Celtic player ratings vs Livingston – 2/10 Tomoki Iwata anonymous, 9/10 dazzles
Celtic took a major step in their push for the title with a 3-0 win against bottom-of-the-table Livingston on Sunday afternoon (31 March).
They kept their spot at the top of the league thanks to an own goal from Livingston’s Jamie Brandon, a lethal long-range strike from substitute Paulo Bernardo and an in-the-box effort from Matt O’Riley.
Football Insider has analysed the Hoops’ stars’ performances at Almondvale following their convincing victory over the Lions.
PLAYER RATINGS
Joe Hart [6]
The Englishman was not forced into action amid the Hoops’ dominance of possession but made a handful of important stops.
Greg Taylor [8]
Was exceptional in advancing Celtic’s attack and was regularly on the ball to influence the play. He shielded the ball very well to prevent potential Livingston counterattacks and linked up well with his teammates to help Celtic spring dangerous attacks.
Liam Scales [4]
While Livingston had few chances to affect the scoreline, Scales looked like the loose link in the Hoops’ backline. Was beaten in aerial duels on multiple occasions and lost possession 15 times – a stronger opposition would have made him pay.
Cameron Carter-Vickers [7]
Had little to do defensively but was effective in progressing Celtic’s attacking play from the back. He commanded the backline and restricted Livingston to mostly pop shots from outside the box.
Alistair Johnston [6]
Much of the Hoops’ best play came down the left-hand side, meaning Johnson did not have a lot of chances to show his impact. However, was composed enough in possession and kept it tidy at the back, but losing possession 20 times could have proved costly.
Reo Hatate [7]
Made his impact on his return from injury by forcing a mistake for the opener three minutes into the second half. His four successful long balls proved impactful in sparking the Hoops’ attacks and he showed why the team have missed him for the last eight league clashes.
Tomoki Iwata [2]
Did not have a memorable moment across the 90 minutes and could have had more of a direct impact on Celtic’s attacking play. An afternoon to forget for the midfielder and he could be dropped to the bench for Celtic’s next clash.
Matt O’Riley [8]
The Denmark international secured Celtic’s third goal, but his weak effort should have been stopped by Livingston shot-stopper Shamal George. However, a goal and an assist showed why is one of Rodgers’ most dependable stars.
Daizen Maeda [6]
Looked lively in the final third but he showed his best in the first half and looked relatively absent in the second half. He didn’t manage a single shot across his 87 minutes on the field and did not make his presence known inside the box enough.
Nicolas Kuhn [8]
Looked very lively from the off and caused Livingston’s backline issues throughout. His skill, pace and trickery were on full display and he will be frustrated not to have earned a goal contribution, but Celtic fans will likely be fully convinced that he can make an impact across the season after this showing.
Kyogo Furuhashi [7]
Made a nuisance of himself in the attacking third but did not have the killer final ball to make his impact fully known. He should have put his side 2-0 ahead in the 68th minute but was likely strong enough to keep loanee Adam Idah out of the starting line-up for their next game.
Substitutes
Paulo Bernardo [9] – His long-distance strike just six minutes after coming on sealed the three points for his side. He linked up play very well and was crucial for his side maintaining their dominance in the closing stages of the tie. Exceptional impact.
Adam Idah [5] – Earned an assist for O’Riley’s tame goal but did little to impress in his 20-minute showing.
Yang Hyun-Jun [6] – Entered the fray when the game was put to bed, but strung together a couple of decent attacks and proved an impactful sub.
Daniel Kelly – [N/A]
James Forrest – [N/A]
In other news, Celtic race Brentford to sign Championship star – sources.
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