SEAD HAKSABANOVIC insists Celtic’s firing squad need to put in some extra work as the winger reflected on the near-miss at St Johnstone – and looked forward to the visit of RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
The misfiring Hoops had 75 per cent of the play at McDiarmid Park, but had to rely on an own goal from Andy Considine and a stoppage-time effort from Giorgos Giakoumakis to claim a 2-1 victory.
Perth keeper Remy Matthews wasn’t exactly overworked, despite the visitors’ dominance and should have been picking the ball out of his net after only eight minutes following some good work by Alexandro Bernabei and Filipe Jota on the left to set up a marvellous opportunity for the unguarded Liel Abada.
OFF TARGET…Liel Abada hits a close-range shot straight at St Johnstone keeper Remy Matthews.
Unfortunately, the Israel international winger managed to miss the target completely with a wayward finish that saw the ball fly harmlessly into the crowd.
Amazingly, Abada has been firing blanks since his double in the 4-0 win over Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox side on September 3 and he passed up another excellent opportunity in the second-half after being released by a superb pass from Haksabanovic.
He displayed a worrying lack of composure of confidence and composure to hit his shot off Matthews and another chance was lost.
The impressive Haksabanovic worked diligently for the 81 minutes he was on the pitch before being replaced by James McCarthy.
The Sweden-born Montenegro international raider played a major role in the breakthrough goal three minutes from the turnaround when he raced onto a clever reverse pass from Reo Hatate to drive the ball towards the near post where Abada was lurking.
PEEK-A-BOO…Sead Haksabanovic is almost obscured by the post as Andy Considine deflects his low ball behind keeper Remy Matthews for the opening goal in Perth.
Desperate defender Considine got there first to bullet the ball beyond his own keeper, but the hosts looked to have earned a point in the third minute of stoppage time when Alex Mitchell was ludicrously afforded space in the packed penalty area following an Ali Crawford free-kick.
Too many performers in green and white hoops failed to respond quickly enough to the danger and the Saints centre-back stuck the ball past the stranded Joe Hart, who had earlier been forced into a brilliant diving save to deny Stevie May.
It was down to Giorgos Giakoumakis to claim the points-clincher a minute from the end when he turned in a sweeping low left-wing cross from Bernabei.
Haksabanovic, the summer arrival from Rubin Kazan, said: “It would have been extremely frustrating if we hadn’t won because we had a lot of chances that we didn’t score from. That last goal made us feel joy and relief.
“After training, though, we need to stay and do extra on shooting and finishing.
FOR MY NEXT TRICK…Sead Haksabanovic displays his skills to St Johnstone defensive double-act Liam Gordon and Ryan McGowan.
“No matter who we play, we feel we are going to make chances, but we should have made this game 3-0 earlier and then just played it out. You have to be really clinical at Champions League level.
“That is why I am saying we maybe have to stay behind in training. All of us. We need to focus on finishing and everything like that, so that when we do get chances, we are 100 per cent that we are going to score.”
Looking at the Champions League challenge that will be presented by the Bundelsiga outfit, 3-1 victors in last week’s encounter between the clubs, Haksabanovic, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “I’d say we can win – 100 per cent.
“We are playing at home, the fans are going to give us that amazing atmosphere and it is going to feel so good.
“If we go out and give 100 per cent and believe in ourselves, we have a chance. We made chances in Germany, so we are capable.”
The crocked Callum McGregor will be missing, of course, and the new Bhoy added: “He is a big piece of the team, on and off the pitch, but I know he is going to be there for us.
“He will be there to cheer us, but we have to show we can play without him, as well.”
LAST-GASP GIAKOUMAKIS IS GLORY BHOY
