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Japan boss plays down Celtic trio's Champions League display as they're told what they need to do

Celtic's Japanese stars have been told they need to prove it against better opposition
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Celtic impressed almost everyone as they blew Slovan Bratislava away in the Champions League. Almost everyone.

Reo Hatate was one of the stars of the show with a brilliant midfield performance and an assist to put the icing on the cake, while Kyogo and Daizen Maeda also played a big part with a goal apiece. Maeda is the only one who gets a proper look-in for Japan and featured in a 7-0 trouncing China during the international break.

Hatate travelled for the double-header, which also included a game against Bahrain, but didn't pay a single minute and wasn't even named among the subs, while Kyogo wasn't even named in the squad. Manager Hajime Moriyasu continues to overlook the Hoops sharpshooter which baffles most followers of Scottish football.

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But did their performances on the European stage this week impress him? It doesn't seem like it as he hinted he wants to see them doing it against tougher opposition, which they will get the chance to do when Celtic faces the likes of Dortmund and Atalanta.

He said: "We had 12 players - our highest-ever number - playing in the Champions League and I feel that Japan's level has improved even further. I'm looking forward to seeing how Japanese players will fight to win the Champions League in the future. The level of opposition our players were up against last week isn't everything, but it's definitely something we look at as a criterion.

"So I only want to look at how well Japanese players can perform against teams that aim to win the Champions League. And we also look at how well Japanese national team candidates can perform in regular league matches against higher-ranked teams and more powerful teams in the world."