The Champions League used to fill the Celtic fans with excitement. The excitement that Europe’s big boys are coming to town helps distract from what can be the repetitiveness of facing domestic teams four times a season.
To some degree, that excitement is still there but what has been lost is the expectation that no matter who turns up at Celtic Park, the Bhoys have a chance of turning them over.
That feeling has gone over recent years but tonight, that could return. The visit of Feyenoord offers Brendan Rodgers the chance to show that Celtic can still beat some of Europe’s best.
And despite being eliminated from Europe and this game meaning nothing in the bigger picture, the fans will crave a win and here, I give my Celtic Predicted XI that could do that.
Kyogo Furuhashi starts for Celtic vs Feyenoord
The Japanese striker has found himself in the very unfamiliar position of being on the Celtic bench over the past couple of games.
The 28-year-old has struggled to find his goalscoring boots this seasons and a little spell on the sidelines will, hopefully, do him a bit of good.
Hyeongyu Oh has done okay grabbing a couple of goals in Kyogo’s absence but his failure to hit the back of the net against Kilmarnock on Sunday seems to have cost him his place.
Brendan Rodgers took the unusual step of confirming Kyogo will start against Feyenoord and he will be hoping his Japanese talisman will step onto the Parkhead pitch desperate to prove a point tonight.
This is genuinely one I don’t want to happen. In fact, I think it SHOULDN’T but looking at Brendan Rodgers’ selection history for these Champions League fixtures, Bernardo always seems to be picked for these games.
It really is bizarre. Prior to the home defeat to Lazio, Bernardo was started despite not playing in Celtic’s last three domestic games.
The Portuguese was given eight minutes on the pitch in the 4-1 win against Hearts in October and then was pitched in at Celtic Park in the 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid and that was despite Tomoki Iwata impressing AND scoring against the Edinburgh side.
And again, despite not featuring against Motherwell and Aberdeen in November, he was inexplicably picked to start in Rome against Lazio despite David Turnbull’s good goal-scoring form. [Transfermarkt]
So, for me, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see the 21-year-old start tonight.
Celtic Predicted XI vs Feyenoord
Score Prediction: Celtic 1 v 1 Lazio
