Again at Scottish Championshipseems to be Celticof the title to lose after what has been another impressive start to the campaign, with Brendan RodgersThe team remain unbeaten in the top flight after Wednesday’s win over Aberdeen.
The Dons were the only side to take points from the Old Firm giants this season although, at the end of another hard-fought game, it was the Hoops who claimed victory at Pittodrie to extend their gap at the top.
Reo Hatate’s late strike – which was superbly saved by substitute Greg Taylor – sealed a 1-0 win on the road for the Glasgow side, ensuring their lead now stands at seven points with a game in hand on the closest their opponents.
Rangers, meanwhile, remain 11 points adrift amid a dismal domestic season for Philippe Clement and co.
Despite that healthy advantage, there is no room for complacency for the champions, with Rodgers likely to be somewhat concerned by the performances of a few key individuals, including youngster Alex Valle.
Alex Valle’s game in numbers against Aberdeen
There is certainly plenty to like about the Barcelona loanee since arriving at Parkhead in the summer, with the 20-year-old full-back already having his say. four assists in just 12 appearances in all matches.
The former Levante ace was particularly impressive off the bench during the 1-1 draw with Club Brugge a week ago, leveling Daisen Maeda minutes after coming on.
Now it looks like I’m Celtic’s new on-loan superstar – in the mold of Iota – The aim will now be for the youngster to achieve consistency under Rodgers, having been taught something of a lesson on Wednesday night.
Performance in numbers
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Against the spirited Duk, Valle struggled to establish himself down the left side, having been dropped early on by a high ball over the top that allowed his opponent to score a goal-scoring effort.
Overall, the promising Spaniard won just three of his 11 total duels and lost possession on 16 occasions from just 55 touches, having also failed to complete any of his five dribble attempts. according to Sofascore.
Also shown an admittedly soft yellow card just after 30 minutes, the defender was then substituted at the break, with Taylor’s arrival ultimately earning the gains for his involvement in Hatate’s decisive effort.
A bad day at the office for Valle then, although he certainly wasn’t the only one to fail to deliver for the visitors, with a first-team star arguably having a worse day…
Celtic’s worst performance against Aberdeen
The caveat to this is this Kyogo Furuhashi he is not a striker who seeks to get involved in the build-up, offering a pure poaching presence despite this Harry Kane-like style of play.
|
Kyogho’s record at Celtic as a manager |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Andze Postecoglou |
Brendan Rodgers |
|
Games |
83 |
69 |
|
It starts |
71 |
57 |
|
Goals |
54 |
26 |
|
It helps |
10 |
8 |
|
Yellow cards |
6 |
2 |
|
Minutes per goal |
100 |
177 |
|
Minutes played |
5383 |
4589 |
All this is good, if only when the Japanese star finds the net – having scored 80 goals in 151 matches for the club to date – however, when goals aren’t imminent, he doesn’t let much go. Valle may be a young kid learning his trade, but Furuhashi is a seasoned figure who should very well have a lot more to offer.
Indeed, Vissel’s ex-man Kobe is only average 13.2 touches per game in the Premiership in 2024/25, having registered just 11 touches at Pittodrie, before being fouled just after the hour mark.
Rested for the weekend win over Ross County, the 29-year-old hardly made the most of that well-earned break amid a lackluster display against the Dons, also losing the ball on six occasions while recording a pass accuracy percentage. just 56%.
With the Hoops number eight failing to win a single duel while not registering an effort on goal, it was a frankly anonymous display in attack, with the introduction of Adam Idah providing a far more effective focal point in the latter stages. – as mentioned below.
There is perhaps a real decision to be made as to who should be Rogers’ top shooter moving forward, with Aida having scored eight times on all fronts this season, while Kyogo barely seven hits to his name.
Similarly, it can be argued that the 6ft 3 Idah best represents those fighting journeys, emulating the role often played by Giorgos Giakoumakis under Andzes Postecoglou.
It is encouraging, to say the least, that Rodgers has two quality options to choose from, with the depth of firepower required to sustain this rampant title charge.
