Celtic are in action again in Scottish Premiership once again as they prepare to welcome Dundee United to Parkhead with the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Victory for Brendan Rodgers and his men would see the Hoops move a staggering 16 points clear of second-placed Rangers, with the Scottish giants on course to win a fourth consecutive title.
The Bhoys come into this game on the back of a comfortable 3-0 win over St Mirren last time out, thanks to a goal from Nicolas Kuhn and a header from Auston Trusty.
With this game coming in the middle of the park, Rodgers could look to rotate and freshen up his starting 11. One player who should come in as part of that rotation is Paulo Bernardo.
Why Paulo Bernardo should start
The 22-year-old midfielder, who joined on a permanent deal from Benfica in the summer window, has shown plenty of signs of promise in the Premiership this season, following his first loan spell at the club last term.
Bernardo has improved his play in and out of possession for the Hoops and has proven to be a more than solid option in the middle of the park for Rodgers.
|
Paulo Bernardo (Premiership) |
23/24 |
24/25 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
22 |
18 |
|
Objectives |
3 |
2 |
|
Great chances were created |
4 |
5 |
|
Assists |
3 |
3 |
|
Turnovers + interceptions per game |
1.4 |
2.2 |
|
Duel success rate |
48% |
58% |
As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese starlet has added more creativity to his game and improved his defensive game considerably, with almost twice as many tackles and interceptions per game.
Bernardo, however, did not play a single minute against St Mirren and should be given the chance to start this time around, potentially in place of Luke McCowan.
He’s not the only player who should be offered a chance to shine from the start, as left-back Alex Valle also needs to be released.
Why Alex Valle should be freed
The Barcelona loanee, like Bernardo, has shown that he has the ability to make a big impact when given the chance to be in the starting line-up at Premiership level.
In order to start Valle, Rodgers must mercilessly destroy Greg Taylor, who is Zagreb’s Dinamo is reportedly looking for him and recently dropped a Player rating 5/10 in the League Cup final against Rangers, gifting the ball for Nedim Bajrami’s opening goal of the game.
Taylor lost possession of a an incredible 22 times without creating a single chance for his teammates in the victory over St. Mirren, and the Spaniard has the potential to offer more than the Scottish jerk on the ball.
Valle, who is praised as “top” defender former coach Oscar Lopez, has registered three assists and has made 14 key passes in just six Premiership starts so far this term.
It shows that the 20-year-old dynamo, who he didn’t play one minute against St Mirren, has the ability to make a big impact upfield after Taylor struggled badly in possession last time out.
Connected
So Rodgers should bypass Dinamo Zagreb targeting Taylor from the starting line-up and bring Valle and Bernard back into the XI tonight.
