CELTIC 3 RB LEIPZIG 1
THERE was no need for pyrotechnics to light up Parkhead tonight.
An inspired Celtic team produced a brilliant illuminating show in the east end of Glasgow as the stadium rocked to a double blast from rocket man Nicolas Kuhn with Reo Hatate chipping in with a deserved third.
Everyone was a hero as the Hoops propelled their points tally to seven in the Champions League while thumping in an inpressive eight goals in two home games.
RB Leipzig, second in the Bundesliga, went the way of Slovan Bratislava, walloped 5-1, as Brendan Rodgers’ men turned on a masterclass against top quality opponents.
And, ironically, it was Kuhn, who spent three years in the German club’s academy, who was the dazzling star of the show on a night to remember for the hosts and their fans.
BLAST-OFF…Nicolas Kuhn celebrates one of his double against RB Leipzig.
The tie exploded to life right from the kick-off and Arne Engels almost scored in only 50 seconds after Hatate and Daizen Maeda had combined on the left to fashion an opportunity for the Belgian.
The midfielder struck the ball first-time from 10 yards, but the drive was blocked and hastily cleared by the relieved Bundesliga side’s defence.
The encounter sizzled along at a breakneck pace, but the visitors weathered the early storm and began knocking the ball around as they tried to dictate the pace and play.
The Hoops were caught on their heels as they chased into defensive areas while their opponents probed with menace.
Unfortunately, RB Leipzig were allowed to take the lead in the 22nd minute after a series of mistakes from the hosts.
Auston Trusty was careless with a pass out of defence that was seized upon and the ball was worked to Lois Openda on the left.
He whipped in a low shot that looked to be heading wide of Kasper Schmeichel’s right-hand post, but the keeper got down to get the final touch.
Kevin Kampl fired in the resultant left-wing corner-kick and Engels headed away for another corner.
On this occasion, Kampl’s near-post effort skidded off the top of Cameron Carter-Vickers’ head, flew across the six-yard line and found Christophe Baumgartner totally unmarked to knock a header into the inviting net.
It was a dreadful goal to lose after a sequence of unforced errors.
Suddenly, RB Leipzig sensed this could be their night and enjoyed a good period of possession play as Celtic toiled to get back into the contest.
Thankfully, with Callum McGregor working overtime in the middle of the park, the champions battled their way back into contention and they received their reward when Kuhn lit up Celtic Park with a stunning equaliser in the 35th minute.
Alistair Johnston got the move into gear with a neat pass out to Engels on the right. The Belgian skilfully flicked the ball round a defender and Kuhn swept onto the pass.
The tricky, darting winger had looked in the mood against his compatriots from the off and he transfixed them again as he teased his way across the box to take the ball to his left foot.
From 20 yards, the exciting attacker curled a breathtaking effort that eluded the frantically-diving Peter Gulasci on its way into the far corner of the net.
It was a thing of beauty as Parkhead erupted in appreciation.
Three minutes later, Kuhn set up Maeda for what looked a certain second goal, but the Japanese speedster, a hat-trick hero against Aberdeen on Saturday, rushed his shot and fired waywardly over the bar.
But in first-half stoppage-time Kuhn struck again to give Brendan Rodgers’ men the advantage.
On this occasion, the Hoops did the damage on the left as they scrapped for possession and Hatate put in a pass that was helped on by Greg Taylor.
Maeda had a fresh-air swipe of the ball and it fell nicely for Kuhn to whip a close-range drive past the helpless keeper for a second time.
Nine minutes after the turnaround, Schmeichel produced a superb diving save to his right as he beat away a blistering 20-yard drive from Benjamin Susko after a rare error from Carter-Vickers.
Celtic’s reply was to take the game by the scruff of the net and Gulasci denied Hatate with a spectacular dive to his left to push a shot away from a corner-kick.
In the 67th minute, Kyogo walloped an effort over the bar and a minute later Rodgers introduced Alex Valle and Paulo Bernardo to the action as they replaced Taylor and Engels.
Schmeichel made another dramatic save in the 71st minute as he swooped to his left to deny Baumgartner and 60 seconds later the stadium celebrated in joyous bedlam once again as the Hoops notched a third.
McGregor sparked an eye-catching sequence of passing when he broke up a German raid and the ball was shuttled around before Johnston passed to Kuhn, took the return on the right and rattled in a low cross.
Gulasci couldn’t hold the dangerous cross and spilled the ball to Hatate who thundered the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Two minutes later, Carter-Vickers and Kuhn were removed with Liam Scales and Yang Hyun-jun coming on and in the 82nd minute Adam Idah joined the green party when he replaced Kyogo.
The game came to a close with Maeda flashing a shot into the net from close-in, but the winger had strayed just offside.
However, no-one was compaining at the completion of an evening when Celtic proved conclusively they deserve to mix among the elite.
TEAM: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers (sub: Scales 74), Trusty, Taylor (sub: Valle 68); Engels (sub: Bernardo 68), McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn (sub: Yang 74), Kyogo, Maeda.
