KYOGO FURUHASHI is determined to shoot down a sequence of blanks if he gets the opportunity against Atalanta in Bergamo on Wednesday.
The prollfic Japanese hitman netted in an away European tie when he rifled one in during Celtic’s 4-2 win in a Europa League qualifier against FK Jablonec in the Czech Republic.
That strike came on his Hoops debut on August 5 2021 and he followed up three days later with a hat-trick against Dundee in his first game at Parkhead.
The goals have flowed for Ange Postecoglou’s £4.2million recruit from J-League outfit Vissel Kobe – but he has yet to score away from Glasgow in the Champions League.
START OF SOMETHING GOOD…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates his first goal for Celtic in the 4-2 win in the Czech Republic in August 2021.
Kyogo had to wait until last season before he claimed a strike in Europe’s most prestigious competition when he scored in the unfortunate 2-1 loss to Lazio under the lights in the east end of the city last October.
He fired in another in the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid at the same venue later in the month and completed a personal hat-trick when he pounced in the 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava last month.
However, that elusive breakthrough away goal in the elite tournament has eluded the fans’ favourite which precious little chance of getting on the scoresheet in his 63 minutes in Dortmund in the team’s 7-1 nosedive.
He has fired blanks on seven occasions on his travels and the fleet-footed frontman is aiming to bring the barren run to a halt against the Europa League winners.
Kyogo goes into the encounter on the back of bagging his fourth goal in five games in the 2-2 draw with Aberdeen at the weekend after setting up the first for Reo Hatate.
BOXING CLEVER…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates his strike in the 2-2 draw with Aberdeen at the weekend.
He was delighted with his contribution for the opener against the Dons who came back from two goals adrift to claim a point, but the forward insisted: “In the second-half, I had two chances where I could have scored. Both ended up not going into the net.
“That’s something I need to improve, so I just have to keep working hard for that.
”We had the chances as a team and also for myself. So, what we need to do is work out how we can pass these kinds of walls to try and score.
“We need to have a good picture and the same ideas on how to break through.”
Looking forward to the 5.45pm kick-off in Italy against a side currently sixth in Serie A, six points behind leaders Napoli, Kyogo, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “We know it is going to be difficult.
“So whoever is playing from the start has to play together, link together, attack together, defend together and we have to perform very well because, obviously, the opponents are a very good team, so we just have to prepare well.
“Rather than talk about what we should do and what we can do, it’s about on the pitch.
“We have to perform and show to everyone that this is what we can do and we have to show it ourselves.”
