Celtic legend: Kolo Toure vital against Barcelona

Celtic legend Chris Sutton believes Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure will play a vital role in the Scottish side’s match against Barcelona this evening. Celtic will face a daunting task in their UEFA Champions League group stage opener as they head to the Nou Camp to take on the Spanish giants in their first Group B clash.

Toure has enjoyed a good start to his career with Celtic, having been brought to Glasgow by manager Brendan Rodgers, who worked with the player at Liverpool. Sutton has been impressed by the Ivory Coast defender’s performances in the famous green and white shirt, and believes his experience will be vital against a Barca team packed with impressive attacking talent.

“We have all sat and watched the games over the last couple of seasons and Celtic have been picked off defensively against opposition who aren’t as good as they’re going to play this season”, Sutton told the Herald Scotland.

“Brendan Rodgers obviously had to come in and make changes defensively, bringing in Toure with his experience and I still think he has enough pace.

“I think in the Be’er Sheva game [Champions League qualifiers] he was one player who came out of that with any credit.

“We all know what’s going to happen in the Nou Camp in terms of Barcelona controlling possession; they’re not a team that’s going to load balls in the box from wide areas they are going to try to play through.

“It’s important that they have an organiser at the back and that’s what Toure was brought in for, essentially.”