Former Celtic man Peter Grant believes that Kyogo Furuhashi will start ahead of Giorgos Giakoumakis on Wednesday night against Real Madrid.
That is despite Kyogo receiving the nod at the weekend from Ange Postecoglou ahead of their Champions League dead rubber.
The Japanese striker found himself on the scoresheet on Saturday as the Hoops defeated Livingston 3-0 at the weekend.
Having not started any of the club’s three previous Scottish Premiership games, the 27-year-old was restored to the initial XI.
He has also been chosen from the off in each of the side’s last four Champions League games since the reverse fixture with Los Blancos – and Grant is expecting him to lead the line at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Speaking on the GO Radio Football Show, he said:
“It’s interesting he started Kyogo and left Giakoumakis out [against Livingston] – whether he goes slightly different with that.
“I think he loves Kyogo’s energy, and he’s got that energy – they’re really fit lads and they can do this, and listen, playing a game on Sunday, playing a game on Wednesday, there’s no problem.
“The headache for [Postecoglou] is what team he thinks is going to get him the best result. I think he’ll start Kyogo, I must admit.
“I think he’ll go again with it because he loves that energy and he wants to put Real Madrid under as much pressure as he possibly can, knowing that Giakoumakis can come on and give him something completely different – but I don’t think this week he’ll play the two of them, that’s for sure.”
TIF Thoughts on Grant’s comments…
Should Giakoumakis return to the starting XI?Yes
No
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Despite playing over 200 minutes more, Kyogo has only scored one more goal than Giakomakis’ eight this season, with the Greek centre-forward boasting a better goals-per-minute ratio at one every 98.
They are two great options for Postecoglou to have and a case could be made for either of them to start in Madrid.
However, in the first meeting, Giakoumakis struggled to get into the game, having just 19 touches and failing to have a shot of any kind (SofaScore).
He won just two of his 10 duels and completed only six passes, which is perhaps in the manager’s thinking when it comes to making his decision and we feel Kyogo deserves the chance to start in Madrid this time around.