da dobrowin： Celtic will be looking to make amends for their home defeat against Rangers in the Old Firm on Saturday as they prepare to host AC Milan in the Europa League. The Hoops are currently operating with a thin squad after injuries and positive tests of Covid-19 have seen key players like Odsonne Edouard and Hatem Abd Elhamed out of action.
da betcris： Neil Lennon may also be looking to switch up his starting eleven after their recent display against Gers left a lot to be desired. But one man he will be wishing he had at his disposal is Fraser Forster, who has returned to parent club Southampton after a season-long loan spell.
Could Celtic benefit from Forster?
The Hoops coasted to an easy title win last season after finishing a whopping 13 points ahead of rivals Rangers. Whilst Lennon’s men were unstoppable in front of goal, they were also strong in defending their own too.
In 28 Premiership appearances, Forster kept 14 clean sheets and conceded just 17 goals, seeing Celtic finish with an improved ‘goals against’ tally from last season. So far, new loan goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas has shipped six goals in nine league appearances, with the Hoops now behind Rangers in the table.
The Greece international has failed to tally a Sofascore rating of higher than 6.9 in his last five appearances. Meanwhile, the 6 ft 7 colossus from Southampton boasted a penalty save and 100% successful duels won in his Europa League campaign last season (as per Sofascore).
It will be paramount for Lennon to kick on from the Old Firm loss and focus on making headway in the Europa League. However, his side’s recent defensive performances will undoubtedly be on his mind, especially with two senior defensive players being out with injuries.
The Northern Irishman will be missing Forster, particularly after he waxed lyrical over his “world-class” performance in the Betfred Cup in December (via Daily Echo).
AC Milan haven’t lost a match since March, going on an astonishing 23-game unbeaten streak. It will take a lot to stop the Italians, who will unleash an extremely in-form Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede has 12 goal involvements in his last eight appearances for Milan, and will be hungry to bag a goal or two at Celtic Park tonight.
In other news, Football FanCast’s predicted Celtic XI to face AC Milan after Old Firm defeat…