Celtic maintained their relentless league form on Saturday afternoon, producing a stunning first-half display to dismantle Ross County 5-0 at Celtic Park. The victory marked their 12th league win in 13 games this season, as Brendan Rodgers’ men continued to set the standard in the Scottish Premiership.

With five goals scored before the interval, Celtic could easily have added more after the break in a comprehensive performance. However, it wasn’t just the margin of victory that caught the eye at the weekend – it was the nature of the performance, especially given the six changes Rodgers made to the team that faced Club Brugge last Wednesday in the Champions League.

Remarkably, five of those six changes found their way onto the scoresheet, with Luke McCowan – making his first start in over a month – stealing the show with a goal and three assists. Celtic’s strength in depth was on full display with Liam Scales another who delivered a standout performance.

The Republic of Ireland international wasted no time making an impact on his return to the starting lineup, powering home a header from McCowan’s corner to open the scoring ten minutes in. He later returned the favour with an inch-perfect lofted pass that allowed McCowan to double Celtic’s lead.

Slotting seamlessly back into the defensive line alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers, Scales proved his value at both ends of the park as Celtic also made it 10 out of 13 in terms of league clean sheets.

In this article, we take a closer look at Scales’ performance, breaking down his standout moments and key statistics from Celtic’s commanding victory...

Setting the tone from the start    

As mentioned, it didn’t take Scales long to make his impact on the game by opening the scoring ten minutes in. However, the former Shamrock Rovers defender had already set the tone with a composed and purposeful start that embodied the aggressive, high-tempo approach Rodgers had called for pre-match.

From the opening whistle, Scales moved the ball with intent, helping Celtic dominate possession and pin Ross County deep in their own half. His ability to anticipate danger and stay proactive in key moments typified Celtic’s bright opening.

An early example came when Scales showed superior awareness and sharpness, beating Noah Chilvers to a loose ball in midfield. With a decisive interception, he directed the ball into Callum McGregor’s path, allowing Celtic to quickly regain control and sustain their attacking pressure in the final third.

Scales continued to impress with his assuredness in possession. Moments later, he received a fizzed pass from James Forrest on the right. The ball came at an awkward height, but Scales controlled it well and maintained Celtic’s attacking rhythm.

In this instance, with a Ross County player pressing aggressively, Scales resisted the temptation to play a safe pass backwards. Instead, he calmly knocked the ball across to Valle on the left, exploiting the space created by Celtic’s overload on the right. Valle, the on-loan Barcelona full-back, capitalised on the switch with a dangerous delivery into the box.

These early moments underlined Scales’ growing composure and ability to positively influence the game on both sides of the ball. His decisiveness and sharp distribution helped establish control and maintain pressure in the early period of the game.

Breaking the deadlock

Scales’ opener was a great example of his aerial ability and growing threat from set-pieces. Ten minutes into the match, Celtic won a corner following a well-worked move. McCowan executed a pinpoint delivery, and Scales, after a clever double movement – initially shifting left before darting toward the front post – shook off his marker and rose highest to power a header past Ross Laidlaw.

The goal set the tone for Celtic's first-half display, highlighting Scales’ ability to make an impact from set-pieces. It was a decisive moment that broke down a County side initially intent on sitting deep and frustrating Celtic, paving the way for a commanding performance.

Scales’ opener on Saturday marked his third goal of the season, equalling his best-ever tally in a Celtic shirt from the 2021/22 campaign. Notably, all three of his goals this season – against Kilmarnock, Slovan Bratislava, and now Ross County – have come from well-executed corner routines that targeted him at the near post.

Turning provider

If his goal highlighted Scales’ aerial prowess, his assist for Celtic’s second goal demonstrated his growing ability on the ball. Picking up possession inside the County half, Scales took one touch to steady himself before spotting McCowan’s run behind the County defence.

With a perfectly weighted lofted pass, Scales bypassed both County’s midfield and back lines to find McCowan, who took a brilliant first touch before spinning to finish past Laidlaw on the angle, albeit with the aid of a slight deflection off the recovering defender. 

The assist exemplified Scales’ increasing confidence in possession. It wasn’t just a hopeful long ball but an incisive, purposeful pass that split the opposition and created a clear-cut opportunity. 

As Alan Morrison recently highlighted, he may not always be the most elegant in possession, but Scales has been setting new standards for ball progression – not only compared to his own previous performances but also relative to Celtic’s other centre-backs in recent seasons. The assist he provided for McCowan on Saturday was an excellent example of this. 

What the data says

Data from StatsBomb data further highlights Scales’ impressive showing on Saturday against Ross County.

Scales was on the ball more than anyone else on the pitch at the weekend, taking 342 touches and completing 147 passes (95 per cent of his 154 total passes attempted. This was above his season average (92 per cent) and also the joint-highest in the Celtic team on the day. Kasper Schmeichel also completed 95 per cent of his passes, while McGregor boasted the highest passing accuracy percentage on Saturday (97 per cent). 

More importantly than volume, as the passing network below highlights, these were pretty effective. His 1.99 xG Chain (a model that attributes the xG value of the final shot to all players involved in the entire possession) was also the highest of any player involved on Saturday. 

The former Aberdeen loanee and Valle produced the highest passing combination between two players at the weekend, with their 40 passes worth an xG Chain value of 1.37. 

Defensively, Scales played his role in helping restrict County to only two attempts on Schmeichel’s goal on Saturday, worth a combined xG of just 0.12. He dealt effectively with whatever The Staggies could muster up in terms of a threat. 

His 80 per cent aerial win rate (12/15) was impressive and above his season average (71 per cent). More often than not, up against Jordan White, one of the SPFL Premiership’s cast of physically imposing centre-forwards, Scales was still able to dominate aerially – White only 54 per cent of his aerial duels (7/13). 

In terms of other defensive metrics, Scales also registered one interception and six clearances (the most of any Celtic player). He did not commit one foul and was not dispossessed once but was dribbled past once. 

Conclusion

Scales has been unfortunate to find himself out of the team in recent weeks, with summer signing Auston Trusty emerging as Brendan Rodgers’ preferred partner for Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of Celtic’s defence. However, the Irishman continues to show why he remains a valuable asset to the squad.

Once a maligned figure, Scales has made significant strides over the last 18 months or so. His performance on Saturday was yet another example of his growth, showcasing his ability to contribute effectively at both ends of the pitch.

While Trusty has impressed alongside Carter-Vickers and earned his place in the starting lineup, Scales’ displays this season suggest he is not far off the level of a £6 million signing with Premier League experience – albeit Trusty’s stint in the English top-flight was with a struggling Sheffield United side.

With Carter-Vickers’ game time still likely to require careful management in the weeks ahead, Scales will undoubtedly remain an important figure, especially during the demanding winter fixture schedule. Saturday’s performance was a timely reminder that he can be more than reliable when called upon.