Celtic went out of the Champions League to a Midtjylland team that found it difficult to keep the ball and struggled to create chances. What they were was more clinical than Celtic up front and sufficiently more secure at the back. The contrast with our experience last night was stark.
For much of the game there was little between Celtic and AZ Alkmaar. The visitors enjoyed the slight majority of possession, completed more passes, came within inches of opening the scoring and really should have narrowed Celtic’s two goal margin with a shot from six yards.
As we found out to our cost in Denmark, all that counts for nought. Football is about two things: putting the ball in the net and stopping your opponents from doing the same. Celtic’s upgrade between the posts, in defence and attack, since facing Midtylland last month, makes them a potent opponent.
After having a shaky start to both halves, Stephen Welsh made it his mission to win every ball in the air. As AZ tried to find a way back into the game, Stephen’s timing and lift repeatedly blocked their progress. Anthony Ralston appeared to arrive from nowhere to clear decisively inside his own six-yard box, then, in the closing moments, humbled his opponent to win a corner kick. Both defenders performed above expectation.
Yet another European qualifier, yet another goal from James Forrest. His deflected shot tilted the balance in Celtic’s favour. Even before Celtic’s 12th minute opener, Joe Hart demonstrated why Celtic agreed to his spectacular wages by extending a foot to turn a shot against the inside of the post. At the time, it felt like a crucial moment in the tie.
I expected AZ to tire going into the latter stages but with around 20 minutes to go they clearly had the upper hand, pressing Celtic back into a tight defensive formation. Having already introduced Odsonne Edouard, Ange Postecoglou introduced Adam Montgomery and James McCarthy to close the game out.
Not only did this work, but it resulted in a chance that really should have put the tie to bed. Another Ralston rake down the right saw Edouard lunge to head a loose ball that was cleared off the line by a defender, only as far as Montgomery, who also saw his header cleared off the line.
A 3-0 margin would have flattered Celtic but not their new idol. Kyogo Furuhashi’s opening goal could not have been scored by any other player at the club. His speed, flight and control made an already good cross from Tom Rogic into a spectacular goal. Three weeks after his arrival, Kyogo looks like the deal of the decade.
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PB
Amazing coincidence that all the uefa delegates, or most of them are from NI when the games are at the bigotdome
All players Unibet except Kent who is 32Red. Washing machine loyal strikes again
so that’s the mechanism TET; the cards awarded in EL games involving newco did not match any of the other clubs last season.
TET
He would probably join in!
Notthebus
Well pointed👏👏
BBC commentating blind.
Full disclosure; we can’t see this game and there is no radio commentary, which is far from ideal.
This is where social feeds and Uefa’s run of play come in handy, so it’s not quite the blind leading the blind.
Oh, and there are no still pictures available either… But we soldier on.
Carrier pigeons from the Govan front?
JACKIEMAC
They never do, they have the devil in their camp.
……………………………….
PB
Aye, for sure
Notthebus- that should be a fine,I was at the Celtic v Artmedia pre match meeting, UEFA delegate was very precise re jersey advertising,measuring sizes etc
Wonder what result JHB wants for the Ibrox team tonight.
CELTIC40ME – thank you.
Ron
You’re a very naughty bhoy 😂😂😂
RON-I wonder what he thinks of the choice of song book there
Surely all strips have to be the same.
Is there not a rule on this
D :)
:))
Oh dear.
D :)
Lundstrum off…looks a find.
Lundsrtem sees red
D :)
Not like Kent who sees 32 Red
D :)
We have 800 fans at Poundland
Obsession by Calvin Klein😅
Now if that was a Scottish ref awards a penalty to the Hun
Boos @ HT at the hate factory – Brilliant.
The Malmo rollercoaster is in motion.
Monkeys sign a player from Huddersfield Town(seemingly la liga heavyweights) for a “undisclosed fee”
Tick Tock Tick Tock !
Booooooooooooo
Huns looking like us last season. Lacking a cutting edge. Shooting from distance poorly and very slow in the press.
Dare I say it……we could be on to something this year….
Penalty against the Hun, referee applying the laws of the game wonder if it could catch on here
Hail Hail
who uses the word “obsession” to describe Celtic supporters that have at least met someone else from the blog.
who allegedly is in attendance at a celtic match and comments on the alleged song book before anything else ?
Is the Big Hoose built on sand Crumbling…Again?
Lundstram off at Ibrox (2 yellows), Bassey booked for diving in box. Huns are not happy. Rangers playing very poorly.
I’m a Givenchy gentleman😚
Posted at 20:4320:43
Post update
Rangers 0-0 Alashkert
Just to make this live-texter’s life even more difficult, the Uefa system appears to be under attack from gremlins, with no updates from any of the eight o’clock kick-offs since the 22nd minute…
———— Thats exactly why I dont pay the Empires Licence fee.
frauds.
BBC should simply ignore any game they are denied access to surely?
Is the Kebt Jersey thing for real? Is the bigot kit man food of the bevvy or something?
Watched a bit of their game, they are one dimensional and whatever confidence some of their key players played with last season isn’t there.
JHB-did you boo to
cmon 2nd Rangers , Scotland needs the co-efficeint points.
SAINT STIVS on 19TH AUGUST 2021 8:52 PM
Oh please grow up!!!
55, 5ft 5 and a half, done all my growing up.
SS – Lonely attention seeking twats do.
D :)
Now if Alashkert were to take the lead………..
:)
It’s a funny old game.
Haven’t read back, but just noticed that both Juranovic and Scales scored away in Europe.