Celtic progressed to the Scottish League Cup semi-final with a 5-2 victory over a well-organised Falkirk side on Sunday afternoon. The Hoops had to remain patient but were worthy of the win in the end, despite an hour long scare.
Here are my ratings for the Celtic players, which will now be a regular feature on Celtic Shorts…
Kasper Schmeichel: 6
It was the Danish stopper’s busiest day yet as Celtic goalkeeper. He could do little to prevent Maciver’s powerful strike or Yeats header. His distribution was quality once again.
Anthony Ralston: 6
For the vital equaliser in the second half, it was Ralston’s key pass to Kuhn that allowed the ball to be played across to Idah. The 25 year-old put in a solid display as he went up against his former teammate Calvin Miller.
Auston Trusty: 6
A first start for the £6.5m centre-back and he initially struggled to deal with the pace of Maciver. He looked far more controlled in the second half showing decent composure.
Stephen Welsh: 5
It was a struggle for Welsh today. His passing was turgid and seemed to slow the game down at times. He looked rusty which is understandable considering it was his first start since trophy day at the end of last season.
Alex Valle: 5
A tough debut for the Spaniard. A loose header for the first goal allowed Maciver to have a free strike at goal. Going forward he provided a perfect headed cut-back for Bernardo to volley and equalise, however defensively found wanting for the second Bairns goal as Agyeman beat him for pace down Celtic’s left-hand side.
Callum McGregor: 6
Consistent performance from the captain as usual. Seemed to dominate the ball, looking to start attacking play and penetrate past the low-block Falkirk instilled in the second-half. A steady performance.
Reo Hatate: 5
Nothing seemed to come off for Hatate today. Distinct lack of creativity in the first-half played into the hands of the opposition. Constantly trying to probe his passing which was lacklustre and the midfielder never seemed to get going.
Paulo Bernardo: 7
Well-executed volley which was rifled into the roof of the net levelled the game for the Hoops. Nice touches and controlled play, the Portuguese midfielder remained patient and was integral in the victory.
James Forrest: 5
Appearance number 503 for the Celtic legend today but one of his most forgettable. Struggled slightly against former Hibs defender Sean Mackie and was wasteful in possession in the first-half. He was one of the many changes on the hour mark.
Luis Palma: 4
A dreadful showing today from the wide-man. Substituted after 60 minutes but it could have been a lot earlier. Finding it hard to nail down a permanent place in the starting XI today was the perfect opportunity to impress the manager. However, it went the other way and yet again he failed to take his chance.
Adam Idah: 8
Two goals in two minutes for the Irishman. The first, tremendous movement to peel off the two centre-backs to put himself in a position to tap the ball in. The second, bulldozed his way through the helpless Henderson and Donaldson and showed great composure to strike past Hogarth. That made it three goals in three games with his confidence now surely sky-high.
Substitutes…
Yang: 7
Very impressive when he came on. Increased the tempo in the game and was dynamic with his runs. Gave Celtic something they were missing which Falkirk could not handle. Is he now further up the pecking order than Palma? It is another headache for Brendan to ponder.
Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
Arne Engels: 7
Celtic called on their record signing to produce a moment which would spark the game. The energy and intensity were too hot to handle for John McGlynn’s side. Falkirk players could not get near him and his pass through to Kuhn for Celtic’s fourth was delightful. A class act.
Greg Taylor: 7
Gave Celtic stability down the left-hand side when he came on. Not only did he provide width with his link up play with Yang but plays that inverted role so admirably. Today emphasised how pivotal Taylor is to why this Celtic team tick.
Nicholas Kuhn: 9 MOTM
Two goals and two assists in 14 minutes for the German. A game-changer. His assists was top drawer in different ways. They both showed his technical skill and his pressing game coming together. The chip for the fourth was scintillating, and his strike for the final goal made it a perfect substitute appearance. He is becoming a big player for the manager and is currently one of the first on the teamsheet. Undoubtedly has proved a lot of people wrong.
Maik Nawrocki: N/A
A rare cameo for the central defender. He played seven minutes and did not have many touches. The game was done but it was nice to see him back in a Celtic jersey.
Conor Spence