CELTIC ANALYSIS: Domestic god Kyogo can not seem to feed his purpose behavior at Europe’s prime desk
- Forward a peripheral figure in Champions League stalemate
- Questions remain over ability to influence games at the top level
With one stand closed indefinitely due to damage caused by an earthquake a few years ago, there are parts of the Stadion Maksimir which are quite literally falling apart.
It is hardly a state secret in Croatia that the stand is at risk of collapsing and, as a venue, the home of Dinamo Zagreb doesn’t exactly do much to stir the senses.
A stadium that’s scarcely fit for purpose, Dinamo’s dilapidated home has been emblematic of a defence which has fallen apart at times in this season’s Champions League.
The Croatians were annihilated 9-2 away against Bayern Munich on the opening night back in September, a defeat of record proportions in this competition.
Monaco travelled to the home of the Croatian champions in October and scored twice in a 2-2 draw.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Borussia Dortmund thrashed Dinamo 3-0 at the Maksimir. It was yet another example of a porous defence being brutally exposed.
Kyogo Furuhashi attempts to divert a Paulo Bernardo cross towards goal
Manager Brendan Rodgers will have been pleased to pick up a valuable point on the road
Luke McCowan and Cameron Carter-Vickers salute the travelling supporters in Zagreb
All in all, Dinamo came into this match against Celtic having conceded a whopping 15 goals in just five matches.
Those kind of numbers would have had Kyogo Furuhashi licking his chops at the prospect of going up against a team whose defence routinely buckles under pressure.
Furuhashi, of course, came into this match riding a wave of confidence after his sublime goal in the 3-0 win over Hibs last weekend.
There was a touch of genuine artistry to the finish, the way he seemed to glide over the ball as he controlled it, before dinking a cute finish over the keeper.
That’s the Kyogo whom Celtic supporters have grown to love and adore over these past few years. A penalty-box predator with a lethal touch in front of goal.
But there are two versions of Kyogo. There’s a player who scores goals for fun domestically in Scotland, then there’s a player who operates largely in the shadows in Europe.
Once again last night against Dinamo, Kyogo was a peripheral figure. At no point did he manage to get himself involved in the game.
In the first half, he touched the ball just five times — and none of those touches were within 20 yards of the Dinamo goal.
A frustrated Kyogo was forced to feed off scraps for much of the evening
Granted, the lines of service to him weren’t exactly flowing as Celtic toiled to create any clear-cut chances.
Yet, nonetheless, Kyogo looked subdued. At no point did he really pose a threat to the Dinamo defence.
For all his exploits domestically in Scotland, Europe is a puzzle that Kyogo has yet to solve. There is a huge disparity in terms of his numbers.
Kyogo has now played 18 Champions League matches for Celtic and managed just three goals.
Even against limited opposition like this, he wasn’t a threat. Celtic never found a way of getting him into the game.
Top strikers always find a way of popping up in a little pocket of space inside the box and nicking a goal to win these tight games for their teams.
Until Kyogo finds a way of scoring more regularly at Champions League level, there will always be a suspicion that he is a flat-track bully who excels only at SPFL level.
Whilst Celtic won’t be unhappy at all at returning home to Glasgow with a point to show for their efforts, it could easily have been all three had they been better in attack.
Auston Trusty was a standout performer at the heart of the Celtic defence
For all that Brendan Rodgers talked them up before the game, Dinamo are not a good side. They are also on a desperately poor run of form.
Only when Tony Ralston came off the bench at half-time did the Croatians carry any sort of threat.
Ralston was really poor for the 45 minutes he was on the pitch, picking up a booking and making a series of mistakes in possession.
It is difficult to think of many other teams in Scotland where the drop-off in quality is so vast as it is between Alistair Johnston and Ralston.
Ralston gets away with it against teams in Scotland. For Celtic in Europe, and internationally with Scotland, he gets found out.
Yet, for all Ralston’s wobbles, Dinamo were there for the taking. It spoke of Celtic’s bluntness in attack that they managed just one shot on target over the 90 minutes.
Dinamo goalkeeper Danijel Zagorac was largely untested as Kyogo and Co failed to ask any serious questions.
It’s still a point in the right direction for Rodgers and his players. With a home game still to come against Young Boys, Celtic remain in a good position to clinch a place in the knockout stages.
Alistair Johnston was replaced at the half-time interval after suffering an injury
But you do wonder how much greater a threat they would carry in Europe if they could find a way of unlocking the domestic version of Kyogo.
The little Japanese superstar will find his way into Celtic folklore no doubt given that he continues to rack up silverware whilst scoring some terrific goals.
But legendary status at the Old Firm clubs comes from what you do on the European stage. That’s where players and managers are immortalised.
Kyogo still has a long way to go in that respect. If he is to claim a place in the pantheon of Celtic greats, his numbers in Europe need to improve significantly.
