How the players rated in the opening game of the Parkhead club's Champions League campaign.
Kasper Schmeichel: Barely anything to do for the big Dane on a night when Celtic completely dominated the ball. Had no chance from Wimmer's against the run-of-play strike which was Bratislava's sole Champions League class moment. 6
Alistair Johnston: Was a constant threat down the right and dovetailed brilliantly with Khun. His delivery was crisp and accurate when required. A performance of constant energy and muscularity from the impressive Canadian. Brought down for the penalty that led to Celtic's crucial third. Booked midway through the first half for a tackle on Weiss but dominated the former Rangers man. 8
Cameron Carter-Vickers: Typically solid and assured but wasn't overly tested as Bratislava looked to sit in a low block and hit on the break. Was comfortable coming high up the pitch and stealing possession. Booked cheaply for holding back Strelec and had a couple of tired moments before being subbed. 7
Liam Scales: A towering header opened the scoring and he used the ball well all night. Has the ability to break the lines and puts a nice zing into his passes. Is fending off the challenge for his place provided by £5.5m defender Auston Trusty and continues to be selected on merit. 8
Greg Taylor: Struggled with the threat of the dangerous Strelec early doors. Used the ball creatively, often inverting into midfield positions. A sloppy miscue led directly to the Bratislava goal, the kind of moment you are punished for at this level. 7
Callum McGregor: Kept everything ticking over in the centre of the pitch but it was players further forward who were having more creative influence. Solid and dependable on the ball but kept very keen eye on the threat of the Slovaks on the break. 7
Arne Engels: Won the ball in dangerous positions and has a physical style made for the challenges home and abroad. It was his delicious whipped corner that served Scales on a plate for the opener. The ball was so good the big defender couldn't miss. With his physicality, Engels has already added a new dimension to the Celtic engine room. Completed his performance with a cool penalty. 9
Reo Hatate: Makes a good habit of turning up in spaces where opposition defenders don't want to get dragged into. He probed and prodded brilliantly, looking highly comfortable at this level and finding Maeda brilliantly for the fourth goal. When Celtic did something creatively impressive, he was rarely far from the action. 8
Nicolas Kuhn: Had mixed success in the first half but started the second with a bang after a mazy run down the right flank took out four Bratislava defenders and left Kyogo with a tap in. Connected will with Johnston. Replaced by Forrest after 70 minutes. 7
Daizen Maeda: Had a profligate first half but made up for it eventually. Put through by a wonderful pass from Hatate but failed to hit the target from 10 yards. Also missed a terrific chance when Taylor's cross found him unmarked in the box but his header was straight down the keeper's throat. Controlled and finished brilliantly when poked through by Hatate late on. 7
Kyogo: Missed a huge chance just moments after the goal when Dominik Takac saved his low shot. The Japanese should have done better and things didn't get much better as the first half wore on, with the striker ballooning a gilt-edged opportunity over the bar from eight yards. Had little impact on the game but did get his goal after a brilliant run and cross from Khun - even if he could barely have missed. Will need to do better when Celtic face more dangerous opposition in this tournament. 7
Substitutes
James Forrest: On for the last 20 minutes and looked lively. A superb pass played in Idah to score Celtic's fifth. 5
Anthony Ralston: Replaced Johnston with 10 minutes to go. Kept it safe and simple. 3
Adam Idah: On for Kyogo. Didn't get long on the pitch, but it was enough to find the net with a tidy one-touch finish. 5
Paulo Bernardo: Replaced Hatate as the game came to a close. Predicably neat and tidy while chasing after the ball snappily. 4
Auston Trusty: The American entered the fray for his debut with seven minutes remaining on the clock, replacing Carter-Vickers. 2
Unused: Sinisalo, Palma, Valle, Yang, McCowan, Nawrocki, Welsh.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel