Given the seriousness around a title-critical derby week for Celtic, it is important to have some fun. For this piece, we’ll dive into the respective ‘engine rooms’ – no, not the made-up company subsidiary thingy, the footballing one – the midfield!

Callum McGregor looked back to his best on Saturday at home to Heart of Midlothian and lasted 89 minutes, putting in 11 challenges and interceptions, winning eight. In that, he was second only to Greg Taylor, who was once again targeted by the opposition. McGregor’s tracking of the quick Kenneth Vargas followed up by two saving tackles was treated to a roar from Celtic Park equivalent to a Kyogo Furuhashi goal. He is still lacking in the ‘driving forward with the ball’ department and has little scope for extravagant passing. But there was no denying his defensive combativeness. Which, of course, will be much needed in the derby.

Meanwhile, Reo Hatate continues to get up to full match fitness following his extensive layoff. Saturday saw him complete his 448th minute in six matches. He managed a full 90 minutes at Dundee. He was the usual mix of inventiveness and carelessness but when focused is capable of passes not many others can see. His agility and speed of thought created two chances for Kyogo in the first half, including the opening goal. He led the team with four chances created and had the highest pack passing score of 68 including taking six defenders out of the game. He looked back to his best.

Matt O’Riley was his usual excellent self and the match-up was a chance to compare him to Players Player of the Year, Lawrence Shankland. The player’s choice must be respected, of course, but it is doubtful there is another midfielder in the league that could have landed that pass onto Kyogo’s right boot for Celtic’s second goal. His penalty on 87 minutes crowned another productive display for the man with 15 goals and 19 assists in all competitions. His expected scoring contribution in league football is higher than Shankland’s by the way (0.67 to 0.65). He’s only had two penalties to Shankland’s six. And he is a central midfielder.

It seems the key section of the field is populated by Celtic players in rude form. So, how do the sides match up across the middle?

Pivot

McGregor and direct opponent John Lundstram are very different styles of players, but both are asked to anchor the midfield. Let’s take a look at the latest StatsBomb radar for midfielders.

Lundstram has a higher passing on-ball value as well as a higher volume of deep progressions. This may be as much about team style since Celtic play significantly fewer long balls than Philippe Clement’s charges (47 to 61).

I don’t have packing statistics for the rest of the league but in matches between these two sides, Lundstram averages a pass packing score of 38 whilst McGregor’s average is 62. Meaning McGregor takes out more players with his forward passes. Lundstram is more defensively active with a greater volume of tackles and interceptions. He also presses more with 19.81 in the league compared to 14.2 from McGregor.

Despite this, McGregor has the higher defensive action on ball value, though neither could be classified as Claude Makelele levels of pivot since McGregor ranks in the 48th percentile for defensive action OBV and Lundstram a paltry 12th percentile. McGregor has the edge in dribbling and carrying the ball. He also has a higher OBV for all actions with 0.21 to 0.16.

Overall, McGregor provides greater incisive passing and ball carrying whilst being more successful in defensive actions despite not engaging in as many.

Box to Box

Each side has an all-action box-to-box midfielder. O’Riley will be compared to Mohamed Diomande, a year younger than the Dane, who, ironically, came from Danish football, but is not Danish.

Diomande has been an energetic addition to the Rangers midfield and arguably their one success of the transfer dealings this season outside of Jack Butland. However, when compared to O’Riley, it is a tough shift. The Ghanian is swifter across the ground than the leggy Dane who generally shifts the ball rather than run with it. He also wins more fouls, too. The Celtic midfielder shades the pressing stats, but is less prone to being dribbled past, and engages in a higher volume of duels.

In an attacking sense, the Celtic player wins hands down with far higher creativity and passing data. This view does not include shots and box entries but if it did the contrast would be starker, still. O’Riley has a far higher overall OBV of 0.22 to 0.08. He will be pivotal to a Celtic success at the weekend offering, as above, an expected scoring contribution of 0.67 in league play compared to the Rangers player's 0.18.

The magicians

Each side also has a nominal 'number 10'. A more advanced member of the midfield.

Hatate tends to play in the half spaces across the final third. Meanwhile, the rare bird Todd Cantwell will be hoping to leave his cage and be allowed to be the all-wandering creator of magic that he envisions for himself. Clement seems to see him more as a player to sit behind the striker. Either way, both are expected to perform the unexpected in a way that harms the opposition.

The profiles are surprisingly similar, although both players seem to frustrate their fans to some degree.

The English player is a very active presser, not Hatate’s strength and also wins more fouls. Hatate meanwhile edges the attacking metrics. Specifically, he gets into the box more and has more shots. However, Cantwell has the higher xA and xG per shot leading to a higher shot OBV. Neither are great decision makers as regards shots with Hatate in the 10th percentile for shot OBV and Cantwell 20th. Both are much higher in the dribbling and carrying stakes.  Overall, Hatate edges the OBV score with 0.24 to 0.22.

Hatate has a much higher expected scoring contribution per 90 minutes with 0.68 to 0.45. The Englishman’s perceived lack of ‘end product’ perhaps writ large in those numbers. Albeit they both have an expected assist value of 0.21.

Summary

By the numbers, Celtic appear to have the edge in the crucial midfield battle. McGregor’s ball progression (although not over distance) and safer defensive activity trumps Lundstram. The peerless O’Riley brings significantly more attacking threat than Diomande. In the advanced position, both Hatate and the trapped Cantwell are more erratic, and it is to be seen what we get from those players.

What we should be guaranteed, however, is lots of fun.