Celtic have been quite impressive with their recruitment over the years. The Scottish champions are scouting outside Europe and have brought in some notable players from Asia. The J-League has been the main scouting ground for the team. This season, there is a new manager and some new faces on the team. One of them is the Australian forward Marco Tilio, who played for Melbourne City in the Australian A-League.
The 22-year-old forward was signed on a long-term deal until 2028. Celtic lost their key player Jota to Al-Ittihad in the transfer window and had the budget to bring in a few players. Tilio comes in with a reputation for scoring goals. Let’s take a look at his stats from the previous season that show why the Scottish Premiership giants decided to buy him.
An option on either flank
Marco Tilio has yet to showcase his talent in front of the Celtic fans. His ability to play on either flank is what everyone will be waiting to see. A decent goal scorer, Tilio also possesses the ability to create a few goals for his teammates.
Tilio likes to run with the ball and was involved in 4.5 progressive runs per 90 minutes. He attempted around seven dribbles per match and was successful 57.6% of the time. By looking at the above viz, it can be observed that the player has made a few diagonal runs into the box, and this can easily create a goal-scoring chance.
Marco Tilio is young and has the confidence to beat the opposition’s defence. Last season, he won 34 fouls for his team and won two of them inside the opposition penalty box. This ability to win free kicks for his side will be an asset, especially after coming off the bench.
The end product
Brendan Rodgers will demand goals from his new signing. He comes in with a decent reputation for scoring goals. The youngster netted 10 goals in the Australian A-League in 2022–23. At an average of 2.57 shots per 90 minutes, the player attempted 64 shots and had a 43.8% accuracy rate. The 22-year-old was accurate with the shots he attempted from inside the penalty box. His shots from outside the box were either blocked or were off target.
The ability of the player to make progressive runs and box-penetrating runs allowed him to provide four assists last season. Tilio often found a chance to deliver some low crosses into dangerous areas around the six-yard box. This is one of the abilities of the player on which Rodgers will heavily rely.
Marco Tilio has yet to taste the experience of European football. This could be a tough challenge for this young Aussie. His stats and play style show that Tilio could be a hit for the Scottish champions. He has the confidence to run at defence, and Celtic likes to attack. Tilio will look to get into action as soon as possible.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
