Martin O’Neill has explained his reason for dropping Reo Hatate to the Celtic bench before the Hoops took on Stuttgart in the Europa League.
The Celtic boss decided to start with Paulo Bernardo in the heart of the midfield as the off-form Hatate dropped to the substitutes bench.
And speaking before kick-off, O’Neill told TNT Sports, “I think that this is an important game for him. Don’t want to put him under too much pressure in that aspect.
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“He hasn’t had many starts here just recently, and he’s a very talented player. He’s now got an opportunity playing alongside the captain there for the two of them [McGregor and Nygren], and hopefully he’ll do well in the game.
“Because, perhaps, he hasn’t played that much, maybe might not last the game completely, but even so, it’s an opportunity for him. I hope he does well.”
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Paulo Bernardo’s Celtic performance vs Stuttgart
Getting his first start since Celtic beat Auchinleck Talbot, Bernardo was offered the chance to show what he could do in the biggest game of the season so far.
And after Celtic suffered a sore defeat to Stuttgart, it’s fair to say Bernardo didn’t grasp his opportunity one bit.
Football stats site Fotmob rated Bernardo at 6.5 as the Portuguese was hooked after 62 minutes. Here are the key stats from the Celtic midfielder:
- Accurate passes: 17/21 (81%)
- Chances created: 0
- Defensive contributions: 3
- Touches: 29
- Touches in opposition box: 0
- Successful dribbles: 0/1 (0%)
- Passes into final third: 1
- Accurate crosses: 0/1 (0%)
Bernardo was largely anonymous as Celtic struggled against the Bundesliga club and it’s more than likely he will find himself on the bench once again.
Paulo Bernardo’s Celtic future
Bernardo has really struggled to command a starting spot in the Celtic team. The midfielder has failed to show the form he displayed while on loan where he helped win the Hoops the title and the Scottish Cup against Rangers.
The 24-year-old has admitted that lack of game time at Celtic may mean he seeks an exit sooner rather than later.
Based on his performances when he gets his chance at Celtic, Bernardo may well find that suitors for his signature may well be lacking.
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