Celtic They went back to work Scottish Premier League once again as they prepare to welcome Dundee United to Parkhead with the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table.
win for Brendan Rodgers His men will see the Hoops move 16 points clear of Rangers in second place, with the Scottish giants on the verge of winning a fourth successive title.
The Bhoys go into this game on the back of a comfortable 3-0 win over St Mirren last time out, thanks to a brace from Nicholas Cone and a header from Auston Trusty.
With this game coming up in the middle of the park, Rodgers can look to rotate and update his starting lineup. One player who should be involved as part of this rotation is Paulo Bernardo.
Why should Paulo Bernardo start?
The 22-year-old midfielder, who joined on a permanent deal from Benfica in the summer window, has shown plenty of promising signs in the Premier League this season, following his initial loan spell with the club last season.
Bernardo has improved his game on and off the field for the Hoops and has proven to be more than just a solid option in the middle of the park for Rodgers.
|
Paulo Bernardo (English Premier League) |
23/24 |
24/25 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
22 |
18 |
|
Objectives |
3 |
2 |
|
It created great opportunities |
4 |
5 |
|
Helps |
3 |
3 |
|
– Tackles + interceptions per match |
1.4 |
2.2 |
|
Duel success rate |
48% |
58% |
As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese star has added more creativity to his game and has improved dramatically defensively, with nearly double the number of tackles and interceptions per game.
However, Bernardo did not play a single minute against St Mirren and should get a chance to start this time around, perhaps in place of Luke McCowan.
He's not the only player who should be given a chance to shine from the start, as left-back Alex Vale should also be unleashed.
Why should Alex Valle be unleashed?
The on-loan Barcelona player, like Bernardo, has shown that he has the ability to make a big impact when he gets the chance to be in the starting line-up at Premier League level.
In order to start Vale, Rodgers will have to rough up Greg Taylor He is reportedly wanted by Dinamo Zagreb And recently dropped a Player rating 5/10 In the League Cup Final against Rangers, giving the ball away for Nadeem Bajrami's opening goal of the match.
Taylor lost possession A A whopping 22 times Without creating a single chance for his teammates in the victory over St Mirren, the Spaniard has the ability to offer more than the Scottish failure on the ball.
Vale, who was welcomed A top-notch defender. For former coach Oscar Lopez He made three assists He has made 14 key passes in just six Premier League appearances so far this season.
This shows that the 20-year-old dynamo, who He didn't play One minute against St Mirren, he has the potential to make a big impact at the top of the pitch, after Taylor struggled badly on the ball last time out.
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Therefore, Rodgers should target Dinamo Zagreb Taylor from the starting XI and bring Vale and Bernardo back into the starting XI this evening.