Brendan Rodgers urged Celtic supporters to avoid using pyrotechnics during RB Leipzig's visit, using his pre-match media duties for the plea. The fireworks on the field, however, were perfectly fine as Rodgers and his team delivered a performance that the manager had longed for since returning for his second Celtic tenure. Celtic now find themselves in a thrilling Champions League position, having defeated the team that sits second in the Bundesliga, a feat that belies years of struggles at this level. Rodgers was fully justified in celebrating. Celtic are demonstrating that they can thrive in a more competitive environment, a testament to their manager.
Leipzig's performance was subdued. Nonetheless, it would be unfair not to highlight Celtic's role in that. The hosts attacked with patience and purpose, defending comfortably. This performance will rank among Celtic's finest in recent European history. Leipzig had no response, appearing defeated long before the final whistle.
Celtic's season has been marked by extremes. They were outstanding in demolishing Slovan Bratislava and holding Atalanta scoreless. They also trounced Aberdeen 6-0 in a League Cup semi-final. However, they suffered a harrowing 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund and squandered a 2-0 lead against Aberdeen in the league. Rodgers knew which version of his team he wanted to see and believed they could play freely; securing four points from three matches and facing favorable fixtures put them in a strong Champions League position.
Celtic started with confidence, suggesting they had no fear of playing at this level. Leipzig, surprisingly, were subdued for a team that had lost three out of three before arriving in Glasgow. The Germans soon benefited from generous Celtic defending at a corner. Kevin Kampl's inswinging delivery was dangerous, with Cameron Carter-Vickers inadvertently flicking the ball on. Christoph Baumgartner headed past Kasper Schmeichel, with Carter-Vickers' teammates flat-footed. Loïs Openda nearly scored from another Kampl corner shortly after. Antonio Nusa missed a clear chance, shooting high and wide.
Celtic's early promise seemed in vain until Nicolas Kühn restored parity. Kühn, recently an outstanding performer, floated a superb shot into Peter Gulacsi's net via a post. Gulacsi was completely deceived. Critics suggested Kühn intended to cross, which felt unfair at the time. It was a special moment for Kühn, a former Leipzig youth player.
An even better moment came in first-half stoppage time. Leipzig's attempt to play out from defense resulted in chaos. Reo Hatate's cross was helped on by Greg Taylor, and Kühn, standing alone, slammed the ball past Gulacsi. Celtic had a lead they barely believed but fully deserved.
Hatate missed a chance to score a third, but what mattered more to Rodgers was that Leipzig applied minimal pressure by the hour mark. Marco Rose turned to his bench, introducing Yussuf Poulsen and Eljif Elmas to bolster Leipzig's attack. By the second half, Schmeichel had only been tested by a long-range attempt from Benjamin Sesko. The replacements briefly sparked Leipzig, but Schmeichel made a great save to deny Baumgartner.
A blunder by Gulacsi gave Celtic breathing room. Alistair Johnston's low cross should not have troubled the Leipzig goalkeeper, but he inexplicably spilled the ball to Hatate, who made no mistake. Little suggested Leipzig could respond. Celtic remained largely on the front foot. Few could have predicted the seven-point gap in Celtic's favor after four matches. That position looks entirely justified.
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
