However, those nerves were calmed quickly after Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate put Celtic 2-0 ahead in the first half with Alistair Johnston sealing the three points with his first goal of the season to seal the 3-0 win over St Mirren.
But it was Paulo Bernardo who was on the lips of some Celtic fans and they paid tribute to the new summer signing who had the unenviable task of filling in and living up to O’Riley’s performances for Celtic.
Bernardo had an excellent season for Celtic last year and especially stepped up in big moments against Rangers in the league and the Scottish Cup.
But today against St Mirren, the 22-year-old impressed as many Celtic fans took to social media to praise Bernardo’s first start since his Parkhead return.
Another Celtic fan said, “Paulo Bernardo looks up to speed now. Been really impressed with his drive and work off the ball.” whilst one noticed, “Determined to make a claim for that spot. Big one to fill and he has a lot to learn, but his attitude is spot on and he’s been really central to us in this opening 15.“
One Celtic fan said that he was encouraged by Bernardo in light of Matt O’Riley’s absence, “A lot of attention on Paulo Bernardo today, for obvious reasons. Encouraging display…” whilst another added, “Paulo Bernardo plays like a right back having a surprisingly decent game in midfield.”
- Rated at 7.6 by Fotmob, Bernardo had 64 touches of the ball with a passing accuracy of 83%. The Portuguese created two big chances and made three passes into St Mirren’s final third, four touches in the final third and a shot blocked as he probed Stephen Robinson’s defence.
Defensively, the 22-year-old performed well by making six defensive actions, two ball recoveries and won seven duels.
It was a decent runout by Bernardo as he helped Celtic dominate in Paisley and the fans will be hoping he puts in a similar, if not better, performance against Rangers next Sunday
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