Celtic extended their lead at the top of the table with a 3-0 win against Dundee yesterday, but what did we learn as Brendan Rodgers’ new-look side continues to find their feet?
Here are five critical variables to consider ahead of Tuesday’s crucial Champions League match against Dutch champions Feyenoord.
REO HATATE MAKES CELTIC TICK
Many players don’t realize how vital they are to the club until they are absent for an extended length of time, and Reo Hatate is no exception.
Until yesterday, the Japanese midfielder had only played 48 minutes of competitive action this season due to a combination of injuries and team selection, but his second-half cameo demonstrated his worth to this Celtic side.
While he never scored or assisted after coming in at the hour mark, the 25-year-old clearly provides a different energy and dimension to Celtic’s midfield, and it’s no surprise that our play improved substantially from that point in the game.
Celtic leads 3-0 just seven minutes into the game, and the struggle is done.
He must now take command of his return to the starting XI on Tuesday night in Rotterdam.
JOE HART PROVES HIS WORTH AGAIN
A home game against a team like Dundee is never going to see any Celtic goalkeeper be hammered with shots, and Saturday was no exception.
All the more reason for our No. 1 to remain focused at all times in preparation for the limited occasions when he will be called into action.
And that’s exactly what happened as we neared the half-time break against Dens Park.
After dominating possession, we found ourselves open down the right flank as Dundee pushed their way into the box.
Joe Hart moved up again as the ball broke to Luke McCowan on the edge of the 6-yard box.
With the winger on his way to scoring, Hart responded first, making himself enormous to prevent the opposition team from scoring.
Ex-England internationals’ demise has been dramatically overstated!
NAT PHILLIPS NEEDS TO SHAKE OFF THE RUST
We speculated ahead of the game whether Rodgers would persist with the Ibrox centre half duo of Lagerbielke and Scales, or whether Liverpool loanee Nat Phillips would make his debut.
The manager went with the latter, and it’s fair to say that the 26-year-old goalkeeper appears to be lacking in match practice at the moment.
He’s an imposing figure at 6 feet 3 and will confront more attacking danger than Dundee could offer yesterday, but it’s his ball distribution that may cause the greatest anxiety at this stage.
On numerous occasions, he was unable to identify a teammate with what should have been fairly straightforward passes, which may have been due to a lack of recent game-time, but we’ll be hoping to see a significant improvement on that front.
He limped off at halftime, replaced by Lagerbielke, and it’s unclear whether he’ll start against Feyenoord due to injury or match sharpness.
KYOGO HAS IT ALL
While scoring goals is his primary skill, Kyogo Furuhashi deserves recognition for the incredible work he does off the ball to create space and opportunities for his teammates.
This was obvious during Celtic’s critical third goal, when he made a darting move to get on the end of a brilliant ball by Alistair Johnston, before cutting it back for the onrushing Matt O’Riley to secure the game.
Kyogo had scored just minutes before, when another brilliant run saw him superbly picked out by Callum McGregor, who skillfully glanced a header high into Trevor Carson’s net.
Kyogo had scored just minutes before, when another brilliant run saw him superbly picked out by Callum McGregor, who skillfully glanced a header high into Trevor Carson’s net.
With five goals and two assists after our first five games, he now leads the Scottish Premiership in both categories.
NEW BHOYS SHOWING POTENTIAL
As expected, the game would feature more debuts than simply Nat Phillips, with Luis Palma and Paulo Bernardo both making their debuts during the second half.
Following international duty for their respective countries – Palma for Honduras and Bernardo for Portugal U21’s – both were fit and raring to go as their debut outings in the Hoops beckoned.
As with Hatate, neither player assisted or scored on the day, but both displayed a level of talent and flair that suggested they could be on their way to providing some much-needed creativity to the team.
Palma’s sublime nutmeg in particular was a highlight, but both are expected to make a significant influence in the coming weeks and months.
With tight competition across the midfield at the moment, Feyenoord may come too soon for Bernardo, but Palma has a chance to start in Rotterdam given our wide alternatives.
This week on The Celtic Exchange Plus, we have TWO new shows on Monday.
First up is our Countdown To Kick-Off ahead of the crucial Champions League meeting with Feyenoord, followed by our weekly episode of The Celtic Exchange.
For additional information and to get started, visit The Celtic Exchange Plus.
