Brendan Rodgers named an unchanged XI for Sunday’s tricky test at Pittodrie in what was a wildly competitive and entertaining encounter. Barry Robson’s Aberdeen were game today and Celtic had to match it as they rode out a second-half flurry from the Dons to secure a 3-1 victory.
Injuries to key players will have filled fans with worry for the next few weeks as Brendan Rodgers said “we need to wait and see” how serious the injuries to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate are. With the American international only recently coming back from knee surgery, losing the 25-year-old to a lengthy injury again would be a big problem.
However, some of the new faces around Parkhead continued to impress with some starring substitute appearances.
Joe Hart 6
A solid performance from Joe Hart today who didn’t take as many risks as he usually would under Ange Postecoglou. Wasn’t called into action too many times but was dependable when he was.
Anthony Ralston 7
Anthony Ralston showed shades of being back to his best as he overlapped well with Liel Abada in the first-half and linked up well with Matt O’Riley in the second 45. He was also good defensively as he kept Duk quiet and produced some of the hard-hitting tackles that made him a fan-favourite. A last ditch tackle to deny what looked like a big opportunity for the Dons towards the end of the game was his best moment.
Cameron Carter-Vickers 5
We pointed out during our half-time analysis that Carter-Vickers didn’t look his consistent self. He was caught off guard and didn’t cover himself in glory for Aberdeen’s equaliser, but we quickly found out it was because the American had picked up a knock.
Maik Nawrocki 7
Maik Nawrocki looked assured and composed in what was a very chaotic contest. His recovery pace and timing of his tackle really stood out and, when Carter-Vickers went off at half-time, he showed that he could take on a lot more defensive responsibilities which is especially commendable considering how early he is into his time at the club.
Greg Taylor 5
Taylor didn’t have the most impressive pre-season and was caught out for Ross County’s second goal last week so a big performance was needed and he didn’t deliver. Shayden Morris caused lots of problems for Taylor and his passes were running astray far too often. The former Kilmarnock man is lucky that Alexandro Bernabei’s attitude off the field is causing him problems because more astute competition would have Taylor’s starting place at risk for next weekend’s trip to Rugby Park.
Callum McGregor 6
It was a real game of two halves for the Celtic captain. The first-half saw the 30-year-old being bypassed constantly by the Aberdeen press and he was caught napping on the ball for the Dons’ opener. Hatate coming on in the second-half lifted a lot of the responsibility off the skipper’s shoulders and allowed him to play closer to his best.
David Turnbull 5
Turnbull wasn’t anywhere near as good as last week. Dispossessed nine times in the first-half, the 24-year-old was hooked at half-time and the energy levels in Celtic’s midfield instantly rose. However, with Hatate going off injured in the second-half, Turnbull should have a chance to prove himself again next Sunday.
Matt O’Riley 8
The Dane continued his hot start to the season as he ran the show for Celtic today. Linking up well with everyone around him, O’Riley effortlessly kept Celtic on the front foot but also showed some understated parts of his game such as his defensive capabilities and his finishing. His late goal killed off the game as he showed the composure required to finish off a good move.
Liel Abada 6
Liel Abada produced a hit and miss performance today. He showed the anticipation required to see the ball into the back of the net and put the Hoops in front but at times he was too greedy on the ball, opting to pull the trigger from distance rather than picking out the easy pass and progressing Celtic’s attack.
Kyogo Furuhashi 7
Celtic’s talisman continued to show different elements to his game as he was often dropping deeper than the Celtic midfielders to receive the ball. However, Kyogo’s highlight of the game was doing what he does best as he pounced upon a loose header from Nicky Devlin and lashed the ball past Kelle Roos with a ruthless finish.
Daizen Maeda 7
Daizen Maeda was causing mayhem in the first-half as he used his electric pace to constantly burn past the Aberdeen defence. He continued to show improvements in the technical side of his game as well as showcasing the pressing that makes Maeda such a reliable player. The only blot in his copy book today was that he perhaps should have had a goal of his own in the latter stages.
Reo Hatate 6
The Japanese only saw 15 minutes of action today but he instantly upped the energy levels in the Celtic midfield that needed a bit more movement about it.
Stephen Welsh 6
Welsh slotted in seamlessly in the Celtic backline and did his job well, winning the aerial duels against Aberdeen’s forwards and playing out well from the back.
Yang Hyun-Jun 7
The South Korean looked lively as he impressed again from the bench. He showed some real quality with his assist for Celtic’s third as he eased past the defender and drilled a perfect low ball across the face of goal for O’Riley to finish off.
Odin Holm 7
Like Yang, Holm has impressed in the brief spells he has had from the bench showing some good technique and fight when the game looked like it was in the balance. It’s just a matter of time before Holm or Yang gets a start for the club.
James Forrest N/A
James Forrest came onto the field as Celtic looked to close out the game, but didn’t have enough time to have a real effect on the game.
JAMES MCKENZIE
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