Celtic made it 18 points from six Scottish Premiership games, displaying a clinical performance in the Fair City against rudderless St Johnstone…
St Johnstone v Celtic – Nicolas Kuhn in action during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow
There can be many takeaways from the Hoops finest domestic performance of the season, but we have managed to narrow it down to three.
Maeda masterclass
St Johnstone v Celtic – Daizen Maeda celebrates scoring our fifth goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow
The manager singled out his quality on show. Not only his technical ability but Dzien’s energy is unrivalled to any player on the planet. The 26 year-old’s marvellous performance was capped off with a diving header in the second half which takes his goal tally to five for the season. The edge he brings to this Hoops side almost makes the team have an extra player playing for them. A constant threat giving defenders headache after headache. Deserved of his Player of the Match award, the Japanese winger is a permanent out ball and is always on the move. A fan’s favourite.
Defensively solid
Auston Trusty applauds the Celtic fans at full-time following their 0-6 victory over St Johnstone. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Football, McDiarmid Park, Perth on 28 September 2024 Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
Six games gone in the league, and it is still zero goals conceded. The last time Celtic won and kept a clean sheet in all of their first six league matches was the 1906/1097 season, 118 years ago. Kasper Schmeichel has yet to have had a proper test in the league. The defensive full-backs have been equally as strong. Alistair Johnston who took the armband from Callum McGregor when the skipper came off has gone under the radar so far this season. Greg Taylor, likewise, combative against each winger he faces and has a perfect delivery shown for Kyogo’s cool finish for the third goal of the game. The best compliment shared to Scales and Trusty is that it looked like they had been a centre-back partnership for years. Of course, we would all like Cameron Carter-Vickers to be fit for tomorrow’s game but Trusty and Scales were assured when playing alongside one another.
Bernardo must start in Germany
Paulo Bernardo celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 0-2 lead. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Football, McDiarmid Park, Perth Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
The 22 year-old merited his opportunity to start the game. He absolutely took his opportunity, expertly finding the far right hand corner with a curling strike in the first-half. Not only that but the Portuguese playmaker whipped in a beautiful cross for Maeda to head home. The midfield trio of McGregor-Engels-Bernardo is an exciting one. It has balance, quality and discipline. Perhaps Bernardo’s best performance in a Celtic jersey. For £3.5m he looks like a steal from Benfica. Brendan Rodgers must start him tomorrow night against Borussia Dortmund.
Conor Spence
