Magnificent Celtic take thriller

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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