Celtic are back in Champions League action this evening as they prepare to travel to Germany to take on Borussia Dortmund on matchday two of the league phase.
The Hoops have won all nine of their matches in all competitions so far this season and won their opening game in Europe against Slovan 5-1 at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers’ side come into this match off the back of a thumping 6-0 win over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership last time out on Saturday.
One player who must keep his place in the starting XI is central midfielder Paulo Bernardo, after an impressive display in the middle of the park.
Paulo Bernardo's performance against St Johnstone
Rodgers struck gold when he decided to sign the Portugal U21 international on a permanent deal from Benfica in the summer, after his loan spell last term, as he has now emerged as a better option than Reo Hatate in midfield.
Bernardo’s latest performance against St Johnstone was partial evidence of that, as the 22-year-old showcased his quality in and out of possession for the Scottish giants.
Goals
1
Assists
1
Key passes
4
Big chances created
1
Ground duels won
6/9
As you can see in the table above, the former Benfica man was directly involved in two goals, alongside creating four chances, and won the majority of his battles on the deck.
Bernardo, who had also scored against Falkirk in the previous match, is a dynamic number eight who can offer quality as a scorer and a creator of goals, whilst also being solid out of possession to keep things tight defensively for Celtic.
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Why Paulo Bernardo is better than Reo Hatate
Based on their respective performances this season, the Portuguese starlet has emerged as a better option than the Japan international in the middle of the park.
That is not to say that Hatate is a bad player or that he is of no use to Celtic, of course, but Bernardo has done enough to suggest that he should have a regular starting spot ahead of him.
As you can see in the table below, the 22-year-old whiz has created more chances per game than the Japanese whiz whilst also completing a higher percentage of his passes, which suggests that he is more reliable and creative in possession.
Starts
5
3
Key passes per game
1.5
2.0
Big chances created
4
3
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.5
3.4
Ground duel success rate
45%
59%
Pass accuracy
81%
85%
Out of possession, it is night and day between the two players. Bernardo has averaged 1.9 more tackles and interceptions per game and won a significantly higher percentage of his ground duels in comparison to Hatate.
This means that the Portuguese ace, who was once hailed as “tenacious” by Rodgers, offers considerably more to the team out of possession, which will be useful in big games – like this one against Dortmund – where they may have to defend more.
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Therefore, the Celtic boss hit the jackpot with Bernardo this summer as the young gem has been a fantastic addition on a permanent deal and already looks to be a better all-round option than Hatate.
