Reo Hatate endured a torrid start to the month but what a return to form he enjoyed last night. In earlier seasons, Reo’s energy levels dipped late in games, but against Young Boys he covered every blade of grass. After Daizen Maeda’s dismissal, it was Reo who marshalled the left wing, throwing himself at the ball to squeeze the life out of the Swiss attack.
Space and time on the ball is a premium at this level, but players with elite ability can manufacture both. Reo’s first touch, combined with intelligent use of his body, allowed him to repeatedly settle Celtic into possession.
He did this deliciously with five minutes remaining, before carving open the Young Boys defence with a pass into the path of Adam Idah for the goal. The goal itself was a lucky break, but you often make your luck. Reo made ours last night, without his skill, the Young Boys defence would have not have been stressed.
You will wait 20 years before seeing another hattrick of disallowed goals (I have a vague memory of Tommy Johnson being incorrectly penalised like this against Kilmarnock). Kyogo’s three goals were all correctly disallowed, but seemed an indication that the opener would soon come.
Greg Taylor’s cardio capacity almost came to the rescue, when he hit the byline inside the box and crossed, while being dragged to the ground by the neck. Arne Engels’ attempt from the penalty spot was poor. If you stagger your run as Arne did, you are in trouble if the keeper is not already on his way down. The resultant shot had no momentum from the run-up, allowing the keeper time to read it.
Keller in the Young Boys goal had an outstanding game, although there was a ‘saveable’ element to each of his seven shots stopped. His final act of heroism, getting a foot out to stop Adam Idah, became a short pass to the onrushing defender Benito, who could do nothing but bundle the ball into his own net. The cheers at Celtic Park were loud, matched only by the sound of television channels being changed in unison across large parts of the country.
Unlike the first, the second half lacked chances (we will come onto this in a moment). Maeda came close early in the period, while Kasper Schmeichel made a tremendous double save to stop Young Boys taking the lead.
The late goal should have seen Celtic close the game out comfortably. Instead, Maeda’s temperament led him to retaliate. The red card which followed will cost us one of our truly Champions League-class players in Birmingham next week.
Young Boys halted Celtic’s relentless first half procession at the start of the second period when they figured out they needed to deny Callum McGregor space. Callum was imperious in the first half. The key to Celtic’s play is finding angles to make simple forward passed into. Callum was able to make and (more importantly) receive these passes, which repeatedly triggered an attack.
Modern football increasingly resembles a chess board. Everyone who can receive a pass is covered, to progress the ball, you need motion and an understanding of how to create an angle where the recipient can move into to receive a pass.
Celtic did this terribly at Ibrox this month and were vastly better last night. Remember also how often Taylor and Johnston passed the ball along the line into empty space, knowing it would be met by a Celtic jersey. Our success as a football team is all about how we move the ball forward. I don’t think we are the finished article, but you can see what the coaches have been working on since 3 January.
Young Boys remain rooted to the bottom of the table and are ninth in the Swiss league but still managed to give us a proper game last night. This demonstrates the gap between most of our domestic opponents and even the Swiss league. It is difficult to live week-to-week in one environment and then step up to a vastly higher level.
We will have at least 10 Champions League games this season and five against Newco; each match a genuine test. Other games are of little developmental value.
An interesting aside: five clubs are currently on 12 points, each of them a past winner: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Celtic.
Congratulations to Celtic on progressing to the next stage.
325 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- »
On the next article on YB players encroaching the penalty area, the rule on this has changed. Unless any of the encroaching players interfere with play i.e. involved in play following a rebound, then there is no infringement.
Paul
Even by your standards, that is an exceptional article. Your analysis is razor sharp these days.
On the game, I can’t think of too many poor performers or passages of play, yet I was nervous more than once.
Like all great keepers, Kaspar is worth a few points a season.
Though Taylor had a very good game. We were lessened by his departure. Accept may have been fitness or tactical
The sending off was harsh, given the overall exchange at the time, though not really appealable (hope that’s a word)
Onto the next challenge…
‘Thought’ not though
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED BUT THE BEAT GOES ON
I can only echo Paul’s fine comments and congratulate the young bhoys!
Credit to UEFA’s Aleksander Ceferin for introducing the new Champions League format this season, a much more level playing field for all teams. Fortunately for the world of football, Blatter and co are not living high on the hog any more and I was also impressed how Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino over at FIFA ran the last World Cup.
From now on we go into every European Cup tie as the underdog and that is the only way that we could ever win this tournament again. I’d rather Maeda was out for the next match than for the last 16’s games, it will give another player a chance to get more experience as well.
St Stivs
I can only empathise with you with regards to your frustration at the traffic collapse you experience on these magical European nights. The authorities in Glasgow are neglecting their duties to put it mildly, they refuse to give the five-star treatment to occasions like this, the whole East End benefits from having Celtic there and this is not reciprocated in kind. Parkhead had its own train station from 1897 until October1964 when the Labour government closed it, implementing the recommendations from the infamous Lord Beeching report…..the station at that time was actually called Parkhead stadium, so they knew what they were closing. Nowadays, the grandchildren of Lord Beeching meet at their fancy houses and implement plans to restrict private cars in cities….because they are just nice people who want to help others……………………….. and the band played “Believe it if you like”
what a beautiful schlaf that goal was
I was thinking of posting a ‘bear with me’ post on the hun game tonight, where I was going to remind us they are second string again and the coefficient points will benefit Celtic in the long run.
Having taken a look at the Europa table, I’ve changed my mind.
While I have limited interest in the outcome of tonight’s game, a win for the nasty mob will give them a pretty sure chance of top 8. Therefore, I’m back to indifferent on the outcome, with a leaning to Manure….just saying.
might sound a bit weird this – did we need that undoing against dortmund in order to progress in the CL/as a team this season.
did that give BR the chance to make them believe they can play how they’ve played – dunno, helluva turnaround for a team for the spfl
Maeda might get more than a 1 game ban
Pray for mancs tonight
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/01/22/rangers-and-the-2008-manchester-riots-uefa-cup-final/
See that song , Jota on the wing ?
Oh bhoy, here we go.
Before the inevitable tripe about the board this and Lawell that, consider the possibility Kyogo himself wants to move on.
I hope it’s not forgotten …🍀
!!BADA BING!! on 23RD JANUARY 2025 4:37 PM
Maeda might get more than a 1 game ban
If he gets more than a 1 game ban for that wee non-endangering flick out , we’ll need to get our lawyers on to it .
KT,Jota,on one wing,AJ,Kuhn on the other,dye Maeda’s hair black,and just pretend he is Kyogo.
What ??????
Glen D- might be seen as violent conduct
Someone in our area said when the VAR explanation came up that it might lead to a three game ban for violent conduct.
Do you all want to start a campaign fs
stay safe tomorrow ghirls and bhoys – will it be safe for brrb to travel to a hostelry?
JACKIEMAC
BRRB will just get locked in to whatever hostelry he’s in tonight and tell the small doll it was too dangerous to come hame -))))
Kyogo is 30..His best years are behind him..An offer of 12 million plus Jota is impossible to refuse..Its not just good business for Celtic its daylight Robbery and if they refused it they would be criminally negligent.Players come and go..We shouldn’t get too attached to them
locked in 😂😂
Kyogo in France for signing talks.
HH
Regarding the horrendous traffic situation after a game at Celtic Park,Say our club decided to move to relocate,what would the club be asking if the sold the stadium and all the land round about it,and say Adidas or some other company wanted their name round the stadium,how much would the sell it for.
That loud noise from your mobile was a government weather alert. Can’t be the only one who was wondering what the hell was that…
Before the champions league commenced the media and sevco cheerleader told us how bad we are in europe and that we had no chance. Then we started to pick up points and we get told, aye, but the teams you got are rubbish (best tournament in the world all of a sudden has lots of rubbish teams and we got them all) lol!!
The reality is there are folk that will give celtic no credit no matter what. Long time since we have got out of group in champions league so enjoy it becuase it was earned. It annoys all the right folk.
The media falling over itselves to tell us all how great sevco are in European football and make comparisons between ours and their results as if that is remotely possible. The only comparitable season was when both team were in the champions league and super sevco managed to secure the overall worst preformance in champions league group stage ever. Yet you hear sevco and European pedigree in the same sentence.
If Kayogo has departed for pastures new we can only thank him for the many wonderful moments and success he has brought, and hope that we have lined up a centre forward
Is this an appropriate time now for a post mortem of last night?
You’ve had 20 hours of joy.
Enough surely?
Brilliant outcome.
Qualifying for next stage with a game to spare?
Well done everyone involved.
I actually thought Reo’s touch was off quite a bit last night.
Some poor first touches and tense passes that missed their target.
Sublime assist and an injury time sliding block for a throw in justified keeping him on the pitch.
IMHO, we’re still a slightly jaded looking team. Credit to them all for mental toughness but none of the team (except Kasper maybe) looks as fresh as they did in late October.
(Celtic 3 Leipzig 1, 06 November BTW)
I’ll be very interested to see how Brendan resources “pace and power” over the next 3 transfer windows.
We got the job done (4 points from 2 games) against teams with less talent but more physicality (Young Boys, Diamond Zagreb).
Last night a simple tweak at half time – moving no.14 to advanced inside right position – nullified our left side a fair bit and got more effective again when Callum tired at which point we really struggled in midfield.
Well if Kyogo is in France he won’t be flying back tomorrow.
Am very surprised that Kyogo is going to Rennes. They are on the brink of relegation!
Terrible season so far.
5 wins, 2 draws and 11 defeats.
Kyogoal has been the football highlight of the last 3 seasons. Lucky to have hm in the hoops. Or was it luck. Young players see Celtic as a pathway to better leagues and better pay days, and that means we need to coach them and let them go. £10M for a player with effectively 6 months left on their contract is extremely good business. The next young stars will look to Celtic as a way through. Win win for everyone if we are real about it. Not easy for us to lose our hero’s but it will mean we get more of them while they get Dessers. Fantastic achievement by Brendan and the team. I was sceptical about the prodigal son but whatever happens he will have this season to celebrate and he deserves the plaudits and glory. Enjoy the moment CQN.
With three goals chalked off and then the penalty miss and that dip in intensity ten minutes into the second half particularly after playing brilliantly in the opening forty five, I thought we were done. The Swiss were beginning to look dangerous and their goalie appeared unbeatable.
Then I remembered Celtic are renowned for last minute goals, have faith.
The real drama then unfolded with some brilliant goalkeeping by Kasper.
A touch of magic from Reo with that wonder pass to Adam who tiimed his run to perfection holding off the big Swiss defender with his shot rebounding off the ‘keeper and then the defender into the back of the net. What a finish there is just something magical about winning goals in the dying minutes of a football match.
We still had some nailbiting defending to do with Daizan being sent to the line but a great night for the team and the supporters and finishing with an unbeaten home record in this new Champions Lge competition.
Regarding the Kyogo transfer situation, it’s just bizarre to be allowing your best goalador to be sold at such a crucial point in the season. Has to be fake news?
Shame we won’t now get the chance to say ‘sayonara’ to the wee Japanese hun-skelper.
Looks to be lots of chatter now on Kyogo to France
I’m almost reconciled with that
However, I’m seeing far less around Jota the other way. Where is this coming from? Seems less certain, less likely even?
He wore the Hoops with great distinction. A wonderful centre forward and a fine human being. Kyogo Furuhashi, you are a modern Celtic great.
Kyogo signed a new contract last year
Did Atlanta FC not claim they had signed Kyogo 2 weeks ago for 10M as well?
Fabrizio Romano on Twitter
Jota joins Celtic for €10m plus 10% sell-on clause
Kelvinbhoy on 23rd January 2025 6:58 pm
And not a fake account!
What a signing…