Tounekti’s spot in Celtic’s front three was not the only attacking quandary for O’Neill going into the game.
Camilo Duran had excelled through the middle while Kasper Hogh – another big-money summer signing – was out injured.
But with Hogh fit again, the Dane started at McDiarmid Park and led the line again at Ibrox, with Duran moved out wide.
Both struggled to make an impact and former Rangers man Andy Halliday was scathing in his assessment of Hogh’s performance.
“Kasper Hogh has blown hot and cold for Celtic so far, but he was absolutely freezing today,” Halliday said on Premier Sports.
“On the ball, off the ball – no desire, no willingness to get back and defend for his team.”
After Hogh was brought off on 64 minutes, Duran was deployed through the middle, only to be substituted himself 13 minutes later for Shim Mheuka.
O’Neill also opted to break up the centre-back pairing of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty that had started seven of Celtic’s nine games this season. Kieran Tierney returned at left-back and Liam Scales shifted inside to partner Carter-Vickers.
On-loan Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johstone, who also started at St Johnstone, was perhaps a surprise inclusion given Viljami Sinisalo has kept four clean sheets in his eight appearances this season.
Despite some sharp saves in Perth, the 33-year-old looked rusty at Ibrox, maybe unsurprising given it was just his second competitive appearance since March.
Rangers striker Kevin Kelsy should have scored when Johnstone’s clearance went straight to him early on and Kim Min-Su had an effort cleared off the line by Scales after the four-time England international palmed a cross into his path.
Johnstone spent the rest of the game being goaded by Rangers supporters every time he was on the ball.
“If you’ve been beaten in a game you always think about selection,” manager O’Neill said post-match.
“I’ll think about my own part in proceedings first of all and then we’ll see. I wanted people to experience this atmosphere and they certainly did that today.”
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