. His confidence may have taken a little dip when things might just not have been happening, but I feel he’s got back to getting those crosses in early and getting onto the end of things to deliver goals, which always helps.
"He has gone back to basics and what worked before.”
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