Rangers’ stellar victory against Hearts earlier this afternoon put the pressure back on Celtic ahead of locking horns with Motherwell at the Paradise. The Hoops had an array of injuries high up the pitch, yet managed to grab a victory banking on Tom Rogic wonderful goal moments before the half-time whistle.
Below are the Celtic players rated in their edgy win against Motherwell.
Joe Hart: 7.5
Was lucky when Callum Slattery hit the woodwork in early minutes, but the veteran custodian made a massive save midway through the first half to avoid a setback. A well-deserved clean sheet from this edgy encounter.
Josip Juranovic: 7.5
Lively from the right-hand flank with his overlapping runs, crosses and link-up play upfront. Also performed his defensive duties while protecting the lead throughout the second half.
Cameron Carter-Vickers: 7.5
Delivered a resolute defensive display by winning duels. His passing could have been better at times, but the timely tackles and no-nonsense clearances helped Celtic maintain resilience in the heart of the backline.
Carl Starfelt: 7
Did well to partner Carter-Vickers in deep defence. Was combative and showed a great sense of positioning by being in the right place at the right time.
Greg Taylor: 7
Tried to balance his game between attack and defence. Made some impressive runs down the left. Settling down gradually after weeks of injury absence.
Nir Bitton: 7.5
Was spot-on with his tackles. Not particularly effective with his dribbles, but the Israel international orchestrated the game from a central midfield role with his passing game and vision.
Callum McGregor: 8
Impressed once again in a more box-to-box role rather than featuring as an outright deep-lying playmaker. Created an array of chances from behind the frontline with his quality and intelligence.
Tom Rogic: 8.5
Made the difference with yet another scintillating strike right on the course of the half-time whistle. Had multiple goal-bound attempts as his dribbles and down the middle runs kept on troubling the visitors all throughout the contest.
David Turnbull: 8
Started in an advanced attacking role and looked menacing with his swift movements in and around the box. Had a couple of efforts saved by Liam Kelly in the Motherwell goal, but the Scotsman did extremely well to set it up for Rogic moments before the half-time break.
Liel Abada: 7.5
Stepped up from the right-hand flank in the absence of the other attacking options. Although his crosses lacked accuracy on most occasions, his cut insides, one-twos and directness caused menace in Motherwell defence.
James Forrest: 6
Was forced to leave the pitch with another injury around the 18th-minute mark. Mikey Johnston replaced him on the left. It’s becoming frustrating for the Scotsman now due to persistent fitness problems.
Celtic Subs Vs Motherwell
Mikey Johnston: 7.5
Had a decent impact since replacing Forrest. Kept on trying his luck in order to find the net, also linked up well with fellow attackers to create space.
Anthony Ralston: 6.5
A good few minutes for the right-back who returned from a brief spell on the sidelines.
