Celtic continued their winning form in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, beating Ross County 1-0 at Celtic Park.
The Bhoys made it six victories in a row across all competitions thanks to a heavily deflected Alistair Johnston strike in the opening seconds of the match.
County gave a good account of themselves and Derek Adams’ team did create a few passages of play that made the win a nervy watch for Celtic supporters.
The league leaders were undoubtedly not at their best but it was an important three points to bank with second-placed side Rangers winning earlier in the day.
With intrigue surrounding Brendan Rodgers’ squad options at the end of this transfer window and some big matches ahead, what were the main takeaways from this one? Here are three of ours.
Nicolas Kuhn makes his Celtic debut
After signing in the build-up to last week’s Scottish Cup win over Buckie Thistle, Celtic fans were made to wait for Nicolas Kuhn’s first appearance but the German got a solid run out in the second half of today’s win.
Kuhn was brought on in the 64th minute for the misfiring Luis Palma, slotting in on the left flank, then switching to the right wing when Mikey Johnston was substituted on for Liel Abada.
He looked eager to get involved in the action but in truth, this was a lacklustre Celtic team performance and it was hard for the German to capitalise on any attacking momentum and break down Ross County.
We know that the 24-year-old has pace and attacking guile – he did complete one dribble and had a couple of nice touches that showcased that. Now that he’s overcome the hurdle of his debut, hopefully, the Celtic support will see him settle quickly and make a big impact.
Alexandro Bernabei’s big Bhoys chance
Alexandro Bernabei was given his first start under Brendan Rodgers in this afternoon’s line-up after a calf injury to Greg Taylor. It was a big chance for him to stake a claim and show he should be given a run in the team in the Scotland international’s absence.
However, frankly, it was more evidence that Celtic must be looking outside the club for better competition in the left-back position and a more viable rotation option.
The Argentinian was involved in the build-up to the winning goal early on, but he was too wasteful in possession in general and on the defensive side of the ball he struggled to win duels and tackles.
It’s so crucial that the recruitment staff put the pieces together in the final days of the transfer window and strengthen the position because Bernabei isn’t the answer.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s isolation
When Kyogo Furuhashi looks isolated and is lacking service in a Celtic match, you know it’s going to be a long afternoon. That’s been a familiar pattern this season.
The Japanese forward only managed one shot despite playing for the full 90 minutes, which came from outside of the box. He cut a frustrated figure in a disconnected Celtic attack.
We know that even on good days Kyogo isn’t too involved in build-up play, he can usually bag one or two goals with less than 20 touches in the match in total.
However, today, he just never really had a sniff at goal, with Celtic lacking urgency and a cutting edge in the final third. We’ll need to see improvement from the Bhoys over the coming weeks.
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