Competition for wide slots at all-time high

Watching Celtic at Livingston yesterday you would be inclined to wonder what all the fuss was about.  The early goal helped.  It allowed Celtic to settle into a patient game and gave Livingston the onus to come out and play football at some stage of the match.  This fact did not appear to occur to them, however, as they persisted with what looked like a 6-3-1 formation throughout.

Again, Celtic showed a preference to go down the left.  Sead Haksabanovic has flourished in his partnership with Greg Taylor.  Had Jota been fit this last month or so, Sead would be less of a known asset.

It seems unlikely that Jota will be fit enough to start in Madrid, so Sead should keep his place.  It is just as unlikely that despite being one of our top current performers, Sead will keep Jota out of the team, no one will keep a fit Jota out.  Earlier in the season we saw Jota on the right for periods during a game, with Maeda on the left, I expect we will see Jota and Sead swap sides in this manner, if nothing else, it disrupts defensive patterns.

With James Forrest back on form and Liel Abada continually providing evidence that he is an exquisite predator, competition for the wide slots at Celtic is higher than I think I have ever known it.