[ad_1]
Celtic have the chance to win their first piece of silverware of the 2024/25 campaign today as they face Rangers at Hampden Park in the League Cup final.
The Hoops were knocked out of this competition by Kilmarnock last season and had to watch on from afar as their Glasgow rivals lifted the trophy.
Brendan Rodgers can make up for that by winning it this time around and his side come into the match off the back of a 0-0 draw with Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
The Northern Irish head coach may look to make a couple of changes from the starting XI that lined up in Croatia, including the return of Arne Engels to the team.
Why Arne Engels should start against Rangers
The summer signing from Augsburg could be brought back into the line-up because his performances on the big stage have been impressive so far this season.
Engels has recorded three assists in two matches in the League Cup, including two assists against Aberdeen in the semi-final, and this speaks to the creative quality he can bring to the side.
The Belgium international has also scored one goal and provided three assists in six appearances in the Champions League, further proving that the young gem can step up to provide contributions in the final third in big matches for the Hoops.
Engels could come in to replace Paulo Bernardo and the 21-year-old starlet may not be the only change, as Rodgers could boldly unleash Adam Idah from the start ahead of Kyogo Furuhashi.
Why Adam Idah should start against Rangers
The former Leicester and Liverpool boss must bring the Ireland international in from the start because he has the physical qualities to suit starting a big match.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Kyogo lost 100% (4/4) of his duels and completed just three passes in 72 minutes against Dinamo Zagreb, whilst Idah won 100% (2/2) of his duels and completed three passes in 18 minutes off the bench.
The 6 foot 3 marksman can hold the ball up and get involved in the build-up phase more effectively than Kyogo, who struggles to get into matches at times due to his lack of physicality.
|
24/25 Premiership |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
14 |
12 |
|
Starts |
10 |
5 |
|
Goals |
6 |
5 |
|
Big chances missed |
14 |
8 |
|
Duel success rate |
35% |
42% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
20% |
56% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Japanese forward has only scored one more goal than Idah in the Scottish Premiership, despite starting twice as many games and missing six more ‘big chances’.
The Irishman, who was once hailed as “incredible” by Rodgers, has also won a far greater percentage of his duels and aerial contests, which illustrates how much more the former Norwich man brings to the game from a physical perspective.
Therefore, the Celtic boss must boldly unleash Idah ahead of regular starter Kyogo, who could be a fantastic option off the bench if the team needs a goal in the second half, given his return of eight goals in 15 clashes with Rangers.
Related
Kuhn 2.0: Celtic lining up move for star with “incredible potential”
Celtic are reportedly interested in a swoop for the talented young midfielder.
[ad_2]
Source link
