Celtic have gone four matches without a defeat in the Champions League after they managed to pick up 0-0 draw with Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night.
The Hoops, who have only lost one of their six matches in the league phase so far, failed to create much of note in the game, though, and failed to get close to securing all three points.
Brendan Rodgers will now have his focus on Sunday’s trip to Hampden Park for the League Cup final clash with Rangers, as they look to win the first trophy of the season.
German forward Nicolas Kuhn could be key for the Hoops as the Northern Irish head coach appears to have unearthed the club’s new superstar with him.
Nicolas Kuhn's form this season
The former Rapid Vienna winger, who joined in the January transfer window earlier this year, has been in fantastic form as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Kuhn, who was dubbed “magical” by his boss in pre-season, has failed to provide a goal or an assist in his last four appearances for Celtic and will be hoping to get back involved in the goals against Rangers this weekend.
Prior to this quiet run, the German star had scored 11 goals and grabbed 11 assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for the Premiership champions, including four goals and four assists in three League Cup matches.
Rodgers appears to have got the best out of Kuhn after his initial return of three goals and three assists in 18 outings during the second half of last season.
His emergence as a star at Parkhead this season is, perhaps, best summed up by him being compared to one of the top wingers in Europe in the Champions League.
Nicolas Kuhn compared to £74m sensation
As per FBref, AC Milan sensation Rafa Leao has been one of the most similar players to Kuhn from a statistical perspective in the competition this term.
As you can see in the chart above, they are not like-for-like in style but both players look to drive forward with the ball at their feet, with progressive carries and take-on attempts.
They also both provide a creative threat from wide areas, with Leao cutting in on his right from the left with Milan and Kuhn cutting in on his left from the right with Celtic.
It was recently reported that Barcelona are interested in signing the Portugal international from Milan and that the Serie A giants could be willing to cash in on him for a fee of up to €90m (£74m), which illustrates how impressive the Celtic star’s performances in Europe have been.
Appearances
6
6
Key passes
7
11
Goals
2
2
Assists
1
1
Big chances created
1
4
As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has outperformed Leao in the Champions League so far this term, with as many goals, more key passes, and more ‘big chances’ created for his side.
That is not to say that Celtic should now be valuing the German attacker at more than £74m but it does show the kind of level he is performing at in Europe, as the left-footed maestro is earning comparisons to players of that ilk.
Rodgers has unearthed a new superstar at Parkhead and supporters will surely be hoping that they can enjoy his talents for many more seasons to come.
Celtic will regret losing incredible star who's now compared to Bellingham
The former Celtic starlet has been compared to Jude Bellingham since moving on from the club.
1 ByDan EmeryDec 9, 2024
