One of the most talked about incidents during the recent Celtic victory at Ibrox was the bizarre kick-off taken by Odsonne Edouard. It worked that day, in terms of the result, so could we see it again in Rennes?
Supporters may laugh about the importance of the kick-off and pass it off as a simple quirk of the game, but it had a whole greater meaning in Govan earlier this month. When Edouard booted the ball out into the Rangers corner for a home throw-in, he helped send a simple message early doors: we’re going to play this game on our terms.
It worked on the whole as the Celtic midfield pressed right in from the off and made the hosts defend. With a similar task awaiting us in France this evening, could we see a repeat of the Edouard special?
Territory kick-off could also work for Celtic in Rennes
Well, of course, the chances of a repeat are unlikely. That Ibrox kick-off worked best as it was sporadic and caught the Gers off guard.
There was also the element of Celtic sending an early message after our two previous visits to Ibrox. We have no similar recent history with Rennes although we did meet them in the Europa League in 2011.
If we do take centre then possession is more likely to be kept as we aim to ease our way into the match. That’s not a bad thing either as the emphasis placed on retaining possession in Europe is far greater than in the domestic game.
But if we get to start the match then you wonder if the thought will cross any of the players’ minds. It worked three weeks ago, so why not now?
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