Celtic were determined to bounce back this afternoon after a surprise defeat against St. Mirren before the break. However, they looked vulnerable once again, particularly in deep defence amid injuries to both Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt. Motherwell put up a good show at Parkhead, but the champions of Scotland grabbed an edgy 2-1 win despite being down to ten men late in the game.
Below are the Celtic players rated in their win against Motherwell.
Joe Hart: 6.5
Not his best game between the sticks even though he had a couple of decent saves and high claims.
Josip Juranovic: 6.5
Scored a poor own goal against the run of play. Was relentless otherwise as he kept on creating chances with his marauding runs. Hit the woodwork from a free-kick minutes before finding his own net.
Stephen Welsh: 6
Did well in terms of playing it out from the back with great passing accuracy and plenty of touches. But he looked rusty while going for tackles and duels. McGregor’s red card could have been avoided had he been in a better defensive position.
Moritz Jenz: 7
Dominated the aerial games, and also completed the most number of passes. Made an array of recoveries and committed some tactical fouls to prevent the opponents from posing a threat.
Greg Taylor: 6.5
Was far from his best as he kept on losing duels. Got dispossessed time and again, whereas his dribbling attempts were unsuccessful as well while operating as an inverted fullback.
Callum McGregor: 7
Took one for the team as he received a marching order for a last-man tackle. Dominated possession from the centre of the pitch, but he lacked the creative spark except for one occasion.
Matt O’Riley: 7
Played his part in Kyogo’s opener. Missed a great chance to find the net but he did his best to carry the ball forward and operate in a box-to-box role behind the attacking third. Made way for David Turnbull moments after Hatate’s goal.
Reo Hatate: 8.5
The wait is finally over for the Japanese midfield ace who hit the woodwork moments before the break but eventually fired in the winner midway through the second half. Was replaced by the debutant Oliver Abildgaard in the closing minutes of the match.
Daizen Maeda: 7
Looked impressive down the wide with his work rate and link-up football. Faded off with time and was taken off after Hatate’s striker. Liel Abada replaced him in the attacking third.
Filipe Jota: 8
Another impressive display from the young Portuguese who not only set it up for Hatate in the second half but also kept on causing menace in the Motherwell backline. Made way for Aaron Mooy minutes before the final whistle.
Kyogo Furuhashi: 8
Was in the right place at the right time as he made no mistake to earn an early lead. Should have been sharper and more accurate on a couple of other occasions before leaving the pitch for Sead Haksabanovic with 10 minutes remaining.
Celtic Subs Vs Motherwell
Liel Abada: 7
Made an instant impact from the right-hand flank with his pace, flair and exquisite footwork.
David Turnbull: 7
Calmed things down in the middle of the park by winning back possession.
Sead Haksabanovic: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
Aaron Mooy: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
Oliver Abildgaard: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
