CELTIC have scored 113 goals in competitive fixtures this season.

Each of those is special but, whether for the technique displayed or the importance of the strike at the time, everyone has a favourite.

With this in mind, The Celtic Way asked some of the club's B side and youth team players to name their own favourite goal of the season so far - and then we broke down each choice tactically and statistically.

Reo Hatate v Rangers (Feb 2 2022)

Picked by: Tsoanelo Letsosa and Eseosa Sule

Letsosa, a 17-year-old midfielder who has appeared for Celtic B in the Scottish Lowland League this season, picked out Reo Hatate’s second goal in the 3-0 triumph over Rangers as his favourite.

Celtic Way:

He stated; “The way they worked [the play] from the right-back to our 8, who has found space beyond the midfield line, then combining with the right winger driving into the middle of the pitch to then assist Reo Hatate, makes it my favourite.”

Letsosa himself often plays as the right-sided 8 and is skilled at finding room in the half-space so it is notable that what he appreciates most about this goal is the players’ movement and use of the ball leading up to the strike.

The goal came after 42 minutes of a dominant first half in which Celtic generated 1.06xG compared to Rangers’ 0.07 by overloading the wide areas, rotating positionally and finding unoccupied pockets of space.   

Celtic Way:

Starting with Joe Hart, the ball travelled 75 yards with Josip Juranović, Matt O'Riley and Liel Abada interlinking to bypass the opposition winger and midfield and draw the inexperienced Calvin Bassey out from his centre-back position.

Although he could have drifted left to open up a little more room, Giorgos Giakoumakis helped to pin the other centre-back and gave Hatate just enough space to strike from distance. 

Celtic Way:

Sule, a 2006-born centre forward with an excellent goal-scoring record of his own at youth level this season, also picked this goal. He noted it for "the composure and the occasion".

This was a low-probability chance registering 0.05 xG, meaning just one out of 20 similar strikes could be expected to go in, but Hatate had already displayed the required self-belief and coolness with his opener. 

It was that mental strength, coupled with the technical accuracy, in such a key match that impressed Sule. Hatate looks skyward in disbelief after the net bulges, not in shock at scoring but rather at what his goal clearly meant to the team and supporters.

Liel Abada v Dundee United (Jan 29 2022)

Picked by: Daniel Cummings

The importance of a goal is naturally one of the elements which might make it a favourite and Daniel Cummings, another 2006-born starlet, picked Liel Abada’s late winner against Dundee United.

Cummings, who recently won the Victory Shield with Scotland under-16s, said his choice was due to “how important it was for us to get any points from the game and the scenes [of celebration] were amazing".

Celtic Way:

Celtic had slung almost 30 crosses into the box, attempted almost 20 shots and generated 2.55xG by the time they finally made the breakthrough with Abada’s 12th goal of the season. In addition, the context of those last few moments of the match heightened the occasion further - down to 10 men after Nir Bitton’s second yellow card and just days away from facing Rangers.

Celtic Way:  

The team were relentless and were able to exploit Dundee United’s poor structure as the opposition found themselves caught between sitting deep to defend the box and pressing home their numerical advantage.

Rapid play down the right wing led Jota, who’d only completed 62 per cent of his passes and one of his four crosses at this point, to loft a perfectly-aimed ball into the penalty area. It was defended poorly, despite the presence of multiple defenders, and Abada’s good positioning, excellent control and composure to lash the ball home from close range gave Celtic a hard-earned, well-deserved win. 

Celtic Way:

Abada took three shots, totalling 0.93 xG, and set up shots worth 0.49 xG from open play in this match. His ability to move from the wing into dangerous central areas, often arriving on the blindside of defenders, has made him a brilliant attacking threat for Celtic.

He’s also specifically displayed a threat late in games. Although he’s only scored once in the league during the last 15 minutes of matches, he’s been unlucky not to notch more and often gets high xG chances as opponents tire. As the season progresses there’s a chance that Cummings may find that Abada provides him with more late scenes of celebration to enjoy. 

Kyogo Furuhashi v Ferencváros (Oct 19 2021)

Picked by: Kenzie Carse

Celtic B midfielder Kenzie Carse, a member of the Scotland under-19 squad for this month’s Euros qualification group, picked out Kyogo Furuhashi’s beautiful goal against Ferencváros as his favourite.

He’s certainly not alone; this goal was officially selected as the best of the Europa League group stage and it is easy to see why.

Celtic Way:

Carse says that his favourite aspect of the goal was the audacious 50-yard pass by Jota. The Portuguese winger used the space he had in midfield to nudge the ball into just the right spot as he dribbled, displayed incredible vision and then perfect technique to send the ball into the path of Kyogo’s run.

The first touch by Kyogo was a dream and, with his head up, he spotted the keeper’s error in positioning and finished calmly and accurately into the near post. 

Celtic Way:

The goal broke the deadlock in this game after almost an hour and spurred Celtic on to a resounding 2-0 win, with an xG of 3.40 v 0.64. It was also special in that it gave the Hoops their first points in the competition this season after a narrow loss at Real Betis and a tough defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen.

Carse plays a similar role at the base of midfield for Celtic B as Callum McGregor does for the senior team, responsible for both playmaking and breaking up the opposition’s attacks. It is likely he also appreciates some of the elements of this goal that came before Jota’s assist. 

Celtic Way:

Jota actually made a good pass and excellent run early in the move in order to progress from a pressured situation deep in Celtic’s own half into that midfield space.

This was facilitated by Celtic quickly moving into a four-man diamond around the ball, as they often do under Postecoglou in moments of transition, in order to break through the press. For all the focus on the killer pass and perfect strike, this is a special goal for the manner in which it has a balance between calm, deep build-up play and quick, direct play. 

Carse is more than capable of playing through the press to make similar counter-attacking chances himself. Celtic B are due to host Rangers B at Celtic Park on April 12th and these goals and the technique, tactics and sense of occasion displayed in each could prove inspirational for him and his team-mates.