Celtic put on a show for their fans in the Champions League in midweek.
This was Brendan Rodgers’ side in full flow and perhaps one of the best displays you will see from the champions of Scotland.
Celtic fully deserved their win over RB Leipzig, especially given that they were, at the time, sitting second in the Bundesliga.
Even though the Bhoys fell a goal behind, they still claimed all three points and did it by entertaining those inside Parkhead.
The equalising goal was a stunning curling effort from Nicolas Kuhn, and then just before half-time, the same man was scoring from close range to put his team ahead.
It all came about after Celtic pressed Leipzig in their own defensive third, Reo Hatate won the ball back, and moments later, Kuhn was wheeling away in celebration.
It seems as though the Bhoys had a few interesting parties watching on in the form of David Moyes and Roy Keane, as they discussed.
David Moyes and Roy Keane discuss teams playing out from the back after watching Celtic
It has been a while since Roy Keane was in the dugout as a first-team manager, but David Moyes just recently left his post at West Ham United in the summer.
It’s fair to say that the game has changed a lot since Keane and Moyes first started their managerial careers, with teams insistent on playing out from the back, regardless.
Moyes explained that playing out from the back might also depend on ‘the quality of the players’ of the opposition, as he highlighted and praised Celtic’s ‘pressing’ against Leipzig.
But Keane looked towards the negative side and stated that it was ‘absolute madness’ that Leipzig were trying to beat players from the edge of their box just before half-time, as he told the Overlap.
“I don’t think anyone has a problem with Manchester City doing it because they are brilliant at it,” said Keane. “But when you see the other teams, and getting caught! You obviously lose it high up the pitch and then some teams, you are in on goal. That’s the issue I have.
“If teams can do it, then I love it. But, for me, the madness. You must come in as a staff on Monday morning and go ‘lad’s we lost again’. Someone must go, ‘Why do we keep playing out from the back when we get caught constantly and you are constantly under pressure'”
Moyes then added: “A lot will depend on the quality of players. I watched Celtic and I thought the players they had, several of them Japanese players, were fantastic at their pressing.”
Keane then referred to how Celtic got their second goal against Leipzig: “Weren’t they encouraged though by the opposition? That would be my point. Encouraged by the opposition taking the ball, a minute before half-time and they are giving the ball away. They are trying to beat players literally on the edge of the box. They lose a goal. it’s madness. Absolute madness.”
Celtic’s Champions League standing after win over RB Leipzig
It wasn’t so long ago that Celtic were conceding seven goals to Borussia Dortmund and fans were fearing the worst.
Yet, fast forward to the present and there is a bit of optimism in the air because the players have reacted brilliantly to that nightmare performance.
Celtic are looking strong in their Champions League standings, sitting 15th, only two points off sixth-placed Barcelona and three points off second-placed Sporting Lisbon.
What’s even better is that they have winnable games around the corner, starting with a home clash against Club Brugge after the international break and then a trip to Croatia to take on Dinamo Zagreb.
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