CELTIC STILL IN CONTENTION BUT MARGINS ARE NARROW
- By LIAM McBRIDE
- 13 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Celtic remained alive in the title race after another narrow win on the road. The hoops conceded for the eighth league game running and just like in four of the last five league victories, they prevailed by a single goal.
With Rangers beating Dundee United 4-2 and Hearts dropping points to Livingston earlier in a 2-2 draw, it means the Jambos lead the pile with 67 points. Rangers are in second with 66, meanwhile Celtic sit in third with 64 points.
It means that heading into the final six games, it’s all to play for between, if we are honest, three very average sides.
Crucially, the Bhoys will play four of their last six league games at Celtic Park. Under Martin O’Neill, they have a home league record of eight wins and one loss in nine games. In contrast, Rangers will play four away and two at home.
Furthermore, of the three remaining fixtures between the top three, two will take place at Celtic Park, with Rangers and Hearts both heading to the East End of Glasgow, while the current top two will battle it out at Tynecastle.
Celtic Pushed all the Way by Dundee but Scrape Through
By that point, the four-in-a-row champions will be hoping that Alistair Johnson, Arne Engels and Callum Osmand are back up to speed. Julian Aurujo’s return looks doubtful, while Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota will certainly not be available.
For any chance of a comeback title lift, though, Celtic will simply need to be more clinical in front of goal. The stats don’t lie. The Hoops have created a higher XG (1.95 per game) than any other team this season, but don’t have the goals to show for it.
Martin O’Neill said as much after the game:
“We will obviously like the other two teams create chances, it’s a matter of taking those chances and then having to defend strongly. You can have all the midfield play you want and it was through our midfield play that we created some great chances in the game…”
“But at the end of the day we will have to take the chances, it is really as simple as that because we cannot afford to go through another half like this here, miss the number of chances and expect it to work out for you.”
So, let’s rate how each player did today.
Viljami Sinisalo - 7 He had very little to do in the first half, with Dundee’s chances being limited to some stray long shots. He was made busier at the start of the second half, without being forced to complete anything more than comfortable saves. Nevertheless, he was called into action in the 57th minute when Colby Donovan’s outstretched hand gifted the home side a penalty. Ultimately, the Finn dived the wrong way. In the last kick of the game, he commanded his area well to win a crucial free kick to assure the three points. Another solid performance overall.
Colby Donovan - 5.5 Donovan had a respectable first half, frequently pressing high and largely keeping Tony Yogane and Drey Wright at bay, or at least showing them onto their weak foot. However, a moment of madness and a clumsy handball led to Dundee equalising, creating another uphill battle. Again, it’s clear that the youngster is giving his all, but the Champions are in dire need of Alistair Johnson or Julian Aurujo to return.
Auston Trusty - 6.5 In his first league start since Tynecastle, Trusty returned to the right centre-back role. He was frequently the first player passed to from goalkicks and did a decent job playing out from the back. Deep into the second half, his aerial defending also proved crucial in holding on for a colossal victory.
Liam Scales- 4. While Trusty comfortably distributed on his less comfortable side, for the second game running, Scales struggled throughout. His touch was unreliable and he consistently looked clumsy on the ball.
Kieran Tierney - 4.5 A pretty poor performance in general. In the second half, he was often found out of position and leaving gaps of space behind. Moreover, any form of crossing accuracy eluded him.
Callum McGregor - 4.5 McGregor failed to establish himself in the game. Particularly, when a winner was needed, he didn’t really establish any sort of control that you would expect from your captain in the midfield. His passing was slack throughout, frequently gifting possession away in the central areas.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 7 The 32-year-old enjoyed a really strong first half before tiring in the second period. His physicality and awareness were on show from the start. Ultimately, he was the one running the midfield in the first half and you could see the consequence when his sharpness dropped in the second half.
Benjamin Nygren - 6.5 The Swede will claim the first goal; however, replays showed that it was Yang who got the all-important touch. Outwith this, he enjoyed a really strong first half, linking up well with Maeda and Yang to create a lot of chances. He was also tidy at times in the second half, but seemed leggy towards the end.
Yang - 6 After scoring the first goal, Yang came close to doubling his lead when his headed attempt was saved spectacularly by Jon McCracken. Yet, in a game where he could have twice found himself on the scoresheet, his overall play was at times a little untidy, particularly in the crossing department. Nevertheless, his off-the-ball running aided the Celtic right-hand side in limiting the Dens left threat.
Tomas Cvancara -3.5 A really poor performance from a January signing who just seems to lack any sort of conviction in the final third. At the times when he should have passed, he shot and when he should have shot, he passed. With two excellent one-on-one chances, he spurred both of them. With the amount of opportunities the Czech had, not even being on the scoresheet is unforgivable. Despite his 6-foot-3 frame, he offers no physical presence and is doing very little to justify a £7 million buy option clause in the Summer.
Daizen Maeda - 7 Maeda looked back to his best in the first half. Intensity, running power and creativity were all present in a terrific display. In particular, he did well early on to latch onto a long ball and play an excellent cross across the face of goal, which nearly found Yang. With Celtic's declining control in midfield, they failed to supply him as much in the second half, before he was withdrawn in the 76th minute.
A word for the Subs:
At the time, O’Neill’s changes seemed puzzling. Cvancara was always going to be replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho and the Nigerian offered much more in terms of hold-up and showed the necessary composure to keep the title race alive.
Outside that, though, to bring on Luke McCowan and Anthony Ralston when in need of a goal, while leaving Sebastien Tounetki and Reo Hatate on the bench, was surprising. Marcelo Saracchi and James Forrest also made a short appearance.
Yet, O’Neill was proved right, as all did satisfactory jobs, with Saracchi in particular proving an immediate upgrade on the left-hand side. With all the plaudits that Aurujo has received on loan, the positive influence of Saracchi’s performances has been somewhat underplayed. The reigning Champions should be doing all they can to confirm the Uruguayan on a permanent deal in the Summer.
Celtic now face a double header against St Mirren before the top six split comes into play. The Buddies are behind Aberdeen in tenth place only by goal difference and have registered back-to-back wins for the third time this season. For O'Neill's men, the most important thing is to get across the line next weekend and hope that the likes of Johnson, Engels, Araujo and Osmand can return for the all-important run-in.
