Celtic Player Ratings v Rangers

Celtic faced off against Rangers on Sunday afternoon in a match that ultimately left both sets of supporters going away in a contented mood. 

It is fair to say the Hoops weren’t at their best in the game however a 1-1 draw was sufficient enough to keep their six point lead at the top of the league. 

Here are my player ratings from the match.  

Joe Hart - 6/10

Granted, Joe Hart made some vital stops in the second half however I believe he could’ve done better at his near post for Fashion Sakala’s equaliser. The Englishman was slightly hesitant in build up play at times however the commanding presence and leadership he brings is invaluable. Furthermore, his save in the second half to deny Scott Arfield was utterly crucial. 

Anthony Ralston - 6/10

Anthony Ralston didn’t look the greatest on the ball at times yet was constantly marauding down the right hand side to provide the Hoops with another attacking dynamic. The twenty three year old remained solid defensively however, today at least, the quality Josip Juranovic brings to the fore was missed although the Croatian’s return is not looking like it will be any time soon. 

Cameron Carter-Vickers - 7/10

The American centre back didn’t particularly stand out defensively but did remain calm on the ball. Carter-Vickers’ performance was adequate today and despite Jota’s recent displays, I think signing the centre back permanently this summer should be higher up on Celtic’s agenda than tying the Portuguese down on a long term deal. 

Carl Starfelt - 8/10

At least in the first half, Carl Starfelt was able to keep the usually lively Fashion Sakala rather muted. The Swedish defender showed experience and maturity in his defending and put in another well-founded defensive display. Starfelt was probably the best performer out of Celtic’s backline today. 

Greg Taylor - 7/10

Taylor got to the bye line a number of times to whip crosses into the Rangers penalty area and attempted to play several balls in behind the the Gers’ defence for Daizen Maeda on the left hand side with the combination of the pair helping Celtic open the scoring in the first half. The left back has been in fine form in recent weeks although it cannot be denied another left sided full back to either compete with Taylor or start ahead of him next season could be of good use to Celtic. 

Callum McGregor - 8/10

The captain was the liveliest of Celtic’s midfield trio, latching on to many loose balls in the middle of the park. McGregor showed great desire and will be looking to lift the SPFL title over his head in the coming weeks. 

Reo Hatate - 5/10

Reo Hatate looked like he simply ran out of steam today. The Japanese lost out to John Lundstram among others in the midfield countless times and it appears his comments in the Japanese media from a few weeks ago are finally coming to fruition.  

Matt O’Riley - 6/10

Many Celtic fans wanted the Dane to get the nod ahead of Tom Rogic in the advanced playmaker role today and Ange Postecoglou granted said supporters their wish. O’Riley’s physical presence adds a different dynamic to the Celtic midfield however he didn’t greatly influence the game and was subbed off on the hour mark. 

Jota - 8/10

The Benfica loanee has got back on form lately and Jota furthered that hot-streak with a goal today. The Portuguese was ever-present with his trickery whether it be on the left or right hand side and on the latter, he particularly linked up well with Anthony Ralston. Jota got his goal in the first half when he beat Borna Barisic to tap home at the back post and it hopefully won’t be the last he scores for Celtic with his loan spell shortly coming to an end. 

Kyogo Furuhashi - 6/10

He started over Giorgos Giakoumakis up top today yet Kyogo Furuhashi wasn’t presented with any chances of note. The twenty seven year old was rather subdued after his goal at Ross County last week and he came off for his Greek counterpart on the sixtieth minute. 

Daizen Maeda - 8/10

Daizen Maeda started for the thirteenth time in a row today, a tall order when you consider the current competition for places in the Celtic team. Nonetheless, Maeda showed why he consistently gets the nod from his manager with another vivacious display. The Japanese was vigorous in his pressing at times and helped set up Celtic’s only goal of the game when he beat Connor Goldson to flash a dangerous ball across the face for Jota to latch on to. Maeda himself was rather unlucky not to get on the scoresheet with him having two good opportunities at either side of half time however he just wasn’t clinical enough. Going forward, along with Jota, I think it is safe to say Maeda is one of the first names on Ange Postecoglou’s team sheet. 

Substitutes 

On the hour mark, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou made a trio of changes as Giorgos Giakoumakis, Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton replaced Kyogo Furuhashi, Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate respectively. 

As expected, Giakoumakis added a different dynamic to Celtic’s attack with his physical presence causing problems for the Rangers centre halves. Rogic and Bitton brought experience into the midfield with the latter picking up a booking for a professional foul as Rangers looked to get forward on the right hand side. 

The final Celtic change saw Liel Abada come on for Daizen Maeda with twelve minutes to play and the Israeli had the ball in the back of the net however the linesman’s flag was already raised. 

Rounding Off

There were definitely some mixed emotions among the Celtic support immediately after today’s match however in reflection, a draw is probably a fair representation of how the game went. 

The Bhoys didn’t take their chances and Rangers’ second half domination was only able to merit them a single goal. 

Nevertheless, a 1-1 draw looks to have only delayed the inevitable with Celtic needing just a win against Hearts next week to all but crown themselves as champions of Scotland. 

Thank you for reading this article. If you have any thoughts or opinions, leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @Josh_Footblog for more Celtic and Scottish football content.