Celtic were beaten by Rangers in extra-time yesterday at Hampden. The Scottish Cup Semi Final defeat means that Ange Postecoglou’s side will now fully focus on the league and regaining the title from Rangers. As the dust settles on a disappointing afternoon at the National Stadium, it is worth reflecting on where the game went wrong.
Celtic weren’t at it, the midfield were bullied and subsequently our front men were starved of service. Rangers created very little, too. The game was a scrappy, tense affair with quality struggling to shine through. Bobby Madden has received some stick for his refereeing but this wasn’t why Celtic created only a few clear cut chances.
The absence of Giorgos Giakoumakis was a massive factor in the loss. The Greek striker is able to battle with central defenders, act as a target man while bringing the midfield and wingers into play. A few weeks ago at Ibrox, he proved his worth with a fierce press and presence to give Rangers defence real problems. Without him, Celtic looked lightweight in attack. Balls were fired high towards Maeda/Kyogo and Connor Goldson was able to comfortably deal with them.
Another major absence was Nir Bitton. The Israeli defensive midfielder wasn’t included on the bench and after Celtic went ahead, it was heaven made for the veteran to come in and help Celtic dig in. However, he was not able to be called upon and subsequently, the rare Rangers attack saw Arfield score. The manager had James McCarthy and Guchi on the bench but decided against calling upon either of them. Instead, he felt that the options on the pitch were best. It would seem that the manager wasn’t fully sold on either of them to influence the game, which is telling.
The focus returns to the league and making sure that we seal it without any hiccups. Getting Giakoumakis back into the starting XI will be imperative, especially as Rangers visit at the beginning of May.
