Young Boys goalkeeper Marvin Keller has arrogantly responded to questions about his save from Arne Engels’ missed penalty last night at Celtic Park.
Keller was awarded Man of the Match last night by UEFA post-match; however, his performance wasn’t enough to stop a Celtic win, with his teammate Loris Benito ultimately putting the ball into an empty net after Keller had saved an Adam Idah strike in the 86th minute.
The 22-year-old did impress in goal; however, whether that was more down to Celtic being slightly wasteful in the final third is up for debate.
Celtic did have a number of goals ruled out for offside, with Kyogo’s timing of his runs slightly early. Keller was certainly tested, with the Hoops dominating for the majority of the first half in what was a positive start to the game, though lacking clinical finishing in the final third.
However, Keller did have one huge moment in the game in the 41st minute when Arne Engels stepped up to take a penalty after a foul on Greg Taylor in the box. The Belgian midfielder, who is renowned for his composed penalties, was unable to convert this time, with his stop-start run-up helping the Swiss goalkeeper decide what side to dive.
Keller said: (The Celtic Way), “We had done our analysis of their penalty taker with the goalkeeping coach.
“So I knew where he was going to put the ball before he took the penalty.”
For a 22-year-old, Keller certainly doesn’t lack confidence, and that was clear to see with how he dealt with the occasion at Celtic Park.
However, the lesson is clearly there for Engels to learn from: don’t be as predictable from the spot. He does often strike right into the bottom corner or high into the net, but last night it was a tame penalty, and given his reaction to the miss, it was clear to see that he will learn from this.
Engels himself is just 21 years old and already taking penalties for the Hoops, which shows the confidence and proven ability he has at such an early age. With such a hefty price tag, he doesn’t shy away from taking set pieces or getting on the ball, which is exactly what supporters like to see from Celtic’s club-record signing.
