Detailed player ratings from Celtic's 2-0 win over Dundee at home last night in the Scottish Premiership...
Kasper Schmeichel - He was immediately in action for his side, pulling off a great save from a Dundee free-kick that found the head of an attacker. Apart from this, he had nothing to do whatsoever, both with the ball and in terms of making saves in his box. A quiet night for the Denmark captain, though that reflex save was vital in the grand scheme of things. Solid. 7
Anthony Ralston - The Scotland right-back endeavoured hard and ran his socks off for the cause, but he was shown up by Alistair Johnston almost immediately after being replaced by the Canadian full-back. He defended everything that was thrown at him by Dundee, yet he was unspectacular for the most part. Johnston just offers more, in all honesty. 5
Cameron Carter-Vickers - His first start since Slovan Bratislava early last month, it was great to see the American back doing what he does best. Admittedly, he did not have to do that much defending due to Dundee’s lack of attacking prowess, though he was solid when necessary. Lasted 70 minutes before coming off in place of Liam Scales - he looks in line for a start against Aberdeen in the League Cup. 7
Auston Trusty - A solid showing again from the USA international, who strolled proceedings again for Celtic at the park. He looked a lot more comfortable on his favoured side - he has been playing out of position due to Scales - and it showed in this game. Another clean sheet for the £6 million man, and another good showing in the defensive areas for Trusty. Strong. 8
Greg Taylor - A bit of a mixed bag for the returning left-back, who was preferred over Alex Valle for this one. He tried to get forward as much as he could, though the rust of being out for the past few weeks showed with the Scotland international. An understandable performance, but the minutes he gained will help him in preparation for Saturday’s big game. 6
Paulo Bernardo - Celtic’s best midfielder on the night, his substitution on the 60th minute was a strange one to many in attendance at Celtic Park. With interceptions, good passing and hard work, the Portugal U21 international was solid again, though his influence did wane following the restart. Will be an important member of the team on Saturday, though you’d expect him to play in a more advanced position if the captain returns. 7
Luke McCowan - A quiet night against his former team, McCowan had a couple of nice touches, but nothing of real substance came from Celtic’s number 14 versus Dundee. Unfortunately cup-tied against Aberdeen, which may hurt his chances at getting in against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. Still, he played for the duration, as Celtic got the three points against his former employers. 6
Arne Engels - Thank goodness he scored his penalty, otherwise this would have been a pretty bare player rating. He made no mistake from 12 yards, though I’m struggling to pinpoint what else he did in the game apart from shooting from distance a couple of times. On a night when Engels was trusted to light up proceedings, he did little to silence those who were questioning his current form and position in the team. A nice penalty, but that’s about it, really. 6
Yang Hyun-jun - Only slightly better than his fellow winger Palma due to his cross finding Johnston via a deflection, it was a frustrating night for the South Korean, who made his first start of the season. A player with potential - though how much is up for debate - Yang flattered to deceive, and was hooked in place of Forrest after an hour. A loan in January may be his best bet moving forward. 5
Kyogo Furuhashi - Kyogo’s strange season continues for Celtic, as the striker missed two glorious opportunities in the first 10 minutes to put Celtic ahead. Indeed, these were chances that the forward was scoring a couple of seasons ago, which is slightly concerning. The club need more from their main man up front - dummying the ball in the box helps no one as he did in the second half. Better is required from Celtic’s number 8. 4
Luis Palma - Another night to forget for the Honduran, who frustrated again from the start in this one. He troubled McCracken once, though the keeper saved well from distance. Admittedly, he did try hard, but nothing came off for him whatsoever, which makes you wonder what his long-term future looks like. He appears to be a player that is struggling for confidence, and perhaps a change of scenery in January would do him the world of good. Not great from the winger. 4
Subs:
Daizen Maeda - The winger did little of note in an attacking sense, though his tracking back was positive at least. Will start on Saturday. 3
Reo Hatate - Did little to impact the game in the 30 or so minutes he was on the pitch. 3
Alistair Johnston - When a player is man of the match after 30 minutes of football, you know what sort of game it has been, and what the individual has done to change proceedings. Instantly, the tempo lifted when the right-back entered, and he was rewarded with a goal after three minutes of being on the park. A tap-in, yes, but he was in the right place at the right time. His fourth goal this season, he is becoming more of an attacking threat as the season goes on. A fantastic cameo from the Canadian. 8
James Forrest - Did little to impact proceedings in the game. 2
Liam Scales - Was brought on for the last 20, as Carter-Vickers was protected after coming back from injury. It will be interesting to see if he starts at the weekend. 2
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