Celtic are looking to continue their impressive winning run in the 2024/25 campaign as they prepare to take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League tonight.
The Hoops travel away from Glasgow to take on the Bundesliga giants in Germany in an attempt to make it ten straight wins in all competitions this season.
Brendan Rodgers’ side swept Slovakian outfit Slovan aside with a 5-1 win at Parkhead in the first match of the league phase, thanks to goals from Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Adam Idah on the night.
Celtic have also won all six of their matches in the Scottish Premiership, and are yet to concede a goal in the division, which shows that they come into this clash with Dortmund in sensational form.
The Scottish giants are coming into the match directly off the back of a thumping 6-0 win away at St Johnstone in the Premiership on Saturday.
One player who must keep his place in the XI from that match, after a terrific performance in the middle of the park for Celtic, is central midfielder Paulo Bernardo.
Why Paulo Bernardo must start
The Portugal U21 international did not start in the 5-1 win over Slovan in the first matchday of the Champions League season, as Reo Hatate was selected ahead of him, but should be in the line-up for tonight’s game.
Signed on a permanent deal from Benfica in the summer, Bernardo has caught the eye when called upon so far this term and his displays in the Premiership suggest that he is deserving of a place in the starting XI.
The 22-year-old sensation started against St Johnstone and produced a goal and an assist from midfield, along with four chances created, in the 6-0 victory.
Starts
5
3
Key passes per game
1.5
2.0
Big chances created
4
3
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.5
3.4
Ground duel success rate
45%
59%
As you can see in the table above, Bernardo has outperformed Hatate as a defensive option in midfield whilst also offering a similar, if not greater, level of creativity.
In a big away match against a European giant, in Dortmund, Rodgers may need defensive nous from his midfielders and that is not what Hatate provides.
The central midfielder lost 100% of his duels against Slovan and has lost 55% of his ground duels in the Premiership, which suggests that Bernardo should be the man to start this evening.
Alongside the Portuguese wizard, Rodgers must finally unleash Adam Idah – who could benefit from the midfielder’s creative quality – from the start, and brutally ditch Kyogo Furuhashi from the XI.
Why Kyogo Furuhashi could be dropped
This may seem like an incredibly harsh decision on paper, after the Japanese forward scored two goals against St Johnstone on Saturday, but it is one that could suit Celtic in this particular match.
The Hoops are up against one of the giants of German football in a tough away game and that could mean that they see less of the ball than they do in the Premiership, or against Slovakian side Slovan last time out.
Kyogo’s game is not suited to holding the ball up and providing his team with an outlet in the centre-forward position when things are not going their way and they need an outball to keep hold of possession.
Appearances
6
Passes made per game
5.7
Ground duel success rate
31%
Aerial duel success rate
0%
Tackles + interceptions
0
As you can see in the table above, Kyogo does not get too involved in matches, with 5.7 passes per game, and struggles with physical duels against defenders, having lost the majority of his ground duels and all of his aerial contests.
His finishing has also left a lot to be desired at times this season. The Japan international has scored four goals in seven matches across the Premiership and Champions League, but has spurned a whopping 11 ‘big chances’ in that time.
With this in mind, Rodgers must ditch Kyogo from the starting XI for this tough away assignment in Europe and finally unleash Idah from the start this evening.
Why Adam Idah should start
The Ireland international offers a physical presence for the Scottish giants in the centre-forward position and could provide a fantastic outlet for the team to alleviate pressure tonight.
Standing at 6 foot 3, the summer signing from Norwich is an imposing figure at the top end of the pitch and has the physicality to compete well in duels.
He has won 50% of his ground duels and aerial battles in the Premiership so far this season, after winning 64% of his contests in the air during the 2023/24 Premiership campaign.
This shows that, unlike Kyogo, Idah can hold his own against defenders in the final third and can offer his teammates an outball to play the ball long to, knowing that he can win it on the ground or in the air to hold the ball up or flick it on.
However, the 23-year-old sensation, whose ability was hailed as “incredible” by Rodgers, does not just offer quality out of possession for the Hoops.
The former Norwich striker has showcased his clinical edge in front of goal in recent matches for Celtic, which suggests that he could also provide a huge threat at the top end of the pitch against Dortmund.
Appearances
15
4
Starts
5
1
Goals
8
1
Conversion rate
27%
33%
Big chances missed
7
1
As you can see in the table above, Idah has scored nine goals and missed eight ‘big chances’ in six Premiership starts for the Hoops this calendar year.
The Irishman has also racked up four goals in his last three appearances in all competitions, including two goals against Falkirk, one against Slovan, and one against St Johnstone, which suggests that the striker could thrive off the service that Bernardo can provide in the middle of the park – with his 2.0 key passes per game.
Idah scored off the bench against Slovan in the last Champions League game and should now be unleashed from the start for the first time in Europe, due to his physical and technical qualities.
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