Benjamin Nygren has reflected on Dazien Maeda’s spectacular overhead kick and VAR controversy following Celtic’s 3-1 victory over the Ibrox club in the Glasgow Derby at the weekend.
Celtic head to Fir Park on the back of six straight victories in all competitions, with confidence continuing to grow inside the dressing room following Sunday’s derby success over Danny Rohl’s side.
Daizen Maeda’s spectacular overhead kick proved the defining moment of the afternoon and is already being viewed by many supporters as one of the iconic goals in the club’s history.
“Daizen’s goal, I’ve been watching a couple of times. It was an absolutely amazing goal,” Nygren said via The Herald.
“You didn’t know how to react, and I was like – I wasn’t sure that it was going in.”
The Swedish midfielder admitted he initially believed the effort would drift over the bar before watching it dip perfectly into the net.
“I watched the ball in the air – the loop of the ball – and I thought it was very high in the beginning,” he explained.
“I had a pretty good angle because Daizen was right there, so I watched it and I was like, ‘No, no chance it’s going in’. And then I just see the ball and then it’s actually going in. I was so surprised and then the whole stadium went crazy, so it was an amazing moment.”
Maeda’s stunning finish handed Celtic a two-goal cushion after an afternoon that had begun in difficult fashion, with the Ibrox side taking an early lead through Mikey Moore inside the opening 10 minutes.
Celtic quickly restored parity courtesy of Yang Hyun-jun, although theRangers players protested heavily after claiming Jack Butland’s view had been obstructed by Nygren, who appeared to be standing in an offside position when the shot was struck.
Nygren, however, dismissed the controversy and pointed to VAR’s decision to allow the goal to stand.
“I haven’t thought about that at all, to be honest,” he said.
“I haven’t watched it. I just watched it on the big screen after we scored the goal, but I guess if it was something, then there is VAR, and they check it. If they didn’t say anything, then it’s a goal, and in this case, it was a goal, so I guess it was nothing to argue about.
“If I were standing in front of the keeper, I would have thought about it, and I didn’t.”
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1 Comment
Have you ever noticed how VAR “controversies” have become a big thing since theRangers have been exposed recently?
Not so much said earlier in the season when the VAR “controversies” in a game between theRangers and Livingston at Ibrox saved the home team from a defeat which eventually is partially responsible for relegating Livingston! A deliberate act of corruption which costs Livi millions!
But no big deal there eh?
As long as VAR helped this new club, formed in 2012, everyone at the SFA will be happy!