Celtic are back in action in the 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.
A win for Brendan Rodgers and his men would see the Hoops move a staggering 16 points clear of Rangers in second place, with the Scottish giants on course to win a fourth straight title.
The Bhoys head into this match off the back of a comfortable 3-0 win over St Mirren last time out, thanks to a brace 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 refresh his starting XI. 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, after his initial loan spell with the club last term.
Bernardo has improved his play in and out of possession for the Hoops and proven himself to be more than a solid option in the middle of the park for Rodgers.
|
Paulo Bernardo (Premiership) |
23/24 |
24/25 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
22 |
18 |
|
Goals |
3 |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
5 |
|
Assists |
3 |
3 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
1.4 |
2.2 |
|
Duel success rate |
48% |
58% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese starlet has added more creativity to his game and vastly improved defensively, with almost twice as many tackles and interceptions per match.
Bernardo did not, however, play a single minute against St Mirren and should be given a chance to start this time, potentially in place of Luke McCowan.
He is not the only player who should be offered an opportunity to shine from the start, though, as left-back Alex Valle should also be unleashed.
Why Alex Valle should be unleashed
The Barcelona loanee, like Bernardo, has shown that he has the ability to make a big impact when he gets the chance to be in the starting line-up at Premiership level.
In order to start Valle, Rodgers must ruthlessly bin Greg Taylor, who is reportedly wanted by Dinamo Zagreb and recently dropped a 5/10 player rating in the League Cup final against Rangers, giving the ball away for Nedim Bajrami’s opening goal in the match.
Taylor lost possession a whopping 22 times without creating a single chance for his teammates in the win over St Mirren, and the Spaniard has the potential to offer more than the Scottish dud on the ball.
Valle, who was hailed as a “top-notch” defender by former coach Oscar Lopez, has provided three assists and made 14 key passes in just six starts in the Premiership so far this term.
This shows that the 20-year-old dynamo, who did not play a single minute against St Mirren, has the ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch, after Taylor struggled badly in possession last time out.
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Celtic have reportedly already turned down offers for Luis Palma this month.
Therefore, Rodgers should bin the Dinamo Zagreb target Taylor from the starting line-up and bring Valle and Bernardo back into the XI this evening.
