Football fans have pretty impressive memories when it comes to opposition players who have harmed their clubs. That’s why names like Stephan Lichtsteiner and Vitor Baia tend to stick in the minds of the Celtic support.
While those two ‘did the dirty’ on us in years gone by, it’s a player from our more recent history that may be on the receiving end of some stick in Glasgow tomorrow evening.
Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy would have frustrated many Hoops fans when he cheated to have Vakoun Bayo sent off in our Brittany meeting in September. The forward had only been on the pitch for eight minutes when he was shown a second yellow for this light brushing of the keeper’s body.
The Senegalese stopper made a complete meal of it and got Bayo sent off. It was an event that left a sour note on what had been a really positive start for Neil Lennon’s men in the North of France.
Mendy has struggled since Bayo incident
Thankfully our fortunes have gone in a completely different direction from Mendy’s as we prepare to square off again. We’re nine points ahead of his Rennes side, with qualification already assured. The keeper has failed to keep a single club clean sheet since, and was sent off after four minutes of the game against Cluj.
So he may regret his actions as he turns up at a packed Paradise that will still be baying for blood. The keeper looks like he’s struggling badly for confidence and that doesn’t bode well for him up against Celtic’s prolific attack.
Here’s hoping that the other Edouard on the pitch can put him in his place once and for all.
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