Celtic’s fortunes have changed drastically recently. The Bhoys are firing on all cylinders, confidence is the highest it’s been in years and the fans have a genuine belief in the squad again. The club were successful last week against AZ Alkmaar in a highly-competitive contest at Parkhead, and the Dutch side will be expected to come flying out of the traps in the return leg. Ange’s men will be hoping to march on in Europe and secure a place in the Europa League group stage for the fourth season in a row.
Here’s how we can expect Celtic to line up at the AFAS Stadium:
Joe Hart – The new keeper hasn’t had much to do domestically as every game he has been involved in has been dominated by Celtic, but he showed his class in the home leg with some save’s that were key to keeping Celtic in the game. The standout was when he tipped a close range effort onto the post with his foot in the opening minutes. It got the crowd going and really set the tone for the rest of the game.
Anthony Ralston – Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season so far has been Anthony Ralston. The 22-year-olds career looked like it was done at Celtic until a matter of a few weeks ago. This season he has revitalised his career under Ange Postecoglou. and he deserves a lot of credit. He could so easily have folded under the constant criticism from the fans, but he got his head down and he’s now reaping the benefits
Stephen Welsh – The Scottish U-21 International has been a cool head in the Celtic backline, and is making clear strides forward under the new manager. The defender has improved immensely this season and a call-up to the senior Scotland squad shouldn’t be too far away either.
Carl Starfelt – It’s hard to get away from the fact that the Swede has looked very shaky at the back but the only way to get that out of him is by giving him time. He hasn’t been here long, and a new country and league will take time for some to adapt to. With another Sweden call-up under his belt and a good run of form, that should hopefully lead to a more confident and settled player.
Greg Taylor – Arguably the weakest area of the squad. He’s struggled to make the position his own in recent years and has been exposed at times, particularly in Europe. He had a tough time marking AZ’s right-back last week, but with Boli Bolingoli very much out of favour and Montgomery only seeing minutes from the bench, expect Greg Taylor to start.
Callum McGregor – Perhaps the most nailed on pick you’ll see, the Captain has been our main man when it comes to European ties this season. Everything we create runs through him, and expect another professional performance from the 28-year-old in Alkmaar.
David Turnbull – After some poor performances at the start of the season, David Turnbull has found his role in the Postecoglou system and we can’t wait to see more of it. He provided a fantastic performance at the weekend in which he netted a hat-trick. One criticism of Turnbull has been that he doesn’t turn up in the big games, so when better to prove the doubters wrong than with some good performances in the massive upcoming fixtures this week.
Tom Rogic – The old Tom Rogic is back, and it seems like it’s for good this time. The close control and skills that get the fans off their feet are back and the team are much better off for it. He provided a fantastic assist for Kyogo’s opener last week and the manager trusts him so he will start on Thursday.
Liel Abada – At just 19 years old, Celtic have a tremendous player on their hands in Liel Abada. 4 goals and 2 assists in 7 games is a tremendous return for the Israeli who was recently named as one of the top 100 youngsters in Europe. He’s a player who excites the fans which is evident as he already has his own song, and he should start tomorrow.
Kyogo Furuhashi – The Japanese forward has been a revelation for Celtic. He can’t stop scoring at the moment, and his movement and pace causes havoc for opposing defenders. He netted against AZ last week and earned himself the Man of the Match award, and there could be a similar performance in store against the Dutch side again.
Ryan Christie – Celtic were without the Scotland international when they welcomed AZ to Celtic Park and he wasn’t missed, but Celtic are a better team with Christie playing. His energetic and aggressive performances suit Ange’s system to a tee which is evident as Celtic try to tie him down to a new contract amidst interest from other clubs.
