Who was Celtic's best player in the Champions League?

After the publication of our most recent TCW Power Rankings update, I was asked by regular Celtic Briefing viewer Michael Ross if I could possibly separate out our marks for Champions League matches only.

I figured a newsletter was the perfect platform to grant Mr Ross's wish!

Like in the main version of our Power Rankings, a minutes-played threshold seemed only fair. With just a six-game sample, though, where to draw the line was the next question. I consulted the brain trust - i.e. Tony and Aidan - and we agreed that playing just one match wasn't enough.

In the main version the threshold was 20 per cent of all competitive minutes. This one is slightly higher at 25 per cent. Celtic played 572 minutes during the groups so that's 143 minutes of Champions League action and you're in.

David Turnbull was the closest to inclusion to miss out with 115 minutes across five appearances. All of Stephen Welsh's 102 minutes came against RB Leipzig while James Forrest participated in three of the six games but clocked just 104 minutes while doing so.

Others - such as Anthony Ralston, Oliver Abildgaard, Alexandro Bernabei and James McCarthy - were never likely to reach the cut-off.

Other caveats still apply though. For instance, an appearance that was so short it only merited a two or three is wiped from consideration and if a player finishes on the same average as another the nod goes to the man who played more often (and if that is also tied, as it was for a few entries, then the nod will go to the player who received most seven-or-above-rated performances and then who got the fewest marks below six).

That gives us a total of 15 entrants which we will give you in reverse order. Rather than blurbs, I'll be including some Champions League 'standout stats' for each player.

Here we go...

15. Aaron Mooy

171 mins, five appearances, one start

Standout stat: 80 per cent long-pass accuracy

Average rating: 4.20

14. Liel Abada

227 mins, five appearances, four starts

Standout stat: 2.8 touches in penalty area per 90

Average rating: 5.0

13. Sead Haksabanovic

236 mins, six appearances, three starts

Standout stats: 59 per cent dribble success rate / 12.6 duels won per 90 / 2.7 interceptions per 90

Average rating: 5.50

12. Giorgos Giakoumakis

264 mins, six appearances, two starts

Standout stats: 9.85 duels won per 90 / 3.8 touches in penalty area per 90 / 1.65 total xG

Average rating: 5.75

11. Daizen Maeda

354 mins, six appearances, three starts

Standout stats: 9.4 duels won per 90 / four interceptions per 90 / 5.3 recoveries per 90

Average rating: 5.80

10. Joe Hart

572 mins, six appearances, six starts

The first of four players to have played every minute

Standout stats: 2.83 saves per 90

Average rating: 6.17

9. Josip Juranovic

572 mins, six appearances, six starts

Standout stat: Five interceptions per 90

Gets the nod over Hart on the basis he received fewer marks below six

Average rating: 6.17

8. Reo Hatate

463 mins, six appearances, six starts

Standout stat: 75 per cent dribble success

Average rating: 6.50

7. Moritz Jenz

572 mins, six appearances, six starts

Standout stats: 84.1 per cent total action success rate / 94.8 per cent pass accuracy / 5.8 interceptions per 90 / 5.6 passes into final third per 90

Gets the nod over Hatate on the basis of minutes played

Average rating: 6.50

6. Greg Taylor

572 mins, six appearances, six starts

Standout stats: 3.9 interceptions per 90 / 6.3 duels won per 90

Gets the nod over Jenz on the basis he received fewer marks below six

Average rating: 6.50

5. Kyogo Furuhashi

375 mins, six appearances, five starts

Standout stats: 1.6 xG total / 4.32 touches in pen area per 90

Average rating: 6.60

4. Callum McGregor

227 mins, three appearances, three starts

Standout stats: 80.7 per cent total action success rate / 87.8 per cent pass accuracy / four interceptions per 90 / 62 passes per 90

Average rating: 6.67

3. Matt O’Riley

502 mins, six appearances, six starts

Standout stats: 5.7 interceptions per 90 / 8.4 recoveries per 90

Average rating: 6.67

2. Jota

299 mins, four appearances, three starts

Standout stats: 66.7 per cent cross accuracy / 10.8 dribbles per 90 / 6.9 successful dribbles per 90 / 12.9 duels won per 90

Average rating: 6.75

1. Cameron Carter-Vickers

379 mins, four appearances, four starts

Standout stats: 97 per cent pass accuracy / 6.4 duels won per 90 / four interceptions per 90.

Average rating: 7.0

There is, it seems, no stopping Carter-Vickers in these rankings. It's harder to shift him off the summit of these lists than it is off the ball. Another top spot for the USA international.

This piece is an extract from today’s Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out every weekday evening with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team. 

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