Celtic are back in action in the Champions League again this evening as they prepare to welcome Bundesliga side RB Leipzig to Parkhead in their fourth match.
The Hoops have picked up four points from their first three games in the competition, beating Slovan, losing to Borussia Dortmund, and drawing with Atalanta.
Brendan Rodgers’ side have already matched their points tally for their Champions League group, albeit in a different format, for the 2023/24 campaign, as they finished bottom with four points.
The Hoops will be hoping to push beyond that tally with a positive result against the German side tonight, as they head into the game off the back of an impressive win on Saturday.
Celtic faced off against Aberdeen, who are unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership, in the semi-finals of the League Cup at Hampden Park and produced a staggering 6-0 win.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Nicolas Kuhn scored the goals for the Hoops, with Maeda finding the back of the net three times.
Despite that impressive result and performance from the Scottish giants, there is one player who should be brutally ditched from the starting XI for this match – Kyogo.
Kyogo Furuhashi's performance against Aberdeen
The Japan international was selected to lead the line against the Dons and played 69 minutes of the 6-0 rout, scoring one goal and failing to register an assist.
His goal came in the 32nd minute after terrific and composed play from Maeda resulted in the centre-forward having a shot at an almost-empty net, with recovering defenders scrambling to get in the way, from close range.
The Hoops marksman was handed an eye-catching player rating of 9/10 by The Scotsman, who hailed how alert he was in the box and his knack for showing up in the big games for Celtic in domestic action.
Kyogo’s constant movement in behind and sharpness when making runs allowed him to stretch the Aberdeen defence and that created space for his teammates to work in, which meant that he did not have to have many touches of the ball to make an impact.
Of course, the Japanese forward also found the back of the net, with a relatively simple finish, and that is why it was a solid overall performance from the Hoops man.
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However, that should not be enough to keep him in the starting line-up for this clash with Leipzig at Parkhead this evening, due to the type of game that it could be.
Why Kyogo Furuhashi should be dropped
Rodgers must brutally ditch the 9/10 star from the team because it could end up being a similar match to the one they played in Bergamo against Atalanta.
In the game in Italy, the Serie A side had 66% of the possession and it was an evening where the Hoops had to dig in deep and exert a lot of physical power to cover ground and win duels across the pitch.
This clash with Leipzig, despite it being played at Parkhead, could be similar as they are currently second in the Bundesliga table, with six wins and just five goals conceded in nine matches.
Celtic are up against a top side, who have been in fantastic form in a major European league, and should not expect to be able to get a result without putting in a similar display to the one they put in against Atalanta.
Kyogo, therefore, is not suited to starting this match against Leipzig because he struggles with the physical side of the game when his team are not dominating the ball.
Appearances
10
3
Goals
4
1
Big chances missed
12
2
Duels won per game
1.0
0.7
Ground duel success rate
40%
33%
Aerial duel success rate
25%
0%
As you can see in the table above, the Japanese forward has been wasteful in front of goal in the Premiership and the Champions League, whilst also struggling in physical duels.
These statistics suggest that Kyogo would not be an ideal option to pick from the start in a game that could be dominated by the opposition, as defenders find it far too easy to get the better of him in battles – particularly in the air.
The Celtic star who should replace Kyogo
With this in mind, Rodgers must ditch the former Vissel Kobe star to unleash Adam Idah in his place, after the Irishman performed admirably against Atalanta last time out in the Champions League.
The Ireland international, whose ability was once described as “incredible” by the Northern Irish boss, has the physical frame and know-how to be the best option for Celtic for tonight’s potential game-state.
Against Atalanta, Idah won three of his five duels and two of his three aerial contests, whilst completing 14 of his 19 attempted passes, to provide the Hoops with an excellent focal point to alleviate pressure and get the team up the pitch when they needed it.
The summer signing from Norwich City stands at 6 foot 3 and has the size and strength to hold off opposition defenders to win vital duels in games where Celtic do not see much of the ball, which is not a quality Kyogo possesses.
Appearances
7
Starts
2
Goals
2
Duels won
7
Aerial duel success rate
60%
As you can see in the table above, Idah has also won the majority of his aerial battles in the Premiership and won seven duels in seven games, despite coming off the bench in five of those matches.
The 23-year-old dynamo, who scored off the bench against Slovan in the club’s first Champions League game of the season, has the qualities that Rodgers will likely need from his centre-forward this evening.
That is why the former Liverpool boss must ruthlessly ditch Kyogo, despite his 9/10 display against Aberdeen, in order to unleash Idah as the focal point for Celtic in the number nine position at Parkhead.
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