Celtic are 12 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership after thrashing Kilmarnock by a 4-1 margin at Rugby Park this afternoon.
Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Matt O’Riley had the Bhoys rocking to a four-goal lead early on before a rare Callum McGregor led to Kilmarnock pulling one back before half-time. Although it became a routine win in the end, the first half an hour was electrifying and delighted fans in the stadium and watching on television.
What are the big talking points as the Bhoys take on step closer to the title? Here are three of ours…
A Yuki Kobayashi opportunity
Kobayashi has started two matches for Celtic previously, but this was his first time in the starting eleven for an away match. On a difficult pitch against motivated opposition, it was a test for him and thankfully one he passed with flying colours.
The young Japanese prospect showed excellent composure on the ball and a range of passing that many midfielders would be proud of. He made more touches of the ball than anyone else on the pitch and didn’t waste that responsibility, completing 93% of his passes, 18 of which were into the opposition’s third. All seven of his attempted long balls were successfully completed. His distribution was excellent and he dealt with everything he needed to in a defensive sense, with Killie’s only goal coming from a preventable error that wasn’t Kobayashi’s.
This is another step forward for him in terms of being trusted when it comes to domestic tests. He certainly didn’t look out of place and we know if there’s an injury to Carl Starfelt or Cameron Carter-Vickers that the 22-year-old can fill in adequately. There’s more to come from him too.
Ange’s earned luxury
With Celtic getting the job done so early and effectively ending the contest before half-time, it meant that a number of important regulars could get a bit of rest from the usual shifts they put in from week to week.
Kyogo was off at the interval to be replaced by Hyeongyu Oh, while Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and Matt O’Riley were all replaced midway through the second half.
It meant that Rocco Vata got a solid runout with Ben Summers even making his senior debut late in the match. Aaron Mooy also got the chance to build more fitness after his injury. It’s a luxury that serves Celtic well at this stage of the season.
Fresh legs will be needed for stiffer tests after the top six split, with that semi-final against Rangers also looming at Hampden. The depth of the Celtic squad remains incredibly strong.
Tomoki Iwata’s strong afternoon
Iwata got another starting chance today, just his second since arriving at the club in January. He didn’t waste it. The midfielder was strong in the middle of the park, showing up well in a physical battle and showing enough quality to consistently combine with his teammates.
You still get the sense he is warming up to the full force of what he can do in a Celtic shirt but the early signs remain positive. He is going to deal with Scottish football well and seems to have additional potential in store that can mark him out as a level above most of our opponents.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing what he can do on a consistent basis. Postecoglou may well have unearthed another transfer bargain.
In other news, Matt O’Riley gets strong Ange Postecoglou endorsement despite tough Celtic competition.
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