Rejuvenated Celtic were desperate to reclaim the League Cup crown this afternoon when they clashed heads with Hibernian at Hampden Park. Hibs defeated Rangers 3-1 in the semi-final, thanks to a hat-trick from Martin Boyle, but they failed to cause back to back upsets despite finding a lead early into the second half. Kyogo Furuhashi equalized moments after the opener and the Japanese scored a stunner 20 minutes later to clinch the Hoops’ 20th League Cup title drawing an end to last season’s title drought.
Below are the Celtic players rated in their win against Hibernian.
Joe Hart: 7.5
Conceded again from a corner but the Englishman pulled off some majestic saves including a last-gasp stop to deny Joe Newell. A massive impact from the custodian en route to conquering the silverware.
Josip Juranovic: 7.5
Was clumsy at times with his tackles, but the Croatian balanced his game down the right while featuring as a fullback. Could have done better with his shooting attempts.
Cameron Carter-Vickers: 7.5
Solid defensive display from the USMNT international who stood tall under pressure, particularly in the closing minutes when Hibs were chasing for the equalizer.
Carl Starfelt: 6.5
Did not have the most convincing 90 minutes. Should have covered the far post and defended Paul Hanlon’s opener. Improved his game with time and did well to partner Carter-Vickers in the heart of the backline.
Greg Taylor: 7.5
Forced Matt Macey to make a crucial save early into the game. Impressed with his overlapping runs, crosses and link-up play with Johnston. Made way for Anthony Ralston during the final quarter of the tie.
Callum McGregor: 8.5
A captain’s display from the Scotsman who set it up expertly for Kyogo Furuhashi right after Hanlon’s goal. Worked tirelessly in the middle of the park and operated in a box-to-box role following David Turnbull’s early exit due to an injury woe.
Tom Rogic: 8
The Aussie wizard was astounding with his down the middle runs, dribbles and creative spark from behind the frontline. Assisted Furuhashi for his winner from a set-piece situation.
David Turnbull: 6.5
Had a lively start as a ‘number 8’ before making way for Nir Bitton due to fitness reasons.
Liel Abada: 7.5
His swift footwork down the right kept on causing problems in the Hibernian backline. His link-up play, smart one-twos and directness helped Celtic exhibit their dominance in the attacking third.
Mikey Johnston: 7
Enjoyed his time on the pitch as he worked hard down the left and combined well with his teammates to create chances upfront. Made way for Liam Scales in the closing minutes of the contest.
Kyogo Furuhashi: 10
Returned to the squad recovering from his injury and won Celtic the title single-handedly with two stunning goals after going down 1-0. The Hoops hero then made way for Owen Moffat with around 10 minutes remaining.
Celtic Subs Vs Hibernian
Nir Bitton: 7
Added experience from his deep-lying midfield role since replacing Turnbull minutes before the half-hour mark.
Anthony Ralston: 6.5
Added more firepower from the right during the final quarter of the outing.
Owen Moffat: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
Liam Scales: NA
Played too little to warrant a rating.
