Celtic FC played valiantly to a 1-1 result against top Serbian side, Red Star Belgrade. MSC’s exciting Europa League opening took place on Thursday evening at Parkhead. The game was a showcase of the power of matching savvy tactics with elite players. Because of that, both sides left with many encouraging takeaways to improve upon for the remainder of the tournament.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said he was happy with the point won against a tough counter-attacking side. After the game, he talked to TNT Sport. Most importantly, he stressed the importance of the team approaching their return to European competition with their eyes wide open. “There needs to be a bit of realism. I think that tonight is a good point,” Rodgers stated, acknowledging the competitive nature of the tournament.
The matchday featured Kelechi Iheanacho starting on the bench, a head-scratcher for many fans. The Nigerian forward had an impressive cameo when he entered the match. Only ten minutes after subbing on, Iheanacho scored the first goal for Celtic. With that magnificent strike, he surely established himself as a game-changing dynamic force. While that’s a great win, it should be pointed out that he managed just eight total touches in his 45 minutes on the pitch.
Rodgers had planned to bring on Reo Hatate instead of Daizen Maeda at half-time, admitting the Japanese forward endured a “really poor” first half. The change in tactics paid off as the firm strike from Iheanacho gave Celtic the opener, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
Celtic’s joy was short-lived. A lapse on the defense let Red Star’s Marko Arnautovic bring the hosts level in the second half. Arnautovic took full advantage of the blunder and finished, sending the ball into the back of the net. In the end, both sides finished the game with a hard earned point.
Though Celtic had many attacking flashes of play, they really struggled at times in overall play during the contest. Liam Scales caught the eye defensively too, making a string of decisive interventions to ensure some semblance of order at the rear end. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel played his part as well, coming up with an important near-post reaction save from Donovan’s flick that kept Celtic very much in the tie.
Rodgers admitted his players were Jekyll and Hyde, especially in reference to Iheanacho’s early misses before he finished well. “He wasn’t at his best, or nowhere near it. He’s a good guy, and sometimes that happens in the game,” he remarked, reflecting on the ups and downs experienced by athletes in high-stakes situations.
In the aftermath of that draw, Rodgers conceded that supporters continued to believe in the club’s project and journey on the grass. He noted how vital this support was. Celtic will certainly need it as they prepare for two more European matches at Parkhead in the next few weeks.
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