Celtic are back in action in the Champions League this evening as they prepare to welcome Belgian side Club Brugge to Paradise in the later kick-off.
The Hoops have enjoyed a strong start to the 2024/25 campaign in Europe’s premier competition, with two wins and one draw in four matches.
Brendan Rodgers’ side won 3-1 against RB Leipzig in their last outing on the European stage, thanks to a double from Nicolas Kuhn and one from Reo Hatate.
They also beat Slovan 5-1 at Parkhead and held Atalanta to a 0-0 draw in Bergamo, although they were also smashed 7-1 by German giants Borussia Dortmund.
The Glasgow giants do head into this game with momentum on their side after they secured an emphatic 4-1 win over Heats away from Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, with all four goals coming in the second half.
Kyogo Furuhashi and Kuhn scored the opening two goals for the Hoops before Adam Idah came on as a substitute to wrap up all three points with two goals.
Despite that comfortable win against the Jam Tarts, there is one Celtic player who did not enjoy an impressive evening in the middle of the park – Arne Engels.
Arne Engels' performance against Hearts in numbers
The summer arrival from Augsburg was not at his best against Hearts, as he struggled to make an impact on the game with his play both in and out of possession in midfield.
Engels was selected as part of a midfield three for Celtic alongside captain Callum McGregor and Japan international Reo Hatate, and registered the lowest Sofascore rating in the team – 6.4.
That rating was so low because of his struggles at both ends of the pitch. Defensively, Engels was almost a non-factor for the Hoops with one duel won out of seven contested, along with zero tackles, interceptions, or blocks combined.
This shows that the Hearts players found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical battles, whilst the midfielder also failed to put his foot in to cut out attacks from the hosts, which played a part in the hosts registering nine shots on goal.
The Belgium international’s play in possession did not make up for his poor defensive work and weak play off the ball. The summer signing ended the match with a pass completion rate of just 79% and failed to create a single chance for his teammates, which shows that he was loose with the ball and lacked creativity.
His current form is not a huge concern for Rodgers, because he has shown plenty of promise this season, but he should be dropped from the starting XI for this clash against Brugge.
Why Arne Engels should be dropped
The 21-year-old gem should be ruthlessly ditched from the line-up as it was his second poor performance in a row for the Scottish giants, having also struggled in the win over Kilmarnock prior to the international break.
Engels played the first 63 minutes of that 2-0 win and was substituted before either of the two goals. He did not create any chances for his teammates, only won one duel, and completed just 70% of his attempted passes.
This means that the central midfielder has started the last two games for Celtic and ended with a combined two duels won and zero key passes, with less than an 80% pass completion rate in both matches, which is why he should be dropped for tonight’s match.
Appearances
4
Goals
1
Assists
3
Big chances created
2
Key passes per game
2.5
As you can see in the table above, though, Engels has, largely, been an impressive performer on the European stage for Celtic with four goal contributions in four matches.
However, players cannot be allowed to get complacent, especially with the competition and quality within the squad, and that is why Rodgers should drop the Belgian this evening as a result of his last two performances.
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The positive for Celtic is that the manager has plenty of options to pick from and he has a player ready to come into the team and excel in Engels’ role in Portuguese starlet Paulo Bernardo, who should finally be unleashed after five games on the bench.
Why Paulo Bernardo should be unleashed
Firstly, the summer signing from Benfica, who joined on a permanent deal after his loan stint at Parkhead last season, came off the bench to impress against Hearts on Sunday.
The 22-year-old dynamo came on for Engels in the 67th minute and made a positive contribution with his play in and out of possession for the Scottish giants.
As you can see in the clip above, Bernardo provided an assist by creating a ‘big chance’ for Idah, slipping the ball through to the Irish marksman in the box.
The Portuguese ace also won 100% (2/2) of his duels in the game and won as many duels in his 23-minute cameo as Engels won in his last two starts combined.
Bernardo, who was once described as “tenacious” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is a midfielder who can blend being combative off the ball with creativity and quality in possession, as shown by his form in the Premiership.
Appearances
11
Starts
5
Goals
1
Big chances created
4
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.5
Ground duel success rate
60%
As you can see in the table above, the young midfielder has caught the eye with his attacking contributions whilst also being strong out of possession for the Hoops.
Unlike Engels in his last two outings, Bernardo can hold his own in physical duels and cut out opposition attacks on a regular basis, whilst also providing the team with a creative outlet in the middle of the park.
These statistics show that he is the ideal player to come in and replace Engels for this clash with Brugge at Parkhead tonight, and it would be deserved after his impressive cameo on Sunday against Hearts.
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