With one stand closed indefinitely as a consequence of harm brought on by an earthquake just a few years in the past, there are components of the Stadion Maksimir that are fairly actually falling aside.
It’s hardly a state secret in Croatia that the stand is prone to collapsing and, as a venue, the house of Dinamo Zagreb doesn’t precisely do a lot to stir the senses.
A stadium that’s scarcely match for goal, Dinamo’s dilapidated dwelling has been emblematic of a defence which has fallen aside at occasions on this season’s Champions League.
The Croatians had been annihilated 9-2 away towards Bayern Munich on the opening night time again in September, a defeat of document proportions on this competitors.
Monaco travelled to the house of the Croatian champions in October and scored twice in a 2-2 draw.
Simply a few weeks in the past, Borussia Dortmund thrashed Dinamo 3-0 on the Maksimir. It was yet one more instance of a porous defence being brutally uncovered.
Kyogo Furuhashi makes an attempt to divert a Paulo Bernardo cross in direction of objective
Supervisor Brendan Rodgers may have been happy to choose up a helpful level on the highway
Luke McCowan and Cameron Carter-Vickers salute the travelling supporters in Zagreb
All in all, Dinamo got here into this match towards Celtic having conceded a whopping 15 objectives in simply 5 matches.
These type of numbers would have had Kyogo Furuhashi licking his chops on the prospect of going up towards a workforce whose defence routinely buckles below strain.
Furuhashi, in fact, got here into this match using a wave of confidence after his chic objective within the 3-0 win over Hibs final weekend.
There was a contact of real artistry to the end, the best way he appeared to glide over the ball as he managed it, earlier than dinking a cute end over the keeper.
That’s the Kyogo whom Celtic supporters have grown to like and adore over these previous few years. A penalty-box predator with a deadly contact in entrance of objective.
However there are two variations of Kyogo. There’s a participant who scores objectives for enjoyable domestically in Scotland, then there’s a participant who operates largely within the shadows in Europe.
As soon as once more final night time towards Dinamo, Kyogo was a peripheral determine. At no level did he handle to get himself concerned within the sport.
Within the first half, he touched the ball simply 5 occasions — and none of these touches had been inside 20 yards of the Dinamo objective.
A annoyed Kyogo was pressured to feed off scraps for a lot of the night
Granted, the traces of service to him weren’t precisely flowing as Celtic toiled to create any clear-cut probabilities.
But, nonetheless, Kyogo regarded subdued. At no level did he actually pose a menace to the Dinamo defence.
For all his exploits domestically in Scotland, Europe is a puzzle that Kyogo has but to unravel. There’s a large disparity by way of his numbers.
Kyogo has now performed 18 Champions League matches for Celtic and managed simply three objectives.
Even towards restricted opposition like this, he wasn’t a menace. Celtic by no means discovered a approach of getting him into the sport.
Prime strikers at all times discover a approach of popping up in a bit of pocket of area contained in the field and nicking a objective to win these tight video games for his or her groups.
Till Kyogo finds a approach of scoring extra usually at Champions League stage, there’ll at all times be a suspicion that he’s a flat-track bully who excels solely at SPFL stage.
While Celtic received’t be sad in any respect at returning dwelling to Glasgow with some extent to indicate for his or her efforts, it might simply have been all three had they been higher in assault.
Auston Trusty was a standout performer on the coronary heart of the Celtic defence
For all that Brendan Rodgers talked them up earlier than the sport, Dinamo will not be an excellent facet. They’re additionally on a desperately poor run of type.
Solely when Tony Ralston got here off the bench at half-time did the Croatians carry any type of menace.
Ralston was actually poor for the 45 minutes he was on the pitch, choosing up a reserving and making a sequence of errors in possession.
It’s troublesome to think about many different groups in Scotland the place the drop-off in high quality is so huge as it’s between Alistair Johnston and Ralston.
Ralston will get away with it towards groups in Scotland. For Celtic in Europe, and internationally with Scotland, he will get came upon.
But, for all Ralston’s wobbles, Dinamo had been there for the taking. It spoke of Celtic’s bluntness in assault that they managed only one shot on the right track over the 90 minutes.
Dinamo goalkeeper Danijel Zagorac was largely untested as Kyogo and Co did not ask any severe questions.
It’s nonetheless some extent in the precise route for Rodgers and his gamers. With a house sport nonetheless to return towards Younger Boys, Celtic stay in an excellent place to clinch a spot within the knockout levels.
Alistair Johnston was changed on the half-time interval after struggling an harm
However you do marvel how a lot higher a menace they’d carry in Europe if they might discover a approach of unlocking the home model of Kyogo.
The little Japanese famous person will discover his approach into Celtic folklore little question on condition that he continues to rack up silverware while scoring some terrific objectives.
However legendary standing on the Outdated Agency golf equipment comes from what you do on the European stage. That’s the place gamers and managers are immortalised.
Kyogo nonetheless has a protracted technique to go in that respect. If he’s to say a spot within the pantheon of Celtic greats, his numbers in Europe want to enhance considerably.
