Celtic's Offense Coming Alive at Just the Right Time?
With the Bhoys thrashing Kilmarnock 6-1 on Saturday, a streak of inability to finish scoring chances seemed to break…finally.
However, it is hard not to remember what happened following the last time that that big of a a scoreline popped up for Celtic. Following the pounding of fellow Glasgow outfit Rangers 5-1 earlier this month, the Hoops went in to a scoring shell.
They were crushed 7-0 by Barcelona, held to a 2-2 draw by middling club Inverness and only put away first division side Alloa Athletic with two late goals in its victory in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final earlier this week. In total, Celtic managed 22 shots on target in those three matches.
Yet, it resulted in just four total goals.
Something clearly was amiss, and perhaps it was the fact that players like Patrick Roberts and Leigh Griffiths were missing. Gone were the players with the creative ability to make compact defenses pay (Roberts) or the clinical finishing ability to make difficult chances turn in to goals (Griffiths).
Whatever it was, Celtic fans were getting nervous continually seeing the offense run possession and have next to nothing to show for it. That changed a bit on Saturday, especially given the fact that we saw all three big attacking options in form.
Moussa Dembele had a brace, Leigh Griffiths got in to the game and made an immediate impact and Scott Sinclair was a pain in the neck for Killie all match long.
With both of Rodgers’ summer attacking signings continuing to shine, it appears Celtic can compete with some of the better teams in Europe on the offensive front.
Rodgers clearly had Champions League football on his mind following the match, not allowing his team to rest on the laurels of a big scoreline.
“But we don’t want to get carried away,” he warned. “We still have a lot of work to do with this team. The ball can move quicker and the standard can go up a lot more.
“Last season Kilmarnock got a 0-0 draw here so it shows our ability and hunger and intensity less than a year on to score six goals.
“We played very well and, as a team, they are improving but there is still a way to go.”
It didn’t show against Barcelona, but the hope is with a healthy lineup of attacking options at the disposal this time around, Celtic don’t have to play such a defensive game on the European stage.
Manchester City awaits the Bhoys in return to Champions League play at the mid-week. The hope has to be seeing the team round in to form right before this big match and the return of Griffiths from a hamstring injury.
That combination should mean Celtic will be more free to attack, and it needs that if it has a chance to pull a crazy upset in the so-called “Group of Death.”
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