Celtic have qualified for the knockout play-off round off the Europa League with a 4-2 win over Utrecht.
In truth, it was an odd game. In an incredible start, Martin O’Neill’s men were 3-0 up in no time, and it looked to be a foregone conclusion.
But it wasn’t that simple, and after two goals on either side of half-time put Celtic in an edgy position.
But in the end, there was nothing to be worried about. Auston Trusty’s header secured the points, and it’s onto the next round we go.
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A historically explosive start for Celtic
Celtic raced into a 3-0 lead in less than 20 minutes, the first time they have done this in a European competition.
It was an intense, purposeful performance that suffocated Utrecht. In fairness, the visitors didn’t help themselves, with some amateurish defending and a dreadful error by Vasilis Barkas.
But you know what they say, 3-0 can be a dangerous scoreline…
A return to forget for Vasilis Barkas
Barkas picked up where he left off at Celtic Park.
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The Greek goalkeeper became infamous in Celtic’s disastrous closed-doors 2020-21 season, in which he lost his place to both Conor Hazard and Scott Bain after being signed for £5 million.
Now at Utrecht, this was his second time playing in front of a full crowd at Celtic Park. The first, ironically, was as a visiting player for AEK Athens.
His error was characteristic of his time in Glasgow: sloppy, uninspired and calamitous.
A notable drop-off
It was an eerily quiet atmosphere at Celtic Park, with the absence of the Green Brigade still undeniably being felt.
This continued despite the 3-0 advantage, and the Hoops players started getting a second later in their press, and noticeably more sloppy in their passing.
This allowed Utrecht to get back into the game, leading to goals on either side of half-time which saw the Hoops’ lead shrink to just a goal.
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Celtic’s full-backs impress
Kieran Tierney and Colby Donovan may be polar opposites in terms of experience, but they looked equally impressive tonight.
Tierney set up Benjamin Nygren’s opener, and dominated his duels all evening. He is really back showing his best in a Celtic shirt.
For a teenage defender, Donovan’s European performances this season have been immensely promising, perhaps going under the radar.
A trip to Germany or Hungary confirmed
The Hoops will now face Stuttgart or Ferencvaros in the next round.
As we know, Ferencvaros are led by Robbie Keane, who was heavily linked with the Celtic job before Wilfried Nancy’s arrival.
Stuttgart, on the other hand, are a force under highly-rated German boss Sebastian Hoeness. Neither tie would be easy, of course.
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