Celtic return to action in the Champions League this evening as they prepare to travel to Bergamo to take on Atalanta away from home in their third league game.
The Hoops are looking to bounce back from their last away day in Europe after they were hammered 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in Germany in their second outing.
Brendan Rodgers’ side had beaten Slovan in their opening game at Parkhead, with a convincing 5-1 scoreline in Glasgow, before they were humbled by the Bundesliga giants, who raced to a 5-1 lead by half-time.
The Scottish Premiership champions will be hoping to offer a better account of themselves when they come up against the Serie A outfit tonight, whilst also putting in a strong performance than they did at the weekend.
On Saturday, Celtic were held to a 2-2 draw at Parkhead by Aberdeen, to keep the two sides locked on points at the top of the table, after going 2-0 up ahead of half-time.
They let their lead slip and must avoid those defensive frailties to be on show against the likes of Mateo Retegui, Ademola Lookman, and Charles De Ketelaere.
Celtic's top performers against Aberdeen
There were plenty of impressive performers on the pitch for the Hoops against the Dons on Saturday, though, and they should keep their places in the starting line-up.
One player who must stay in the team is centre-forward Kyogo after his impressive contributions during the first-half of the game against Aberdeen.
Firstly, the Japan international made a fantastic run down the right channel and played the perfect pass across the box for Hatate to find the back of the net.
Then, Kyogo pounced on a loose ball in the box, after a shot was deflected into his path, to find the bottom corner to make it 2-0 to the Hoops.
The scorer of the opening goal, Hatate, is another player who was a top performer on Saturday and should start tonight. He produced a fine finish to find the far corner from the striker’s cutback to open the scoring.
Along with his strike, the central midfielder won five of his seven duels and created two chances for his teammates, which shows that he was combative and creative in the middle of the park.
Rodgers must, however, make a change at the other end of the pitch by bringing centre-back Maik Nawrocki in for a rare start, after the disaster in Europe last time out.
The player who should be dropped for Maik Nawrocki
Celtic have been playing with two left-footed centre-backs – in Auston Trusty and Liam Scales – in recent weeks and this means that either of them could drop out to allow Nawrocki to play on the right side.
It should be Trusty, however, who is dropped back down to the bench by Rodgers, as Scales had partnered Cameron Carter-Vickers with success at the start of the season, keeping five clean sheets in five league games.
Whereas, the summer signing from Sheffield United has only helped to keep one clean sheet in his four starts for the club since Carter-Vickers’ injury.
Trusty, who was handed a player rating of 6/10 by The Scotsman, was part of the leaky defence that let in two goals against Aberdeen on Saturday, the second of which deflected off him and in after he turned away from the ball in a weak attempt to block the shot.
In his four appearances for Celtic, the American has been part of a team that has shipped ten goals – including seven in the heavy defeat to Dortmund.
The Hoops have let in three goals in his three starts in the Premiership, after zero goals in Carter-Vickers’ five starts, which suggests that the team was far more defensively secure with the former Tottenham man at the back.
Trusty has yet to prove that he has what it takes to be a key part of Rodgers’ team, given the team’s struggles defensively since his introduction to the side, and that is why he should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI for the clash with Atalanta tonight.
Therefore, with Carter-Vickers still missing from injury, the manager should turn to his other available central defender and unleash Nawrocki in his place.
Why Maik Nawrocki must be unleashed
The Polish colossus, who was once hailed as “aggressive” by Rodgers, has yet to start a game in any competition this season, but can offer a natural option on the right side of the defence, instead of having a left-footed player – in Trusty – attempting to play out on his weaker side.
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The giant, signed from Legia Warsaw in the summer of 2023, is comfortable on either foot but is predominantly right-footed, which means that he can open up and play passes into midfield or down the line on the right with ease, which could allow Celtic to bypass the Atalanta press more efficiently than they would with a left-footer in that role.
Last season, Nawrocki did not make a single appearance in the Champions League for the Hoops last season, which could give him added motivation to make his mark if he is selected this evening.
The central defender won 78% of his duels across four appearances in the Europa League for Legia Warsaw in the 2021/22 campaign, which was his last attempt at competing on the continent, and this shows that the potential is there for him to be a dominant figure at the back.
Nawrocki only made ten appearances in the Premiership during his debut season with the Scottish giants last term, but did show signs of promise in that time.
Appearances
10
Sofascore rating
6.97
Pass accuracy
88%
Clearances per game
3.2
Ground duel success rate
69%
Aerial duel success rate
50%
As you can see in the table above, the Polish ace was incredibly dominant in his duels on the deck, winning 69% of his ground battles against Premiership attackers.
Nawrocki, however, has yet to be tested in the Champions League or the Premiership this season and it could, therefore, be a risk to bring him in from the start.
Trusty’s disappointing form, and the seven goal concession against Dortmund, suggests that there is not much to lose from the Hoops giving him a chance, in the absence of Carter-Vickers, and that is why Rodgers must take the plunge and hand him an opportunity.
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