Betfred Cup: Two things that went wrong for Morelos against Celtic

Celtic maintained their dominance in Scottish football by bagging the Betfred Cup recently. In the final against arch-rivals Rangers, the Hoops did struggle to get things going but in the end, luck was on their side and they won their 19th league cup title.

Unfortunately for Steven Gerrard and his men, all their hard work went in vain. Despite being hot on Celtic’s trails as far as challenging for the Scottish Premiership title is concerned, the Gers failed to deliver the results when it mattered.

That game laid bare Alfredo Morelos’ weaknesses. The Colombian striker has been a force to reckon with for the Ibrox-based outfit but he cut a sorry figure on the pitch.

Rangers created a lot of chances and had several opportunities to take the game by the scruff of the neck but Morelos’ ineffective performance prevented that from ever happening. With that in mind, here are the two major things that went horribly wrong for Morelos.

The Celtic jinx

Although Morelos is capable of tearing down opponents singlehandedly, for some reason, he has struggled to replicate that form against the Hoops. The Betfred Cup final marked his 11th game against Celtic in which he is yet to find the back of the net. And this does not bode well for Gerrard, considering Rangers’ lofty ambitions in recent times.

Over time, Morelos has established his reputation as one of the best players in Scotland but his attitude and mentality during big games remain questionable. If the Gers are to end Celtic’s dominance, they must find a striker who can score goals against them without freezing.

Indication of a selfish streak?

Fraser Forster put in a brilliant shift between the sticks and denied Morelos on numerous occasions throughout the game. But what truly stood out was the fact that Morelos was more than capable of providing assists for his teammates in certain situations and yet, he chose not to.

And to make matters worse, the shots he took did nothing to quell Rangers’ growing desperation. The penalty attempt was a defining moment and Morelos certainly blew that chance.