KYOGO FURUHASHI and Giorgos Giakoumakis have both fired blanks in Celtic’s four Champions League games this season.
On the domestic front, the Japanese striker has claimed seven goals, with the stand-out performance his scintillating first-half hat-trick in the 9-0 romp at Dundee United, while the powerhouse Greek has collected four, including the winner in the late, late show against St Johnstone in Perth at the weekend.
Amazingly, though, they are both waiting for their first strike in Europe’s most prestigious tournament.
KYOGO WOE…striker Kyogo Furuhashi rues a missed opportunity against RB Leipzig.
Filipe Jota is the solitary Celt to hit the target in the 3-1 loss to RB Leipzig in the Red Bull Arena while the opener against Shakhtar Donetsk in the 1-1 draw in Warsaw looked as though it had been the work of Reo Hatate, but was later awarded to Ukrainian defender Artem Bondarenko.
Former Hoops goal hero John Hartson believes Kyogo and Giakoumakis, who both missed excellent opportunities in the 2-0 loss to the Bundesliga club in midweek, should be doing a lot better.
The Welsh international legend commented: “I have to say the centre-forwards at Celtic, they have been praised, right?
“We’ve all said how brilliant Kyogo is and we’ve all said how impressed we are with Giakoumakis.
“They will now have to be disappointed with their attempts at not taking Celtic to that next level in terms of missing their opportunities.
IN THE NET…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates scoring in the 5-0 win at Kilmarnock in August.
IN THE NET…Giorgos Giakoumakis turns away after his stoppage-time winner at St Johnstone.
“They will have to have a look at themselves and say we have to hold our hands up.
“I know it’s a team game and you win together you lose together, but, as forwards, scoring two goals in the last four games, creating 52 attempts on goal.”
Hartson, speaking to The Go Radio Football Show, added: “It’s easy taking all the praise, I’ve been there myself, but sometimes when you miss opportunities, glorious chances to score you have to take some responsibility as forwards who are in there to score goals.
“As much as we have praised them, Kyoko and Giakoumakis, they must be looking at each other thinking: ‘We should have done better in this Champions League‘.“
Kyogo and Giakoumakis will get the opportunity a week on Tuesday to gatecrash the Champions League scoring charts when Shakhtar Donetsk provide the opposition at Parkhead.
And the curtain will come down on the elite competition against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu on November 2.
