Celtic player ratings: Johnston shines, Jullien solid

Celtic cruised past Nomme Kalju with a comfortable 2-0 victory away from home to qualify for the third qualification round of the UEFA Champions League. The Scottish champions will now face Romanian champions, CFR Cluj, in the next round.

It was never going to be a hard time for The Hoops as they came into the second leg of the tie with a 5-0 lead. But their task was made even easier when they went in front in the 10th minute due to an own goal from Kalju defender, Aleksandr Kulinits. From there on it was smooth sailing for the club as they cruised into the next stage of the qualification process. 

Here’s how The Celtic Bhoys rated the players…

Craig Gordon – 6.5

Gordon was making his return to the team since being dropped by Brendan Rodgers last season. He didn’t get much chance to leave an impression though as he was a spectator for most of the game. Made a good save to deny the hosts an equaliser in the second half.

Anthony Ralston – 5

Ralston is not a bad player defensively but his game going forward leaves a lot to be desired. This was on full display here as he struggled against a comparatively weak side like Nomme Kalju. This performance will not have done his first-team hopes much good.

Christopher Jullien – 7

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the defender and it is clear to see why. He looks comfortable both in the air and with the ball at his feet. While this was not the toughest opposition he will ever face in a Celtic shirt, the centre-back’s performance was solid nonetheless.

Jozo Simunovic – 6.5

The Croatian did what he does best and put in a solid display. Partnered Jullien well in the center of defence and Celtic fans will be hoping that this partnership blossoms next season.

Boli Bolingoli – 6

The left-back had similar questions hanging over his head as his partner on the opposite flank after failing to impress till now. But on this occasion he did a much better job, keeping things simple and letting Mikey Johnston do most of the attacking work down the left flank.

Scott Brown – 7

This was a good display from the Celtic captain. Played the match with the same intensity as any other game despite the fact that it had been essentially won in the first leg itself. Looks like he’ll be a major part of Neil Lennon’s plans this season.

Nir Bitton – 7

Dominated midfield proceedings along with Brown despite the fact that he had been playing in centre-back till now. Kept things ticking by playing simple football and the Kalju players never managed to give him any trouble.

Olivier Ntcham – 8

He is not the most popular man among the Celtic faithful at this moment after he made his desire to leave the club known. But this was a brilliant performance from the midfielder and showed why the club must do everything in their power to keep him at Celtic Park. He was at a completely different level from his opponents.

Lewis Morgan – 6.5

Morgan is not quite the finished product yet and it shows. He is direct and always willing to make a go at the opposition defence but very often finds himself fighting a lost battle. While this was nothing spectacular, he certainly deserves further chances to impress down the road.

Mikey Johnston – 8

Johnston was a live wire throughout the game and was probably the best player on the pitch before he was replaced by Scott Sinclair. He was the main threat to the opposition defence who tried and failed to mark him out of the game. It was his cross that led to the early goal which effectively killed off any little hope that Kalju had of pulling off a mmiracle.

Leigh Griffiths – 7

Griffiths was extremely unlucky not to score the opening goal. He was a menace to the Kalju defence for the rest of the game. While he will be disappointed not to have gotten his name on the score sheet, it was a very positive performance from the striker.

Substitutes:

Scott Sinclair – 4

Constantly linked with a move away from Celtic Park as it is obvious that he is not as important as he once was. The lack of match fitness showed here.

Marian Shved – 6

Managed to bag himself a debut goal and announce himself to the Celtic fans.

Ryan Christie – N/A

Was only on the pitch for the last few minutes.