The unsung heroes of Celtic’s weekend win

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Celtic strolled to a 3-0 over Ross County on Saturday, the data reveals that Celtic were impressive against a spirited side.

FotMob data has revealed that Celtic racked up an impressive expected goals (xG) total of 3.33 with 78% of possession compared to the Staggies’ 0.26 xG. This shows that Brendan Rodgers’ side were dominant in Dingwall on Saturday, despite struggling to find a first goal for large spells of the first half. James Brown’s early red card, just 10 minutes into the match, allowed Celtic to maintain control of possession.

Kyogo Furuhashi was yet again the unluckiest player on the pitch with an xG of 0.75. A similar trend to the Bhoys’ 2-1 win over St Mirren which saw Kyogo amass an xG of 0.95. Kyogo has been unfortunate not to find the back of the net recently, and the Japanese International should take heart despite going three consecutive Scottish Premiership games without a goal.

Surprisingly, Paulo Bernardo’s expected goals (xG) for the match was 0.67, which was the second-highest of any player. This indicates that, despite being substituted early in the first half, Bernardo by no means had a poor game.

Although David Turnbull scored Celtic’s first goal, he only had an expected goals (xG) of 0.18, meaning that his first-half strike from outside the box was yet another statistical anomaly. Turnbull’s goal itself only had a staggering xG of 0.03. However, Turnbull was highly effective in creating chances, as reflected in his expected assists (xA) of 0.59, which was the second-highest for Celtic in the match. Turnbull also received a FotMob rating of 8.53 and created five chances, demonstrating his consistent form from the previous match against St Mirren.

Luis Palma somehow managed to achieve the lowest (xG) in the game, with his goal having an xG of just 0.02. This further illustrates the incredible nature of Palma’s second-half strike and the value of the Honduran international, who has proven to be a significant addition so far this season.

FotMob’s Man of the Match, with a FotMob rating of 8.75, was Liam Scales. Scales delivered yet another outstanding performance, recording the highest expected assists (xA) of the match with 0.69. The Republic of Ireland defender also won a game high 12 duels.

FotMob’s third-highest rated player was Celtic’s centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers, with a FotMob rating of 8.35. The USA international also completed the most accurate forward zone passes with 79, highlighting the significant role played by Celtic’s centre-backs in controlling possession and advancing the ball into Ross County’s half.