Celtic recorded their 20th win of the season in the 3-1 win over Motherwell at Fir Park.
Brendan Rodgers made three changes to the Celtic starting XI as the Hoops manager left new signing, Jota, on the bench.
Daizen Maeda gave Celtic the perfect start to the game as he opened the scoring in the first minute to give Rodgers a great start to the game.
Motherwell got back into the game after Luke Armstrong equalised midway through the first half but goals from Adam Idah and Jota were enough to seal all three points to make Jota’s return to Celtic an unforgettable one.
So with that in mind, here is 67 Hail Hail’s player ratings as Celtic beat Motherwell.
Celtic player ratings as Jota returns to beat Motherwell at Fir Park
Kasper Schmeichel – 6
The big Danish ‘keeper couldn’t do much for Motherwell’s goal after Cameron Carter-Vickers was weak in the challenge. Apart from picking the ball out of his net, Schmeichel didn’t have much to do at Fir Park.
Anthony Ralston – 7
The Scotland defender gets his first start in the league, rather ironically, since he made Brendan Rodgers’ starting lineup in Celtic’s 4-0 defeat of Motherwell at Celtic Park. Made an instant impact with the assist for Maeda’s opener as Ralston proved once again he can be relied on when called upon by the Celtic manager.
Cameron Carter-Vickers – 6
Was culpable for Motherwell’s goal and should have been stronger in the air. However, Carter-Vickers recovered well and was solid enough for the Hoops.
Auston Trusty – 6
The US defender also had to take his fair share of the blame for the Motherwell goal after Trusty failed to deal with the ball as it landed at his feet. However, the towering defender put in a decent display to ensure Celtic took all three points back to Parkhead.
Greg Taylor – 8
Taylor was a constant thorn in Motherwell’s side as he linked up well with Daizen Maeda in the first half. Made plenty of marauding runs to open up space for the Japanese winger and created two chances as well as keeping up with his defensive duties.
Callum McGregor – 7
The Celtic captain put in another strong performance on his 500th appearance for the club as he marshalled the midfield. McGregor had a shot on goal in the first half that flew over the bar but his passing was crisp as he probed the Motherwell defence.
Reo Hatate – 6
The Japanese midfielder looked a tad off it against Motherwell with a few misplaced passes and a couple of silly fouls given away. Had three shots on goal but none on target. Hatate looks like he might need a wee spell on the sidelines. Replaced by Arne Engels in the 65th minute.
Luke McCowan – 6
The lifelong Celtic fan made his 11th start of the season in the league and, once again, didn’t let Rodgers down. Some nice interlinking play with Maeda made McCowan look dangerous in the middle of the park. Had one shot on target and carved out three chances.
Nicolas Kuhn – 6
Kuhn wasn’t as involved as much as he would have liked which, to be fair, wasn’t down to the German winger. Most of Celtic’s threat was down the left flank which meant the winger wasn’t called into action much. Unusually, had no shots on target in a quiet afternoon for him.
Daizen Maeda – 9
Made a superb impact for Celtic and scored in 49 seconds with a superbly aimed header. Created the assist for Adam Idah’s goal as Maeda showed once again just how important he is for this Celtic team. How the team missed him against Aston Villa.
Adam Idah – 8
The big Irishman took his goal tally to three in two games after he showed his attacking prowess in the six-yard box. Idah had three shots all on target but couldn’t add to his solitary goal before being replaced in the 79th minute.
Jota – 8 (sub)
The Portuguese hero made his Celtic debut after coming on for Nicolas Kuhn in the 65th minute. Jota almost made an immediate impact after turning a left-footed volley just past the post. Looked lively for his first game in the green and white Hoops and deserved his last-minute debut goal.
Arne Engels – 6 (sub)
Another decent cameo for the Belgian as Engels created two chances immediately after replacing Luke McCowan.
Hyunjun Yang – 6 (sub)
Looked very lively and like a player with a point to prove as Yang looked to get after the Motherwell defence immediately. Had two shots with one on target as the Korean tries to prove he has a future at the club.
Liam Scales – 5 (sub)
Replaced Greg Taylor late on as Rodgers continues to use Scales as his second-choice left back. Didn’t get much of an opportunity to make an impact.
Paulo Bernardo – 5 (sub)
Another late sub appearance as Bernardo continues to be used as a rotational squad player. Only had a few touches of the ball in the ten minutes he was on the park.
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