Celtic fans will have mixed feelings after their 1-1 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
There will be disappointment in the air because there are sections of people who feel Celtic should have won this game, based upon the feeling before kick-off and what they did against RB Leipzig last time out.
But then there are others who will be pleased with the point because the home side fell behind to a comical Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal.
John McGinn warned Celtic about Brugge’s dangers before the game and they proved to be a serious outfit, who could and probably should have scored more goals.
The Bhoys were riding their luck and finding it difficult to control the match, but in these moments, you need your big-name players to step up.
And Danny Murphy highlighted two of them who did just that for the champions of Scotland.
Danny Murphy praises Kasper Schmeichel after Celtic draw against Club Brugge
It wasn’t Kasper Schmeichel’s fault that Celtic conceded that opening goal, but whatever you think, it put the home team in a spot of bother and under pressure.
When Joe Hart retired in the summer, many were surprised and were worried about the void he was going to leave in between the sticks.
But Schmeichel proved against Brugge why Hart isn’t missed because, as Murphy touched upon on Match of the Day, he showcased ‘real quality’ at 1-0 when he produced a game-defining fingertip save from Maxim De Cuyper as he was racing through on goal.
“Well, he did (produce a brilliant save from De Cuyper) and all big games are about moments and this was a moment of real quality,” said Murphy. “A brilliant fingertip save.
“We know he is capable of that. I think, at that stage, if he hadn’t made that save, then Celtic would have given themselves a mountain to climb, so credit to him and the team actually for the resilience to get back into it. It was better in the second half.
Murphy on Daizen Maeda’s goal for Celtic
From the man in between the sticks to the man running down the flank non-stop.
Schmeichel works his magic and keeps Celtic in the game and then Daizen Maeda produces a stunning moment in the second half.
Murphy highlighted his ‘great skill’ and ‘brilliant’ finish, from a tight angle, which kissed the post and went into the back of the net.
Kuhn previously produced a magic moment against Leipzig, but now it was Maeda’s turn to relive a similar scenario.
“This is a brilliant goal,” added Murphy on MOTD. “Great skill. He doesn’t even need to look at the goal. Just a nice caress into the far corner. A brilliant finish.
