IT’S BEEN over TWO months since Benjamin Nygren scored a league goal for Celtic.
This evening against Motherwell at Fir Park would be an excellent time for the champions’ 20-goal marksman to get back on target.
The Swedish midfielder claimed the winner in the 2-1 success over Aberdeen at Pittodrie on March 4 – and since that effort the £1.7million arrival in summer has fired blanks in the Premiership.
It’s a mystifying drop in figures with Nygren’s only strike since the victory in the north east coming in the 6-2 extra-time romp against St Mirren in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden last month.
Despite going on a seven-game sequence without a goal in the dramatic duel for the title, there is nothing wrong with the confidence of the 24-year-old World Cup-bound Swede.
EAR WE GO…Benjamin Nygren celebrates his free-kick strike in Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle in January.
Reassuringly, Nygren emphasises his self-esteem when he says: “It’s very strong, I’ve believed the whole time and you have to do that.
“We’ve had a lot of confidence, especially in the last couple of games. We’ve been very good and very strong, so we’re going for it.
“I’ve felt the confidence in the group and in the squad the whole season. I think we’ve showed so many times when we’ve been down in some games that we’ve kept believing and kept going for it.
“I think the hunger of winning is at max level and we’re hunting in every game. And we’re putting so much pressure on the opponent in every game, it’s been very good.”
Nygren, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “That’s the mindset you need to have. You always have to believe in anything and have confidence that you’re going to win and that you’re going to turn it around, otherwise it’s a lot more difficult to do it.
OH, HAMPDEN IN THE SUN…Benjamin Nygren celebrates his strike in Celtic’s 6-2 extra-time Scottish Cup semi-final triumph over St Mirren last month with two-goal Kelechi Iheanacho about to add his congratulations.
“For sure it’s going to be a very difficult game, Motherwell are a very good team and they’ve been doing very well.
“Last time we were there, we had a very difficult game.
“So, we know that it’s a good team, but we’re going there to win and now the situation is very different than last time.”
The champions’ previous visit to North Lanarkshire was on December 30 last year and they were outplayed by the hosts in a 2-0 defeat, the wretched Wilfried Nancy’s fifth loss in seven games before he was axed five days later following the derby reverse at Parkhead.
As Nygren points out, this confrontation will indeed be very different than last time.
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