Reo Hatate has rightly been getting the recent plaudits for some scintillating form in a Celtic shirt, however he certainly isn’t the only player to be approaching peak form for the Hoops.
Jota, on Saturday – as he often is – was quite simply brilliant in Celtic’s 4-0 win over Aberdeen at Celtic Park, with his attacking play something we’ve all become accustomed too. However, our Superstar for Portugal also showed some key defensive qualities, getting tore into tackles and tracking back like Ange Postecoglou demands from all his players.
Jota’s form is looking well timed with Sunday’ Glasgow Derby League Cup Final on the horizon, and after missing last season’s Final with Hibs, Jota as reported in Sunday Post , is ready to make up for missing out on Ange Postecoglou’s first trophy as Celtic boss.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 03: Jota of Celtic scores their team’s second goal during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Rangers FC at Celtic Park Stadium on September 03, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“Last season I was not part of the cup final because I was injured. As a football player you always want to be involved in the biggest games. When that game is about trying to win a trophy, you desperately want to be a part of that, I am no exception to wanting that.
“You always feel a bit frustrated, as I was on that day, but the boys did a great job to win that trophy. I had to watch the game from a distance but I was proud of all of them all and what they achieved. I tried to do my best to provide some support from the side and the energy was good.
“What I have to say is that every game is different. This will be a cup final and the mindset going into that game is to win, that’s the case for every game.”
Jota certainly has previous when it comes to facing theRangers, after all he’s scored twice in Glasgow Derbies including an audacious chipped finish – which then produced the most iconic of celebratory poses – and has only lost once in six previous meetings with the Glasgow club.
With a record like that and the form in the book Jota must have a chance of making the starting line-up for Sunday’s Glasgow Derby. And with Daizen Maeda also in equally as good form and capable of interchanging position with Jota, it wouldn’t be a surprise if both those players were unleashed in support of Kyogo through the middle at Hampden.
Jota signed for Celtic on a five-year deal following a reported £6.4 million transfer from Benfica, after the winger spent last season on loan with Celtic in a similar try before you buy deal to the one which saw Cameron Carter-Vickers move from North London to the east end of Glasgow. The Portuguese giants reportedly also apparently retain a 30 per cent sell-on fee for any future deal for Jota.
Joao Neves Filipe Jota of Celtic celebrates scoring the second goal during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and theRangers at on September 03, 2022.(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
That was certainly a substantial outlay for Celtic, and was evidence the Celtic board – and in particular CEO Michael Nicholson – was more than willing to back the Celtic manager after he evidenced his transfer market nous the season prior.
Now Jota may get the chance to repay a massive chunk of that transfer fee with a big-game performance against the club from across the city, and in current form you wouldn’t put it past him to put in the sort of performance befitting of his price tag.
Niall J
