Kyogo is still a brilliant, incisive, instinctive and clinical striker but it seems that the possession based game installed by Brendan Rodgers has left him neutered. His Champions League record this season is outstanding.
Rather than award Celtic an indirect free-kick Beaton gave a foul against Kyogo and booked the Celtic striker for his attempt to keep the match flowing.
That move and the execution set the tone for what was to come. Celtic played some exquisite football that their hosts had no answer to.
After playing a few minutes with 10 men Kyogo returned, headed Celtic’s second goal then set up the third before being substituted in the 69th minute by Oh.
Kyogo’s style of play could hardly be more different to Giakoumakis but in this year in that fixture the former Vissel Kobe man has become the dominant figure.
In the most testing of circumstances Rodgers came up with a way to win, his delight after the match told you everything about the importance of today’s result.
No-one knows the ability of Kyogo better than Ange Postecoglou who put his faith in the Vissel Kobe winger to replace the goals of Odsonne Edouard as he rebuilt the Celtic team, almost from scratch
Anyone that watches the Celtic duo knows that they are a cut above players that are routinely traded around the EPL for £20-30m.
There seemed to be a real lethargy about some of the early play, McGregor was losing his midfield battles while Taylor looked as if he had overdone it in the warm up.
Pat Nevin’s book is called ‘The Accidental Footballer’, but he’s suffering from some kind of accidental memory loss.