Celtic must turn their attention away from the league phase of the new-look Champions League as they prepare to take on Falkirk in the League Cup this afternoon.
The Hoops have a chance to secure their place in the last four of the competition, which they were knocked out of in August by Kilmarnock last term, by winning this quarter-final clash.
They come into this game against the Championship outfit off the back of a stunning 5-1 win over Slovakian side SK Slovan at Parkhead on Wednesday night.
It was a fantastic evening for the Scottish Premiership champions, who picked up their first win in Europe this year, after they finished bottom of their Champions League group last season.
Brendan Rodgers‘ side swept them aside with relative ease as Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, and Adam Idah all got their names on the scoresheet.
This clash with a second tier team in the League Cup, despite it being a quarter-final, now provides the Northern Irish head coach with a chance to rotate his squad.
Two players who may have nailed down their places in the starting XI are James Forrest and Idah, who caught the eye off the bench on Wednesday.
Why Adam Idah and James Forrest should start
The attacking duo were used as substitutes against Slovan but still managed to combine for a goal, as the winger played a fantastic through ball for the Ireland international to slot past the goalkeeper for Celtic’s fifth.
That was Idah’s first goal for the Hoops since his permanent move from Norwich City during the summer transfer window, after spending the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead.
The 6 foot 3 marksman had plundered eight goals in 15 appearances in the Premiership, despite starting just five matches, during his loan spell, whilst also scoring the winner in the SFA Cup final against Rangers.
This shows that the former Canaries academy graduate has the quality to provide a huge goalscoring threat for the Scottish giants, which is why Rodgers should be comfortable handing the 23-year-old ace a start against Falkirk.
Forrest, meanwhile, has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, with four assists in seven appearances in all competitions and three assists in his last four games.
The Scottish forward could come in to replace Daizen Maeda on the flank, whilst Idah could come in for Kyogo Furuhashi in the centre-forward position.
These two changes appear to be obvious ones, after their combination for the fifth goal on Wednesday, but another player Rodgers must unleash from the start is central midfielder Paulo Bernardo.
Why Paulo Bernardo should start
The Portugal U21 international was unfortunate to be dropped from the starting XI this month after his promising displays for the Scottish side in August.
Bernardo re-joined the Hoops from Benfica on a permanent deal during the summer transfer window, after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan, and hit the ground running last month.
The 22-year-old maestro started the wins over St Mirren and Rangers and caught the eye with his all-action performances in the middle of the park.
Paulo Bernardo | Vs St Mirren | Vs Rangers |
|---|---|---|
Key passes | 2 | 3 |
Big chances created | 1 | 1 |
Ground duels won | 4/9 | 10/15 |
Aerial duels won | 2/3 | 2/3 |
Tackles won | 3 | 5 |
As you can see in the table above, Bernardo offered quality in and out of possession for the Scottish giants in both of the games that he started in the Premiership.
The £5.8k-per-week star, who was once described as “tenacious” by Rodgers, won 18 duels and eight tackles in just two matches, which shows that the midfielder was able to consistently win possession back for his side.
Bernardo also showcased his ability on the ball, with five key passes and two ‘big chances’ created, as he used his creativity to put chances on a plate for his teammates.
Despite those sublime performances, the Portuguese starlet has found himself on the bench in the last two matches, against Hearts and Slovan, behind fellow summer signing Arne Engels.
This League Cup clash with Falkirk, however, provides Rodgers with an opportunity to bring the former Benfica prospect back into the starting XI, to allow him to continue the fine form he showed in the wins over St Mirren and Rangers.
He has proven that the quality is there for him to be an impressive performer for Celtic in midfield, which is why the manager should not have any concerns about playing him from the start in this game.
Arne Engels’ superb start to his Celtic career
The 21-year-old wizard joined the Scottish giants from Bundesliga side Augsburg for a club-record fee of £11m during the summer transfer window.
That significant transfer fee brought pressure and expectation with it and, so far, Engels has taken all of it in his stride and enjoyed a perfect start to his career in Glasgow.
The central midfielder came off the bench against Rangers at the start of the month, having signed less than 48 hours before kick-off, before being placed in the starting line-up for the last two games by Rodgers.
Arne Engels | Vs Hearts | Vs Slovan |
|---|---|---|
Goals | 1 | 1 |
Assists | 0 | 1 |
Big chances created | 0 | 1 |
Duels won | 6/10 | 9/13 |
Tackles won | 1 | 6 |
As you can see in the table above, the Belgium international produced two goals and one assist in those matches, with both of his goals coming from the penalty spot.
The former Bundesliga starlet also showcased his defensive attributes with 15 duels won, out of 23 contested, and seven tackles made against Hearts and Slovan.
These statistics show that, like Bernardo, Engels has the ability to be an all-action presence in the middle of the park for Celtic, by making an impact in and out of possession.
However, Rodgers must now drop the Belgian gem back down to the bench to provide Bernardo with a chance to play from the start in this cup clash, whilst resting the £11m star for the upcoming Premiership and Champions League games.
