Celtic star was simply “tremendous” again

It says a lot that there was a feeling of deflation around Parkhead at full-time on Wednesday night, with Celtic forced to settle for a point following what was an even affair with Belgian side, Club Brugge.

While that 1-1 draw may appear like two points dropped for the Hoops – particularly after dispatching RB Leipzig last time out on home soil – it a sign of the club’s growing strength in the Champions League that such a result was viewed with frustration, rather than positivity.

Of course, a place in the play-off round is far from secure, although it is worth remembering that the Old Firm side are just two points off the top eight, having also found themselves above the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, no less.

Faced with a Brugge side who saw off Premier League high-flyers Aston Villa prior to the international break, the hosts can be encouraged by their display, with a handful of individuals having caught the eye across the park.

Celtic’s best performers vs Brugge

There’s no getting away from it, this was not Brendan Rodgers’ men at their free-flowing best, with it having taken the half-time interval for the home side to truly get going against the Pro League outfit.

Unsurprisingly, among the catalysts after the break was that man Daizen Maeda, with the relentless forward curling home the effort that his performance deserved, having defended from the front in remarkable fashion.

Elsewhere, a word must also be said for the ever-reliable skipper, with Callum McGregor pulling the strings in the centre of the park, enjoying a staggering 95% pass accuracy from his deep-lying midfield berth, as per Sofascore.

The long-serving playmaker provided that much-needed experience in the heart of the Celtic side, with veteran asset Kasper Schmeichel also again making his mark in the sticks, having made three key saves, while also enjoying a 98% pass accuracy of his own.

That said, it was another new arrival who undoubtedly stole the show, even ahead of that man Maeda…

Celtic’s hero vs Brugge

Usually unflappable, Cameron Carter-Vickers had a night to forget following his freak own goal midway through the first-half, with the United States international producing an errant back-pass to gift the visitors the advantage.

Thankfully for the former Tottenham Hotspur man, that early error did not impact the rest of his performance, with the Celtic backline largely holding firm from then on, not least due to his international colleague, Auston Trusty.

The £6m summer signing has now firmly ousted Liam Scales from that left centre-back berth and it’s clear to see why, with the 26-year-old having been simply “tremendous” again on the night, in the words of journalist Ryan McGinley.

Notably among the key performers in the triumph over Leipzig, the ex-Sheffield United man was again a man mountain at the back, winning 100% of his aerial duels, as well as winning three of his five ground duels.

For a player who had never played in the Champions League prior to this season, the American has largely taken to Europe’s premier competition like a duck to water, having showcased his composure in possession after racking up a mammoth haul of 133 touches, as well as recording a 97% pass accuracy rate.

After a period of so much turbulence in the centre-back ranks in recent years – amid the failed signings of the likes of Maik Nawrocki, Gustav Lagerbielke and Yuki Kobayashi, just to name a few – Trusty is, as his name suggests, now a trusted performer for Rodgers and co.

The horror-show in Dortmund aside, the one-time Arsenal man is now part of a defence that looks unlikely to crumble on the big stage, with the Glasgow giants finally having a solid defensive foundation to build on.

Three crucial Champions League fixtures lie ahead to decide Celtic’s fate – does the knockout stage beckon?