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Three things we learned from Celtic's squeeky opening game win over Dundee

The Bhoys got the job done in the end
Nygren headed home the winner
Nygren headed home the winner | Andrew Milligan - PA Images/GettyImages

Celtic kicked off their new season with a win on Monday night, defeating Dundee thanks to Benjamin Nygren's early second half header. The Sweden international nodded home a wonderful cross from Kieran Tierney, but that proved to be a rare moment of quality in the game.

The Bhoys will be happy to get the win in the bank, and especially against a well-organised Dundee side that caused them some problems last season, but Martin O'Neill knows there is more to come, and he knows there will be big changes to his squad over the coming weeks.

Here we take a look at what we learned from the game.

Tierney's deliveries could be key

Tierney's cross for the opening goal was one you could watch over and over. He had too much time to deliver from a Dundee perspective, but it's first time, it's curling, it's looping, and it was so good that it was harder for Benjamin Nygren to miss than score.

This Celtic team looks as though it could lack quality this season, especially with Arne Engels to leave, and O'Neill looks as though he will play with a big number nine in Kasper Hogh. Getting Tierney into positions where he can deliver those kinds of balls could be vital in unlocking games.

Engels is going to be a huge miss

Celtic were rusty in places, so we can't be overly critical of their lack of quality. It's the first game, and teams rarely come out looking like world-beaters. But it also cannot be denied that this team lacks top-end quality in most areas, and that's only going to become more noticeable when Engels departs.

Hoops fans know his quality, but this game was a reminder. Forget his big miss in the first half, Engels bounced back with a world-class through ball to Tierney minutes later, and you just watch the way he passes the ball, his calmness in possession and the way he orchestrates play. This wasn't his best game, either, but it's hard not to watch him and wonder how Celtic are going to replace him with anything close to his quality.

Slow transfer business is worrying

It will be blown out of proportion, but Kasper Hogh struggled up top tonight. It was his first game, and that can happen, especially for a striker. But the Dane just looked a little clumsy, a little anxious with his finishing.

There will be more to come from Hogh, but it was just one performance of what looked like an unsettled Celtic side. It looked like a transitional team, and what is concerning is that we are now likely to see major changes to this squad, including significant exits and significant incomings.

Can this team deal with those changes on the fly? Can they manage the changes and qualify for the Champions League? Avoid poor results in the league? That's going to be a monumental challenge, and we are already seeing signs of this team looking unsure of itself.

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