Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley put in a show-stopping performance as his side saw off Heart of Midlothian yesterday afternoon.
Per Fotmob, the Denmark international earned a match rating of 8.9/10 for his display, where he took on four shots, created four chances, had eight touches in the opposition area and played six passes into the final third.
Of course, the most important statistic of the day was getting on the scoresheet and laying on Kyogo Furuhashi’s excellent volley, taking his overall tally to 15 strikes and 17 assists in 45 appearances this campaign [Transfermarkt].
Nobody wants to imagine life without O’Riley at Celtic; however, it is of little surprise that his recent form has attracted suitors such as Inter Milan heading into the summer transfer window.
From a personal standpoint, his outstanding performances also earned the 23-year-old a nomination for the PFA Scotland Scottish Premiership Player of the Year award, where he could claim the top prize up against Jack Butland, James Tavernier and Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland.
In January, some in Scottish footballing circles thought a failed bid from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid might halt his focus; nevertheless, he has continued on admirably and cut a determined figure at Parkhead at home to Hearts, one who is determined to finish the season silverware in hand.
Mark Wilson’s theory behind Matt O’Riley’s Celtic form
For a brief moment, O’Riley did go through a spell where he wasn’t hitting the heights of his electric first half of the campaign; nevertheless, he wasn’t the only one, as Celtic battled through a difficult period of the season without Reo Hatate and later, once their form had levelled out, Callum McGregor.
Speaking on the Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, former Hoops defender Mark Wilson believes Rodgers’ new-found settled midfield has allowed O’Riley to ‘flourish’ once again at Parkhead in what is a crucial period for the club.
He said: “I think individually, he’s been great, but I think when you play with players you enjoy playing with, who can find you in those pockets, then you obviously flourish. That’s the case with Matt O’Riley.
“It’d be interesting to see how many games those three have played together. McGregor, O’Riley and Hatate because Hatate missed a huge chunk
Wilson later added: “That probably coincides with Matt O’Riley’s dip (in form). (There is) No coincidence that when Hatate’s back in the team and McGregor is close to fitness, O’Riley is standing out yet again.”
It goes without saying, but Celtic’s engine room with their three main trump cards available is an incredibly difficult prospect for any team to contend with, factoring in the balance and control they can cast over any fixture.
In the upcoming Glasgow Derby, the midfield battle is likely to be key, and Celtic will have to take the upper hand to avoid Rangers allowing the game to become chaotic by playing direct football.
O’Riley will also be our main creative threat against Philippe Clement’s men, though he has shown he can handle pressure situations similar to this one in his time at Parkhead.