Brendan Rodgers faces some critical decisions as Celtic prepare for their return Champions League leg against Bayern Munich.
The first leg at Celtic Park left fans with mixed emotions, as the opening 45 minutes were underwhelming, but the home side finished strongly, leaving Vincent Kompany’s team relieved to hear the final whistle.
One of the key talking points was Rodgers’ decision to start with a front three of Daizen Maeda, who scored, the in-form Adam Idah in the center, and Nicolas Kuhn on the right flank.
Maeda’s reduced suspension allowed him to feature in the first leg, but his positioning was a topic of debate. Some fans wanted the Japan star to start centrally from the beginning, but that only happened in the second half when Jota was introduced.
This tactical shift changed the dynamics of Celtic’s play and has since sparked discussions, particularly from Stiliyan Petrov and Kris Boyd.
Celtic should start Daizen Maeda down the middle vs Bayern Munich:
Celtic need goals, but they also must avoid the slow starts that have plagued them in matches like those against Dortmund and Aston Villa, as such lapses could end the tie prematurely.
Petrov and Boyd were full of praise for the ‘incredible’ Maeda after he netted his fourth Champions League goal of the campaign and his 22nd in all competitions.
Both pundits believe Maeda should start centrally, with Petrov even remarking, “I don’t know what he is,” during his appearance on the Warm-Up.
“When you look at Celtic’s team, the pace that they have got, would frighten anyone,” said Boyd. “You can’t defend against pace – but Maeda, it’s incredible. It’s just incredible.”
Petrov responded: “I don’t know what he is – this specific game, I think so (Maeda is better down the middle). I believe the way Bayern Munich play everything goes through their centre-backs.
“I think when you have Maeda through the middle, it gives you a worry because when you play against players like that, your midfield, everything goes through that middle. Everything starts from there.
“You have to be very aware of the way you are passing the ball. You aren’t allowed to lose the ball because, as soon as you lose the ball, everything over the top, Maeda will get it and that’s what happened.
“As soon as he went through the middle, he just gave that little bit more directness and went for the goal quicker. With Idah, it’s a bit more of a match for the centre-backs.”
Celtic improvement after Kyogo Furuhashi’s exit:
It’s worth noting that Celtic have yet to replace Kyogo Furuhashi, and it’s expected that this will be addressed in the summer.
However, so far, his departure hasn’t been felt, largely due to the outstanding form of Maeda, who continues to score consistently, whether deployed on the left or through the middle.
Boyd acknowledged that while he initially questioned Celtic’s decision to let Kyogo go in January, he believes the team has ‘improved’ with Maeda leading the line.
“I was very vocal on Kyogo leaving,” said Boyd. “When you actually take a step back and think about it.
“Maeda is Japan’s number one striker. Kyogo can’t even get into the squad. There is an argument there to say that Celtic could improve.
“Yes, it would be different. Kyogo is a better finisher. He will sniff things out and he has that instinct as a striker.
“But, for the games we are speaking about right now, especially away to Bayern Munich, Maeda would cause them problems. As a midfielder, if you know the ball is coming in and you have got pressure on you, then you can just hook it around. He will go. He will chase.”
