3 talking points as Celtic take a step they couldn't with Ange and panto baddy flops on Parkhead glory night
There was to be no stopping Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic as they blew Slovan Bratislava away to record and opening night victory
On a night when Champions League football return to Celtic Park, Brendan Rodgers’ side put on a five-star performance as they blew Slovan Bratislava away in ruthless fashion.
The Hoops were in the mood from the outset but went in at the break having passed up a serious of opportunities in the first-half to put the game out of sight following Liam’s Scales headed 17th minute opener from Arne Engles corner. However, supporters inside a rocking Parkhead needn't have worried for long.
Kyogo Furuhashi made it 2-0 within two minutes of the restart before Arne Engels composed spot-kick gave the Scottish giants some breathing room. A moment of slackness allowed Kevin Wimmer to expertly guide the ball with the outside of his boot beyond Kasper Schmeichel to hand the Slovakians’ a lifeline, but Daizen Maeda and substitute Adam Idah crushed any faint hopes of a comeback.
GlasgowWorld reflects on three burning post-match talking points as Celtic got their European campaign off to a flier and laid down a huge early market of their intentions to progress in Europe’s elite competition...
Celtic find cutting edge
This has been a real cause for concern in recent years. Under Ange Postecoglou, Celtic had shown signs of improvement in the Champions League but were left counting the cost off a glut of missed chances. It was a similar story last season as Brendan Rodgers was left to reflect on another ultimately disappointing early exit.
For a while, some Celtic fans will have had their head-in-hands during the first half last night after a string of glorious opportunity has come and gone after Scales had broken the deadlock. Kyogo was the chief culprit on this occasion, passing up two gilt-edged chances in the opening 45 minutes. Maeda was also wasteful, ballooning one early shot over the bar then heading straight at the keeper from six yards out after finding himself unmarked in the box.
The second half was an entirely different story, though. Kyogo finally got his act together by turning home a brilliant cross from Nicolas Kuhn with his chest, which will help to alleviate some of the pressure on his shoulders. Similarly, Maeda produced a composed finish in the closing stage after rounding off an intricate passing move involving his fellow Japanese countrymen. Adam Idah then came off the bench and scored with virtually his first touch.
Scales silences critics
A lot had been made last season of the Republic of Ireland international not being up to the required standard to help take Celtic to another level in the Champions League. But on this evidence, he looked nerveless and a seasoned campaigner. Of course, Scales will never be the flashiest player on the eye with his rough-and-read appearance and gangly figure, but the timing of his near post header to connect with Engels’ corner and the power he got behind it was impressive.
It wasn’t so long ago that many Celtic fans had already written him off altogether. On the back of a real breakthrough season, the 26-year-old centre half has picked up from where he left off and has thus far kept £6million summer signing Auston Trusty at arms length. Plenty of onlookers would have expected the ex-Sheffield United man to immediately replace Scales and slot in alongside his fellow American Cameron Carter-Vickers. But that hasn’t been the case and Trusty may have to be patient to dislodge Scales from the starting XI on current form.
Weiss plays pantomime villain
Slovan Bratislava captain Vladimir Weiss will have been a familiar name to Celtic fans ahead of kick-off due to his spell at Glasgow rivals Rangers earlier in his career. The Slovakian was well aware of the reception he would receive in Glasgow’s east end. Every touch he took or any time the the left-sided winger was near the ball, Celtic fans let out a chorus of boos. That was to be expected, given his dad and current Slovan head coach revealed in his pre-match media conference that his son remains a huge Gers fan.
And the welcome Weiss got appeared to spook him somewhat. He threw himself into a couple of strong challenges and allowed his marker, Alistair Johnston to get firmly under his skin during the first half. It was the Canadian’s crunching challenge on Weiss after the whistle had already gone that earned Johnston a yellow card. It quickly became apparent who was in charge of that head-to-head.