RB Leipzig midfielder Emil Forsberg has stated that Ange Postecoglou’s side are a ‘fantastic team’ after facing off against the Hoops on Tuesday.
The Swedish international started on the bench during the clash at Parkhead before being introduced to the game on 76 minutes.
However, Forsberg also featured during last week’s fixture between the sides as Leipzig picked up six points from the double-header in Group F.
The 30-year-old’s contribution to the game killed off any hope Celtic had after he scored to put his side 2-0 up with just six minutes to play.
Although the Bundesliga side ran out winners, thanks to late strikes from Forsberg and Timo Werner, it didn’t tell the whole context of the game.
Once again, Ange Postecoglou’s side put in a strong showing against a top European side but were left to rue missed opportunities, which has very much been the story of Celtic’s group stage campaign.
Speaking in the aftermath of the 2-0 win, Forsberg provided his assessments and thoughts on how Celtic performed across both games.
The 76-time capped international was full of praise for Postecoglou and his players, as he stated that Leipzig were up against a ‘fantastic team’.
He said [Glasgow Evening Times]: “It wasn’t easy for us.”
“They are a fantastic team, and they play well, making good chances. In these kinds of games, it’s important they score when they get those chances against good teams.
“I think Celtic are a really good team. They have some fantastic players in the midfield and at the back. I think they play some really good one-two combinations. That impressed me a lot.
“Also, the way they did that in the last third. But against us, they didn’t have the ability to score. Like I said, they need that finishing touch a little bit more. But I am sure it will come.”
Before facing off against Celtic in the Champions League, Forsberg was well aware of the club and the stadium he would be playing in.
Alongside stories from his good friend and former Celtic hero, Mikael Lustig, the midfielder was also a big fan of his fellow countryman Henrik Larsson growing up.
Leipzig’s number 10 opened up on his Celtic connections, revealing what he had been told beforehand by Lustig.
When asked about Larsson, he said: “I bet he’s scored some beauties in this stadium, yes? It was a nice one for me, and I was very happy. It came from some very good play from us.
He continued: “It was amazing (playing at Celtic Park). We said it before the game that it would be so, and it was. I’m a good friend with Mikael Lustig, and he told me a lot about it. So, it was a pleasure to come here and play before such amazing fans.”
Celtic making an impression on their UCL opponents; it is now time to learn from that and turn it into points.
Although Celtic have picked up just one point so far in this group, their performances across the four games have deserved more.
Several players from Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk have praised the Hoops for their performance. But ultimately, the most important thing in this competition is picking up points.
So, it is crucial that we learn from our experience of this group stage in order to become an even better side under Ange Postecoglou.
That must start in our final two group games of the competition, as we take on Shakhtar Donetsk at Celtic Park before heading to Spain for an extremely tough test against Real Madrid.
In other news, Celtic announce post-Madrid 2022 AGM date.
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