Celtic found a higher gear than previous weeks as Brendan Rodgers’ men booked a place in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup with a comfortable 2-0 victory over St Mirren.
Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda got in on the act for the visitors in what was a professional performance rather than a vintage display from the Bhoys.
Nevertheless, Livingston will now travel to Parkhead on the weekend of March 9th as Celtic bid to make it to Hampden for the first time this season.
Rodgers praised his side for finding a way to come away from the SMiSA Stadium without being sucked into a potential banana skin tie, stating: “I think we managed the game well in the second half. It was always going to be a tricky game. St Mirren were in really good form.”
Kilmarnock now await the Scottish Premiership champions at Parkhead on Saturday, presenting them with a chance to maintain a lead at the top of the league standings regardless of events at Ibrox come Wednesday.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers comments on Kyogo Furuhashi role
Noticeably, Furuhashi lined up alongside Adam Idah in a two-man attack and undertook various duties during proceedings, including dropping deeper to find space.
The Japan international seemed to enjoy his outing in a slightly altered role and, of course, got himself on the scoresheet with a smart finish from the edge of the area.
Speaking post-match, Rodgers explained why he made the change and also signalled his belief that it impacted him positively, stating [Cited via The Celtic Way]: “The times when they got it in between the lines he then sped up the game for us and did very well.
“We know what he can do when he is playing through the middle. Sometimes, against teams that are low, he is maybe not involved as much, so this gives him a chance to connect the game for us. It’s an option and one we can use again.”
Kyogo Furuhashi will always provide quality for Celtic
This campaign, Furuhashi has struggled to replicate the consistency shown in his first couple of years at Celtic, for whatever reason.
Despite this, the 29-year-old still has 12 goals and three assists in 34 appearances across all competitions, and there is plenty of time for him to further these numbers [Transfermarkt].
Republic of Ireland international Idah has introduced a new dynamic to the Hoops’ attack and the Bhoys may have stumbled across a plan B they can utilise for the rest of the season.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
