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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Michael Gannon

Celtic player ratings as Callum McGregor shines against Rennes in Europa League opener

It was a tense night in France as Celtic earned a point in their first group stage game against Rennes.

Neil Lennon will be happy with the result but might feel a bit of regret that his side didn't get all three points with a stonewall penalty turned down.

It was a night all about penalty kicks with Rennes opening the scoring from one through M'Baye Niang before Ryan Christie netted from the spot in the second half.

It was a decent start to the Europa League stage for the Hoops and they did perform well in Brittany.

And here's how the players rated.

Fraser Forster: The big man wasn’t as busy as he might have expected but made a couple of important saves when called upon. 7

Hatem Abd Elhamed: Has quickly won over Hoops fans and showed why again last night. Hard as nails and always looking for the ball to get up the park. 7

Christopher Julien: The big Frenchman is starting to look every inch the £7m signing. Sensational tackle in the first half and coped well against a lethal Rennes frontline. 8

Kristoffer Ajer: Comfortable in the game until the rush of blood for the penalty kick. It was a blip on an otherwise impressive display however. 7

Boli Bolingoli: The Belgian continues to give teams problems going forward while causing the odd panic at the back. Carved out chances for both teams before limping off. 6

Scott Brown: Left an early mark on rival Clement Grenier but the yellow card didn’t curtail the skipper. Fascinating battle with his opposite number. 7

Callum McGregor: Sat a little deeper and was superb at nicking possession and playing his way through congestion. Nothing flashy but vital role. 8

Ryan Christie: Class on the ball despite being tightly marked. Should have been awarded a penalty but kept his cool when it mattered to slot from the spot. 8

Mohamed Elyounoussi: Produced a couple of neat touches but was off the pace and clearly needs a few games under his belt to get up to speed. 5

James Forrest: Played in a narrower role and found space hard to come by, but linked up well around the penalty box and earned his side the penalty for the leveller. 7

Odsonne Edouard: Looked in the mood to make an impression in his homeland but a tad too keen to hit the deck when he picked up a first half booking for diving. 7

Subs:

Olivier Ntcham: Added strength and composure in the engine room. 5

Jonny Hayes : Slotted in at left back and did a good job of seeing it out. 5

Vakoun Bayo: Nightmare end to the game after seeing red with two quick yellow cards. 1

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