Motherwell 0
xG 0.68
Celtic 4 xG 1.96 (Abada 44 & 56, Hatate 60 and Kyogo 76) xG is not from the usual FotMob (or even Wyscout) info and for cup games the info is a bit limited. xG stats taken from Footystats.org
Celtic had 583 passes which was the 3rd lowest (domestically) of the season with the Rangers and Hibs home games lower. Passing accuracy was only 82% and the lowest of the season.
Possession was 64% which was 3rd lowest also and again behind the Rangers and Hibs home games.
Motherwell away is the most difficult away game of the season so far as previous ones have all been against teams we may expect to be in the bottom six at the end of the season.
Celtic having 20 shots at goal and 9 on target which are above the season average of 19 and 7.6. 18 crosses was below the seasonal average of 25.3.
Celtic lined up with 5 changes from Saturday with Siegrist, Juranovic, Taylor, Abada and Kyogo all starting instead of Hart, Ralston, Bernabei, Forrest and Giakoumakis.
Hart
Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Welsh and Taylor
Mooy, O'Riley and Hatate
Abada, Kyogo and Haksabanovic
Jota, McGregor, Turnbull, Welsh and Starfelt still all out injured. Abildgaard, McCarthy, Maeda and Giakoumakis all coming on as subs for O'Riley, Mooy, Hatate and Haksabanovic.
At the game I noticed how much Hatate and Mooy were drifting wide. This is something associated with Ange's tactics and both number 8's taking turns going wide and leaving space for the inverted full backs inside.
Hatate has been doing this all season but I don't see it as much from O'Riley on the right and it is maybe more to do with a tweak to 4-2-3-1 from 4-3-3 that sees the midfielder on the right not going wide as much as Hatate.
Looking at both heat maps from tonight and you can definitely see the impact of both playing wide to receive passes.
Hatate's heat map showing him predominately left and wide but all over the pitch too to be fair.
Mooy's heatmap showing him predominately right and wide again and more or less the same spot.
Slightly different to Hatate's mobility up and down the left wing.
Compare Mooy's to O'Riley's in the home game against Motherwell. This was Callum McGregor's last domestic game before injury and O'Riley playing in the position Mooy was tonight.
While O'Riley was wide right he was equally left (if not wide) and central.
Therefore tonight's formation looking more like the two No.8's than a No.10 that O'Riley has been playing (before being moved back to the No.6 role).
Also when O'Riley was playing there it was him that was doing the pressing with the centre forward whereas tonight (and Saturday) that came from Hatate.
Motherwell had two changes from their weekend game against Rangers with Blair Spittal and Connor Shields coming in for Josh Morris and Ross Tierney. Summary;
Performance - Possession, passes and passing accuracy were all down on previous visits to Fir Park (last season).
Style - Two No.8's going wide a lot to stretch the game and leave space for inverted full backs.
Player watch - Hatate covering loads of ground in midfield, coming wide left to help the team, being the main pressing midfielder and scoring a wonderfully gifted goal.
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