Following two astounding performances over the past week against both Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-final and RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League, a trip to play Kilmarnock on their sticky pitch was always going to be potentially tricky. And that’s exactly what transpired at Rugby Park, but the fact that the aggregate tally for the week went from 9-1 to 11-1 speaks volumes about Celtic’s consistent approach to whatever hurdles are placed in front of them. The 2-0 scoreline in itself may not tell the story of the 90+ minutes, but the win and the clean sheet under sometimes fraught circumstances does perfectly illustrate Celtic’s tenacity in fighting for every single vital point. Fundamental to much of the past week has been the work-rate, skill and goals of Nicolas Kuhn, and his three strikes from the first two games were added to with another that was the killer goal against Kilmarnock to supplement Callum McGregor’s first-half opener. That was his 10th of the season, and the German winger told Celtic TV after the game: “It was really good, I enjoyed the play. It was just really nice with my team-mates, everyone enjoyed it. “It’s not easy on this surface, it was quite difficult but we stayed calm and when we got our chances, we took them. ‘After I missed the first big chance, I knew I had to do better, so I was really focused to get into the box and finish it off.’ “I think with the quality we have in the team, they make it easy for me in my situations, and after the full pre-season, I’ve just shown what’s inside of me.”The full-flowing Celt also pinpointed the role of Brendan Rodgers in his on-going improvement and confidence as the season unfolds. Kuhn said: “That was one of the reasons I came here, because we had some really good talks. He wanted to bring me more into the dangerous areas and bring my numbers up. “In the years before, I created a lot, but getting the numbers was important for me. “Scoring gives you confidence and it’s always a nice feeling to score, and also with our supporters, it’s amazing. “Every time I come on the pitch and I hear the song, it’s really nice. It’s a moment you dream of as a kid, and I’m really grateful.”FixturesKilmarnock Vs. Celtic – Sun, Nov 10th 2024, 15:00
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