Hakuna Hatate!


Reo Hatate has made an extraordinary start to his Celtic career but his two goals and an assist against Rangers in a romping performance has set the seal on a blistering arrival. The midfielder’s two sumptuous efforts gave Celtic a platform to go and dismantle the Ibrox side in an encounter that was not so much a victory but a statement of intent.

If Hatate is indicative of what has been a successful transfer window for Celtic, he was not alone in that front. Matt O’Riley will not have experienced too much to rival last night in League One but the duo were excellent throughout with a composed performance from the masked up Callum McGregor who led by example with a typically composed performance.

The wind was at Celtic’s back before a ball was kicked against Rangers but this was a performance full of vim and vigour but, more importantly, of belief and assurance. Where Celtic have been tentative and inhibited in recent encounters against Rangers, this was a display of swashbuckling bravado.

By the time the break rolled around to afford a rattled Rangers side respite, Celtic were very much enjoying themselves with Hatate integral to that. Goals aside, the work rate of the Japanese midfielder was extraordinary as he worked his socks off in what was a dominant and complete performance.

Celtic did not have a failing with Josip Juranovic and Jota also embracing the occasion.

Ruthless, relentless

Celtic started with menace but, crucially, made it count. Hatate’s fifth minute goal offered the ideal foundation to go and impose themselves on a fixture they had not emerged victorious from since December 2019. If that League Cup final at Hampden ended in success it nevertheless seemed indicative of a swinging of the pendulum; Rangers had won six out of the seven games before last night’s meeting.  

This performance seemed to symbolise a twist again as Celtic did not just come out of the game on top of the league for the first time this season – a seven point swing from the winter break just three weeks ago – but came out of it as emphatic victors. What the psychological imprint this game leaves on Rangers now remains to be seen.

READ MORE: Detailed Celtic player ratings as Reo Hatate destroys Rangers and writes his name in history

Had it not been for Allan McGregor it might well have been a more bruising night for the Ibrox side as Celtic played with a pace, tempo and aggression that Rangers could not cope with in that opening half.

Rattled by the start to the game, the Ibrox side were just finding their feet when the ground was swiped from under them with the finale to the opening half as Hatate and Liel Abada scored.

Ballboys! Ballboys!

Whatever Rangers’ failings last night – and there are too many to list here – it owed little to the speed with what the Celtic Park ballboys got the ball back onto the pitch.

There was a smack of desperation about Giovanni van Bronckhorst complaining about something so trivial in a game where they were ample issues for him to contend with.

On a night when there were no big performances from key players in the Rangers side and on the back of a month where their title credentials have been seriously damaged, it felt akin to fiddling while Rome burned.