Can Celtic boost their hopes of reaching the Europa League knockout stages? After six league phase matches, the Hoops have accumulated just seven points so far.
Their victories have come against Sturm Graz in Glasgow, and then when they took on Feyenoord at De Kuip during Martin O'Neill's first interim spell in charge. This was the Hoops' first European away win for four years.
Those aside, the Scottish champions have drawn 1-1 with Crvena zvezda in Belgrade, while also suffering damaging defeats at the hands of Braga, Midtjylland and most recently Roma.
Ahead of matchday seven, Celtic currently sit 24th, thereby occupying the final place in the knockout phase. Before taking on Utrecht at Parkhead on the final matchday, it is a trip to Emilia-Romagna to meet Coppa Italia winners Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on Thursday evening. The Celts have won only one of their 16 previous visits to Italy, famously beating Lazio in 2019.
If O'Neill's team are going to change that fact and defeat the Rossoblù, there is one forward player he simply must include in the lineup.
Who should Martin O'Neill start in attack vs Bologna?
Fair to say, Celtic have lacked attacking firepower all throughout the season. Kyōgo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kühn and Adam Idah have all departed during the last 12 months and not been adequately replaced.
Summer signings Sebastian Tounekti, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Shin Yamada, to one degree or another, have not sparkled, while Kelechi Ịheanachọ has not featured in the Premiership since all the way back on 19 October at Dens due to a hamstring injury.
Thus, out of all of this season's recruits, Benjamin Nygren has been, pretty indisputably, the best.
Benjamin Nygren's Celtic statistics
Statistics | Nygren | Celtic rank |
|---|---|---|
Minutes | 2,047 | 7th |
Goals | 12 | 1st |
Assists | 6 | 3rd |
Shots | 57 | 1st |
Shots on target | 26 | 1st |
Big chances created | 8 | 4th |
Nygren was the match-winner at Falkirk last mid-week, bagging his 12th goal of the season. In the meantime, only Daizen Maeda and Kieran Tierney have registered more than his six assists across all competitions.
Seemingly signed from Nordsjælland to replace Kühn on the right wing, Nygren has largely been deployed more centrally by all three managers he has had since arriving in Glasgow. His output has made him undroppable, even in the more competitive area of Celtic's squad.
Nevertheless, whether utilised in midfield or out-wide, the Swede simply has to be included in Thursday night's lineup against a strong Bologna outfit. Nygren has scored during both of Celtic's European victories so far this season, among the most-likely heroes in hoops once more at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.