Celtic entertained Kilmarnock at Celtic Park earlier this afternoon hoping to stretch their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table with a win. The Hoops made a sloppy start to the game as they conceded a penalty that Eamonn Brophy converted successfully in the 6th minute. However, the Parkhead outfit found a way back into the contest when Kristoffer Ajer equalised in the 28th minute. Odsonne Edouard completed the comeback just five minutes later when he found the back of the net after winning a duel with Kilmarnock’s Kirk Broadfoot.
The Killie had a man sent off early in the second half when Alan Power was given his marching orders after picking up two yellow cards. The referee’s decision made life easy for Celtic as they pushed on and managed to score a decisive third goal via Leigh Griffiths’ tap-in just after the hour mark. The match ended with Neil Lennon’s men securing a comfortable 3-1 victory in front of their home supporters.
Let’s take a look at how each Celtic player fared during the match against Kilmarnock.
GK: Fraser Forster – 6/10
The Celtic keeper hardly had anything to do in the game after conceding the opener from the penalty spot.
CB: Jozo Simunovic – 6/10
He conceded a cheap penalty early in the game which Murphy converted with ease. However, Simunovic refused to keep his head down and tried to make amends in the first half. He played a key role in the lead-up to Edouard’s goal in the 33rd minute and had a comfortable second half.
CB: Christopher Jullien – 7/10
The French defender picked out his centre-back partner with an inviting cross and Ajer made no mistake from close range. He was solid throughout the game and will be quite happy with his performance today.
CB: Kristoffer Ajer – 7/10
The Norwegian talent scored the crucial equaliser midway through the first half and did enough to restrict the opposition to just one goal.
RWB: Jeremie Frimpong – 6/10
He was mostly ineffective in the first 45 minutes but recovered well to put in a much-improved shift after the half-time break. It was Power’s challenge on Frimpong that got him sent off in the 57th minute.
CM: Callum McGregor – 8/10
McGregor kept possession ticking in midfield and was an influential figure in driving Celtic forward throughout the 90 minutes. The Scottish midfield ace is one of the first names in Lennon’s teamsheet, and he proved why with his performance today.
CM: Tom Rogic – 6/10
The Australian international made a bright start to the game when he tested Laurențiu Brănescu with a powerful shot. However, his impact on the field faded in the second 45, which is why Lennon decided to replace him with Elyounoussi.
CM: Ryan Christie – 7.5/10
He made a goal-saving block early in the match and was a constant menace for the Killie defenders. Christie created several goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates and got an assist to show for his efforts.
LWB: Greg Taylor – 8/10
The Scottish wing-back played a dangerous cross in the lead-up to Edouard’s goal in the first half. He was unfortunate not have bagged an assist after he set-up Griffiths whose goal was disallowed.
ST: Leigh Griffiths – 7/10
He got into some excellent positions in the first half but struggled to make a breakthrough. However, Griffiths kept pushing hard and got his goal just after the hour mark with a tap-in.
ST: Odsonne Edouard – 6/10
He combined well with Griffiths in the first half and gave his team the lead when he bundled the ball home from close range. However, he was a bit wasteful with his finishing after the half-time break.
Substitutes:
ST: Vakoun Bayo – 5/10
He went close to scoring twice but couldn’t find the telling touch in the final third.
LM: Mohamed Elyounoussi – 5/10
He saw his shot cleared off the line after coming off the bench.
CDM: Nir Bitton – N/A
Bitton came on to see out the win for the home side.
