Football: Daizen Maeda fires Celtic into League Cup final with hat-trick

GLASGOW, Scotland (Kyodo) — Japan forward Daizen Maeda struck a hat-trick and countryman Kyogo Furuhashi also found the net as Celtic advanced to the Scottish League Cup final with a 6-0 thumping of Aberdeen on Saturday.

Cameron Carter-Vickers scored the opener three minutes before Maeda assisted Furuhashi to make it 2-0 in front of 47,544 at Hampden Park.

Brendan Rodgers’ men had a third before the break when Maeda fired in his first of the night in the 40th minute.

Maeda brought up his brace early in the second half and, after Nicolas Kuhn added Celtic’s fifth, the Samurai Blue attacker rounded out the scoring by finishing a free-flowing move with five minutes left of regulation time.

Japan midfielder Reo Hatate also played the full game for Celtic, who will contest the Dec. 15 League Cup final against the winner of Sunday’s semi between holders Rangers and Motherwell.