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Magnificent Celtic take thriller

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

What a game of football!  It takes two teams to entertain as thoroughly, so credit to the losers.  RB Leipzig worked their way into the game, took an early lead and threatened to put the match out of sight through corner kicks alone.  But so much more credit to the winners.

Celtic were magnificent.  We have seen one or two more impressive results this century, but the general consensus walking out of Celtic Park last night, was that perhaps only the 2-0 win over Lyon in 2003 was as impressive a performance.  Perhaps.

Celtic opened well and found angles to move the ball around the Leipzig defence from the off.  The visitors tried to pass through the high Celtic block but our setup was different than it was in Dortmund on matchday two.

Lopsided

Out of possession, Daizen Maeda drifted infield, often leaving Leipzig’s €18m summer signing, Geertruida in 20 yards of space.  It looked dangerous, but as the game progressed it was clear that Leipzig prefer to build down their left.  Daizen playing infield stifled their ability to progress the ball and he was able to make up the ground whenever Leipzig switched play.

This enabled Celtic to press 25 yards from the Leipzig goal without the vulnerabilities we saw earlier in the campaign.

Leipzig opened the scoring after a short period of possession, gained when Auston Trusty misplaced a pass.  The 10 minutes which followed their opener was littered by similar mistakes throughout the midfield and defence.  Celtic were rattled and at this stage, could have seen the game slip from them.

Arne Engels played a ‘round the corner’ pass to Nicolas Kuhn, who drifted past two defenders and set for a shot from outside the box.  Too far out, surely?

Yesterday, a friend noted that goals change games and if two years ago against Real Madrid, Callum McGregor’s strike against the post had gone in, we may have earned a result.

Kuhn’s swerving shot struck that same post on 35 minutes, but this time, the ball fell into the net.  Celtic were level and Leipzig had a game on their hands.

Reo Hatate was magnificent throughout but on two occasions he played forward passes which deserved a scoring outcome.  With the game level he threaded a ball right through the middle of the Leipzig formation for Daizen Maeda to run onto.  Daizen shot first time from 25 yards before the keeper was set, but failed to find the target.  Later in the game, Reo’s raking 60 yard pass with the outside of his foot, swerved around the Leipzig defence before finding Kyogo.  Goodness, what a pass.

In an echo of football in a former era, Kyogo dribbled past two defenders to make space for a shot inside the box, but a third managed to get a block to turn it behind.  As halftime approached, Celtic continued to press and a great passing move saw Alistair Johnston free in the box; his left foot shot was saved.

The Celtic press was in full fight now.  With seconds remaining before  the break, five Celtic players cornered Leipzig on the right side of their box.  Kyogo was knocked to the ground but the pivotal moment of the game had arrived.  Reo Hatate hit the byline, looked up and saw Greg Taylor point to space along the line.

Taylor collected and smashed a low cross into the six-yard box, where Daizen Maeda replicated his fresh air shot, so successful in a recent League Cup Final.  The ever-alert Kuhn beat everyone to the loose ball to put Celtic ahead.

Celtic could have extended their lead several times before Reo Hatate got the goal his play deserved on 72 minutes.  Kuhn rolled a no-look pass into space for Johnston to fire another low cross into the box.  All Gulacsi in the Leipzig goal could do was halt its progress for Reo to pounce and fire high into the net.

Brendan Rodgers managed the final quarter of the game through assiduous use of substitutions.  Valle and Bernardo for Taylor and Engels, then Scales and Yang for Carter-Vickers and Kuhn, finally Idah for Kyogo.  Every change reenergised Celtic. There was no weakness, no dropping off.  It was the perfect performance.

The evidence is substantial, this is the best Celtic team since at least 2012.

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  3. boondock saint on

    BRRB,

     

    Yes I did , just in time to see my students in their trump shirts:((((

     

    Sitting here trying to watch as many highlights of the game and celebrations as possible.

     

    Sean

  7. Gene on

    Bada

     

    Thought they might have gone for an evening ko as it’s not a holiday in England.

     

    I see tye Dundee derby is an evening game

  9. dessybhoy on

    Those highlights of Celtic were dreadful dont even think Martin Tyler was at the game, dubbed commentary and linked to some play, rubbish.

  16. nottaclue1 on

    bigrailroadblues, regarding the patriot game earlier.

     

     

    Saw the Bluebells last week in my home town. They had a version on their album, Hun I worked with at the time threw it away when he heard that song :)

  21. spikeysauldman on

    mncelt

     

     

    why would a woman of colour congratulate a racist, misogynistic imbecile ? that said, the democrats got what they deserved for their lead role in genocide including harris.

  22. ziggydoc1 on

    bournesouprecipe on 6th November 2024 1:52 pm

     

    ZIGGYDOC1

     

     

    UEFA restricted seating due to advertising boards has been in existence since Celtic first competed in the CL in the rebuilt stadium. The seats visible and empty are in the first three rows and season ticket holders are relocated for these games.

     

    _____

     

    👍 Sounds crazy.

  23. hankray on

    Atalanta just 3 points off top spot in serie A with a game in hand, Leipzig in second place in Bundesliga and we take four points off two of the best teams in Europe, still plenty to do but Celtic are well on their way to qualification for the next phase.

     

     

    Both teams had dominant spells in the early stages and once Celtic survived the early patch after concession of that goal and Kuhn replied with that brilliant score of the night the Germans took a drubbing and were lucky not to concede four or five.

     

     

    The skill, grit , and most of all the sheer courage of the players in effecting many intricate passing movements in tight situations was a joy to watch and I’ve always believed Celtic are dangerous when they get the ball to our pacey attack. Like the match in Bergamo I had total confidence in the squad players when introduced.

     

     

    A straight10 for Kuhn and a definite 9 for the rest of the lads.

  24. bigrailroadblues on

    Nottaclue1 4.37

     

    Must admit to being unaware of it until An Tearmann sent me it. I’m presuming it’s about the Easter Rising/Tan War. Any idea who wrote it?

  25. dessybhoy on

    Let’s see what Trump does now, he has said he will bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine but refused to say how, will he tell Ukraine to do a land deal for peace or say nothing to do with the US stop funding the war , will he be committed to membership of NATO? He has won the Presidential election and the Israeli government in the shape of Netanyahu is ecstatic. Personally I just see his grievances against everyone he has one with dominating this Presidency, hopefully he cannot change their constituition to get more than this 2nd term.

  26. Tontine Tim on

    SPIKEYSAULDMAN on 6TH NOVEMBER 2024 5:05 PM

     

    mncelt

     

     

    why would a woman of colour congratulate a racist, misogynistic imbecile ? that said, the democrats got what they deserved for their lead role in genocide including harris.

     

     

    *after Brexit I was talking to an acquittance who lives in the home counties and suggested that the vote was more of a racist one than economic, to which they agreed, that suggestion was aired on one of the chat shows this morning, later on I heard another opinion that America had went strongly Caucasian yesterday, a bit too late as it seems its their last hurrah unless he does deport the millions of Latino’s that he has promised to do and revert the country to the waspish one it was for many years.

  27. Darwin on

    If last night means that we can now not only survive but thrive in this new fangled CL format, and with this manager and squad I think it does; then we have to be there regularly. The financial rewards, kudos and magical occasions like last night mean this is where we want to live.

     

     

    I hope Hearts and the Ibrox club can win this week and further boost our co-efficient. We are up to position thirteen after last night; very possible that we can climb higher during this current campaign. We are on a different trajectory to the Govan team therefore so what if they win another couple of Europa games.

     

     

    Our thoughts turn now to Kilmarnock and all things plastic. The group will be buzzing so let’s enjoy the four day break and sign off for the pesky international hiatus with another top performance and three more points ‘in the bag’ HH

  29. An Tearmann on

    BRRB thanks for posting The patriot game.

     

     

    To cqns recrudescent quisling at 12.57

     

    reappearing with your noted divisive poison as per usual,you steer nothing.

     

     

    You are you not happy!

     

    Why ever would your post bout Brendan after last night’s in such divisive terms,I know of no Celtic fan,be they of ‘the infestation’ ‘these people’ or from the dining club in Main Stand who did not have reservations,

     

     

    ‘Those who bring pyro and political protest

     

     

    Firstly you,being a confused unionist do not understand Celtic by its very being and existence is a political entity,but when you do not believe Irish Catholics do not suffer from institutional bias and racism in Scotland(even when your recrudescent disease campaigned here(as JHB) stating our community would be wiped out,ironically needing the cover of the same union who our founders escaped Genocide from in Ireland

     

    Being a boat chasing Brexiteer(recrudescent outbreak JHB or CLOUD9)you missed the political statement thats right in front of you/on your telly where a child of genocide reads a book

     

     

    https://x.com/NCCeltic/status/1854116045998498276?s=19

     

     

    Maybe the ‘moats’ where on and you with all your swashbuckling sycophancy couldn’t get thro to your grifter

     

     

    You can fu×k right off,our personal baggage is Celtic all the time,we are,and always will be a political entity as a fan base,it’s faux Mrs doubtfires like you that would turn Celtic into Hibs.The fan base or “infestation” as you spew,is there,always there as one of our own Tommy Burns said,

     

    The Celtic management knew in advance of the tifo,you were told yesterday no pyros would be on show in Europe,but you suckled on the ramp up from those who gave us thugs and thieves,take a tablet and lie down and simply be happy at the victory for Celtic without the wifeyness and lectures and pish you just don’t have a clue of.

     

     

    This “wee” I assume are all variants of recrudescent diseases you boak under your range of monikers,good to here all your dualities are happy,unusual.

     

    Don’t worry Tam be happy.hard for a troll tho

  30. Tontine Tim on

    BIGRAILROADBLUES on 6TH NOVEMBER 2024 5:22 PM

     

    Nottaclue1 4.37

     

     

    Must admit to being unaware of it until An Tearmann sent me it. I’m presuming it’s about the Easter Rising/Tan War. Any idea who wrote it?

     

     

     

    *taken from wiki although I could have wrote it myself, incidentally I was in a pub one night when a pal of mine who couldnae care less about us or them came in with a work mate, a we guy I actually knew who was intae the burgeoning folk scene at the time, he had copy of the Clancy’s “Live at Carnegie Hall” album and he was selling it as his da had told him tae get rid of it or he would throw it oot the windae. I think it was more to do with the chant “up the lg ladder and down the short rope, tae hell with king billy and God Bless the Pope”, gave him a 10 bob note for it, that’s’ how long ago that was.

     

     

    The song concerns an incident during the Border Campaign launched by the Irish Republican Army during the 1950s. It was written by Dominic Behan, younger brother of playwright Brendan Behan, to the tune of an earlier folksong, “One Morning in May”. It tells the story of Fergal O’Hanlon, an IRA Volunteer from Monaghan Town, County Monaghan who was killed at the age of 20 in an attack on Brookeborough Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in County Fermanagh on 1 January 1957. The operation was devised and led by Seán Garland, an IRA man from Dublin. Another volunteer, Seán South from Limerick, was also killed during the raid

     

     

    Behan later became close friends with Seán Garland, officiating as the best man at Garland’s wedding. Behan had been involved with the IRA before writing the song, but he did not support the continuing campaign of the IRA at the time, and altered the first verse from his initial lyrics to distance himself from nationalism.

     

     

    The song is one of the best known to emerge from the Irish nationalist struggle and has been popular amongst Nationalists. It has been covered by artists from different traditions such as Harvey Andrews and Christy Moore, who said that British soldiers often requested the song at his gigs. “The Patriot Game” has been recorded by numerous artists, including The Kingston Trio, The Bluebells, The Dubliners, The Wolfe Tones, Schooner Fare, and The Clancy Brothers. It also appears on the Judy Collins LP record Whales and Nightingales. In December 1965 it was performed on Granada Television’s “Opportunity Knocks” by the folk group “The Exiles” to great acclaim by the audience.

     

     

    Should also add that Bob Dylan used the tune for one of his greatest protest songs ‘With God on our Side”

  31. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    In their efforts to re-fight the American Civil War and fight the “Rich men north of Richmond”, they’ve managed to elect a New York Property Millionaire and a Yale Lawyer who sneered at their poverty in his Liar Autobiography -“Hillbilly Elegy” and who is funded by Peter Thiel- an Authoritarian Libertarian, who thinks Capitalism should destroy democracy.

     

     

    All the guns in the world cannot save you from that level of stupidity..

  32. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    BIGRAILROADBLUES on 6TH NOVEMBER 2024 5:22 PM

     

    Nottaclue1 4.37

     

     

    Must admit to being unaware of it until An Tearmann sent me it. I’m presuming it’s about the Easter Rising/Tan War. Any idea who wrote it?

     

     

     

    Written by Dominic Behan brother of Brendan. It was about the Sean South raid in 1956(?) or more accurately the tragedy of young men losing their lives in such circumstances. O’Hanlon, one of the deceased, is mentioned in both songs, Sean South and also The Patriot Game.

  40. mncelt on

    spikeysauldman on 6th November 2024 5:05 pm

     

    mncelt

     

    why would a woman of colour congratulate a racist, misogynistic imbecile ?

     

    ————————-

     

    You’re right, she did come out recently and declare that she wanted to be identified as a woman of color. Yet another attempt to sway voters. I think in any competition, for a loser to acknowledge defeat is a sign of strength, no matter how hard it might be.

  41. Laxalt on

    BRRB@341pm

     

     

    One of my favourite songs so was delighted with the banner at the game last night.

     

     

    The Bluebells were a brilliant band and they imo recorded the best ever version of the song.

     

    The McCluskey bros and Bobby Bluebell were as Celtic daft as much as any of us.

     

    They were advised by family, friends and their record company not to put a picture of big Billy lifting the European Cup on their first album cover and recording The Patriot Game but they insisted because they wanted to be true to themselves.

     

     

    HopewereallyoungatheartCSC

  42. EKBhoy on

    Watching Bruges Villa , pretty even , Villa bunch of torn faced big blokes , Bruges just hit the post.

     

     

    Bruges more skilful , Villa pretty average

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