Rodgers should unleash Celtic star who may turn out to be their new Tony Watt

Celtic had been left annoyed within the 2023/24 marketing campaign after they had been knocked out of the Champions League earlier than they gained a match within the group stage.

The Hoops gained one in every of their six matches within the group, with that victory coming in opposition to Feyenoord within the final recreation, and had been dumped out of the competitors earlier than the knockout part.

This time round, within the new-look format, Celtic have certified previous the league part and they’re now set to face off in opposition to Bayern Munich at Parkhead within the first-leg of the play-off spherical.

The Scottish Premiership leaders, who’ve already crushed Bundesliga facet RB Leipzig 3-1 in Glasgow, will want a giant outcome to take again to Bavaria for the second-leg in Germany subsequent week.

Celtic aren’t any strangers to a giant night time underneath the lights in Europe and they’ll want one other one in every of them this night once they welcome Vincent Kompany’s facet to Parkhead.

Certainly one of their most well-known wins within the Champions League got here in opposition to a Lionel Messi-led Barcelona staff again in November 2012 throughout the group stage.

Tony Watt’s heroics in opposition to Barcelona

The Hoops welcomed the Spanish giants to Glasgow and produced a sensational efficiency to return away with all three factors, as they beat the LaLiga facet 2-1 on the night time.

Barcelona registered a whopping 24 pictures, 14 of which had been on the right track, however they solely scored one objective as Fraser Forster placed on a mammoth displaying between the sticks – one so good that it led to Messi describing him as “not human”.

Celtic took the lead via Victor Wanyama within the first half when he met Charlie Mulgrew’s deep nook to move in on the again publish to make it 1-0.

The three factors had been sealed, nevertheless, due to the heroics of Tony Watt, who scored the second objective of the sport to present the Hoops respiratory house, which they ended up needing when Lionel Messi pulled one again in stoppage time.

Forster despatched a kick lengthy down the center of the pitch, that was utterly missed by Xavi, and despatched Watt, who anticipated the error, via on objective to rattle a superb end into the far backside nook.

It ended up being his solely Champions League objective for Celtic – what a option to do it – and it’s one which supporters might not overlook for a really very long time.

There may be now a possibility for an additional participant to etch their identify into Celtic folklore by being the participant to attain the profitable objective in opposition to Bayern Munich underneath the lights at Parkhead within the Champions League tonight.

Brendan Rodgers, now, has selections to make with regard to who’s going to line up as a part of the entrance three from the beginning, after the Hoops beat Raith Rovers 5-0 within the SFA Cup of their final outing.

The Celtic forwards who may miss out in opposition to Bayern Munich

South Korean ahead Hyun-jun Yang was handed a begin in opposition to the Championship facet on Saturday within the cup and caught the attention with a formidable efficiency on the left flank.

The 22-year-old ace assisted two of the 5 targets, teeing up Daizen Maeda and Luke McCowan for targets, and received himself on the scoresheet with a close-range end.

Nevertheless, Yang has did not register a objective or an help in 4 outings within the Champions League this season, and has additionally produced simply one objective and 0 assists in 14 appearances within the Scottish Premiership for the Hoops.

This doesn’t recommend that Rodgers must be making the decision to maintain the right-footed whiz within the beginning line-up, however there might be a more durable name to make with Jota.

The Portuguese ahead returned to the membership in January, signing completely from Rennes, and has contributed with one objective and one help in three matches to this point.

Nevertheless, Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn have been in terrific type for the Scottish giants on the flanks this season, which may maintain Jota out of the XI for this match.

As you’ll be able to see within the desk above, each wingers have proven that they’ll make an influence within the last third within the Champions League this time period, which is why they need to begin out vast this night.

Because of this Rodgers ought to ditch Yang and maintain Jota on the bench, transferring Maeda again out vast, and that may liberate the quantity 9 place for Adam Idah to be unleashed.

Why Adam Idah might be the brand new Tony Watt

The Celtic boss should unleash the Eire worldwide from the beginning in opposition to Bayern tonight as a result of he has confirmed, on a number of events, that he has the power and the mentality to step up when Celtic want him.

Final season, Idah scored two targets, together with a stoppage-time penalty, in a 2-1 win over Hibernian on his full debut for the membership. Shortly after that, the Irishman got here off the bench at 1-0 down away at Motherwell and scored two targets to show the sport round to place his facet in entrance.

His most memorable second from his mortgage spell, although, got here when he scored the profitable objective in opposition to Rangers within the SFA Cup last at Hampden Park.

Idah, who was as soon as hailed as “unbelievable” by Rodgers, then signed for the Scottish giants on a everlasting deal from Norwich Metropolis final summer time, and the sale of Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes in January has lastly made him the first-choice quantity 9 for the Hoops.

Shortly after the Japanese ahead’s departure, the 24-year-old marksman showcased each his high quality and his psychological fortitude within the 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa.

Celtic might have gone on to lose the sport however they nonetheless managed to claw themselves again to 2-2 after being 2-0 down after simply 5 minutes away from dwelling within the Champions League, due to a quickfire double from the ex-Canaries ace.

Idah has proven, again and again, over the previous yr or in order that he is usually a clutch participant who scores vital targets at vital instances for Celtic, simply as Watt did in that well-known win over Barcelona.

Subsequently, Rodgers should unleash the 6 foot 3 centre-forward from the beginning on this recreation in opposition to Bayern tonight, as he might be a difference-maker at Parkhead.

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