On the weekend the clocks went forward, Reo Hatate could have timed his return perfectly. Certainly, from Celtic’s point of view, it has not come a minute too soon.
Making his first start in five months in what has been an injury-plagued season, Hatate made his long-awaited return in this routine win over Livingston.
The Japanese playmaker kept things going well in midfield, showing the class and composure that Celtic have sorely missed in his absence.
If he had become the forgotten man, then here was confirmation that Hatate could still be a key figure in this season’s title race. Obviously, he was the best player on the field.
Hatate, who started at lunchtime at the Tony Macaroni on Easter Sunday, helped Celtic delight with three points that propelled them back to the top of the table.
Reo Hatate was the best player on the pitch as Celtic cruised to a 3-0 win over Livingston.
Hatate’s shot was stopped by Shamal George, but it bounced into the net off Jamie Brandon.
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He lasted 65 minutes on his return but the fact he emerged unscathed will have come as a huge relief to Brendan Rodgers ahead of next weekend’s Old Firm clash.
The Celtic boss was in the stands for this trip to West Lothian, as a result of being banned by the SFA last week, but will return for a title fight with Rangers at Ibrox next Sunday.
The Rangers still have a game in hand and ultimately still have a slight lead. But the fact that Celtic are now getting key players back into the squad means only a fool would rule them out.
At the other end of the table, this was just another nail in the coffin for a Livingston team that is surely doomed to the championship.
David Martindale’s team stuck to their task for 45 minutes and would have been delighted to go into the break at 0-0.
But then they fell apart. It was Hatate’s shot that led to the breakthrough in the 49th minute, with Jamie Brandon putting the ball into his own goal.
Goals from Paulo Bernardo and Matt O’Riley added a little more polish to the scoreline in what was ultimately a comfortable day’s work for Celtic.
They huffed and puffed for 45 minutes, before Livi’s house fell apart in the second half. For Rodgers and his players, everything is moving towards Ibrox next weekend.
Paulo Bernardo scored Celtic’s second from outside the area to help seal the victory.
The inclusion of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Hatate in the starting XI was a huge boost for Celtic before the ball was kicked.
Carter-Vickers had struggled with a hamstring strain just a couple of weeks ago but captained the team in Callum McGregor’s absence.
McGregor is expected to be fit again for next weekend’s Old Firm clash and will likely partner Hatate in midfield.
The Japanese playmaker has been plagued by injuries this season. This was his first start since the 2-2 draw with Atlético Madrid in the Champions League in October.
A combination of calf and hamstring problems has limited Hatate’s availability to such an extent that this was actually only his fifth league start of the campaign.
How Celtic has missed him. The prospect of Hatate and McGregor returning to the same midfield next week is sure to instil a new sense of confidence among fans.
It was Hatate who had his first sight of goal after five minutes when an O’Riley corner found him unmarked on the edge of the area, but he fired his shot just over the bar.
Celtic’s two wide players, Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn, appeared to have outplayed Livingston’s full-backs, Michael Nottingham and Sean Kelly, but the final ball was poor.
In typically animated fashion, Livi boss Martindale barked orders at his players from the touchline, while the Celtic bench was rather subdued in comparison.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was forced to watch from the stands due to his sideline ban.
Rodgers’ assistant, John Kennedy, was tasked with overseeing matters in the technical area.
With Rodgers banished to the stand, it was assistant John Kennedy who was tasked with overseeing matters in the technical area.
The reason Rodgers was reduced to the role of spectator, of course, was due to his criticism of officials Don Robertson and John Beaton following a defeat to Hearts last month.
Calling them “incompetent,” it would have been interesting to know what Rodgers made of yesterday’s first big flashpoint, which came just after 40 minutes.
Celtic cried out for a penalty when Kyogo Furuhashi fell under a challenge from Mikey Devlin inside the area.
Back in the firing line, referee Robertson dismissed the appeals despite Livi captain Devlin making contact with Kyogo, while VAR Alan Muir also saw no foul after a quick check.
As the first half progressed, clear chances were rare. Hatate again came close, deflecting a shot that went wide of Shamal George’s left post.
However, the truth is that the Livi goalkeeper must have been surprised by how inactive he had been during those first 45 minutes.
Their only real save came on the cusp of half-time when Kyogo cut inside and fired a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner, but George ducked well to avoid it.
At times, it was a performance in which Celtic lacked edge, but they took the lead within five minutes of the restart with one of the most convincing goals they will score all season.
Kuhn, a lively figure throughout, swooped in to dispossess Steven Bradley when the Livi man really should have cleared his lines from the left side of his own penalty area.
Matt O’Riley added a third for Celtic in the dying minutes as the visitors moved to the top of the table.
A clash ensued, before Hatate fired the ball into the goal. George made the initial save, but the ball bounced off Brandon and into Livi’s net for an own goal.
It was incredibly rudimentary, but also completely self-inflicted from Livingston’s point of view. After his costly mistake, Bradley was replaced almost immediately.
It’s those kinds of mistakes that have characterized Livingston’s season. Rooted at the bottom of the table and ten points away, they are plummeting back towards the Championship.
Hatate lasted 65 minutes in his return appearance. The best player on the field, he left to a standing ovation before being replaced by Bernardo.
It was Portuguese midfielder Bernardo who effectively sealed the three points in the 72nd minute when he combined well with Matt O’Riley to hit a low shot past George.
Despite making some good saves at times to limit the damage, George really should have done better with the shot that saw O’Riley make it 3-0.
In the end, Celtic won with something to spare. They know that tougher tests await them. But with Hatate back in full swing, anything will seem possible.