2017-08-16: Celtic 5-0 Astana, European Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 2017 – 2018 | 2017-18 Pictures

Trivia

• Champions League 2017-18, Play-off round, 1st Leg
• A joint-record winning margin and a record home win in the Champions League play-offs for Celtic
• No matter what happens, both teams are guaranteed European football till end of the year (winners in Champions League/losers in Europa League).
• Astana media tell B Rodgers the referee favoured Celtic in last meeting & does he want the same. "I hope so…if it's the same result"
• Celtic played Astana (Kazakhstan) last year, and defeated them at the death to go through.
  The Green Brigade confirmed that the outstanding 150 suspensions of those within their area have now been revoked and the group will return to Celtic Park on Wednesday night for the Astana match.
• Celtic centre-back Erik Sviatchenko has been ruled out of the Champions League play-offs due to injury from match v Rosenborg.
• Two own goals by Astana, so effectively, Astana players scored more goals for Scottish clubs than TheRangers did in Europe.
• Ex-Celtic captain Stephen McManus retiring from football playing and move onto coaching at M’well. We wish him the best.
• Ex-Celt Tony Watt has moved onto his ninth club, he’s only 23, moving to Belgian second tier side OH Leuven. Legendary moment when he hit winner v Barcelona. Wish him the best.
• Police Scotland have confirmed that they are investigating death threats made to Hibs boss Neil Lennon following the club’s 3-2 defeat of Rangers at Ibrox. Announced by police he will NOT be charged over Rangers touchline antics after cop probe.
• Celtic/Scotland wonderkid Karamoko Dembele is eager to play for Scotland, according to SFA Performance Director Malky Mackay.
• Transfers:
  Celtic are keeping track of Feyenoord left-back Miquel Nelom. The 26-year-old has been earmarked as a possible replacement for Emilio Izaguirre.
• Rodgers in a thinly veiled attack in an interview, criticises Stuart Armstrong’s backroom team in delaying and making difficult his potential roll-on for contracts. Expecting his signing in coming days now.
• Is Roberts to sign on loan again for Celtic? Been a melodrama for weeks now.
  

Review

"I have a team that knows how to play football now."
Brendan Rodgers.

Graham Speirs Twitter: Well done Celtic. What a humping. The evidence stacks and stacks for Brendan Rodgers being a brilliant Celtic manager.
Twitter: Stan Collymore: If one or two daarn saarf went to Parkhead on a CL night, understood the EC/CL history of Celtic,they'd realise how they compete on buttons! Any team in any league that gets group stage football on £2m league win is equal to a club raking in £200m a year getting to CL Final.

Stevie Gerrard on BTSport TV (ex-Liverpool): "Would you relish Anfield return?"
Rodgers: "They must be paying you to say that!"

(Kazakh fan of KDS)
My greetings!

Yesterday was a total nightmare for us. Had a bad sleep last night. Now, after emotions subsided I want to tell that we do not deserve to go through CL groups with the same play as yesterday. Even Europa League will be tough to play if the same attitude and discipline as yesterday goes on. It's easy to mark personalities now, to say that Postnikov and Mokin should play yard football etc. but the truth is that yesterday the whole team didn't perform as they could. They behaved themselves as frightened chickens in wolf's trap. Second match is just formality now. We are no barca to overplay this result.

Fair play to Celtic club. Congrats with good win! Implementation of chances was superb. 4 strikes on target, 5 goals…..i didn't see this kind of stats long time. We helped you to gain the result – that is also true.

Hope those of you who travel for away match could enjoy staying in our country!

(Hybrid M of KDS)
Fantastic, brilliant, incredible performance and a great night to be a Celtic fan.

I feel for Astana somewhat. Especially Kazakh Fan. Those guys came over here and played a game that they obviously weren't physically able for. It's a bit of a joke to consider such logistics with regards to preparing for a game that far away in such a short space of time having played a league game recently.

That aside, I'm gonna celebrate in Greece like there's no tomorrow. Hyup!

* I know it's not over but we're in the driving seat. Let's hit cruise control over there

(fatboab of KDS)
Absolutely superb performance after a slightly sticky spell in the first half. The first goal changed everything, and we battered feck out them thereafter. Ntcham is magnificent, and Sinclair rediscovered his magic. It's hard to imagine, but we actually should have won by more, maybe 6 or 7 , such was our dominance.
Yes, we have to go there and be professional and make the game safe, but for once we can dream of what lies ahead without too much fear.
Well done Brendan Rodgers, and well done Celtic. Magnificent.

(Stevie from Belfast of KDS)
Great result. I did fancy us to win well tonight but I am surprised how it turned out. We werent great early on and we did get lucky in most of the goals – however as the game went on we earned that luck.
As regards players I thought Tierney, Bitton, lustig, Gordon and brown were rock solid and Forrest offered a lot. Ntcham just got better as the game went on. Rogic flirted in and out of the game but he has magic in his feet. Sinclair really grew into and Griffith's was the man.

Overall our players and team will take so much belief from that game.

These are indeed good days.

Teams

Attendance: 54,016

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• Voting Thread
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• Winner –

Stats

Celtic
FC Astana

Possession
Home65%
Away35%

Shots
Home9
Away10

Shots on Target
Home3
Away2

Corners
Home4
Away6

Fouls
Home9
Away21

Articles

Celtic 5 – 0 Astana: Champions League group stage all but secured
CRAIG FOWLER
Published: 21:40 Wednesday 16 August 2017
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-5-0-astana-champions-league-group-stage-all-but-secured-1-4534148
Celtic placed one foot firmly – and surely immovably – in the group stage of the Champions League as they enjoyed one of their most comprehensive victories in the normally fraught play-off round of the tournament.

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Brendan Rodgers’ side took full advantage of an evening when everything fell in their favour against an Astana side who had been expected to provide them with no

shortage of problems.

Instead, the trip to Kazakhstan for next Tuesday’s second leg should be little more than a formality for Celtic after Evgeni Postnikov’s own goal, a double from Scott Sinclair and late strikes from James Forrest and an own goal by Igor ****** gave them a commanding first-leg lead.

As accustomed as Celtic and their supporters have become to these occasions, the levels of tension that surround them in the build-up seldom diminish. With so much at stake so early in their season, this can never be anything less than a fraught experience for followers of the Scottish champions.

Rodgers, pictured, however, has undoubtedly brought a calmness and composure to the mentality of his squad which has given them the knack of securing results as positive as this one. Before some of those nerves among the crowd were settled by a 2-0 half-time lead which Rodgers would have eagerly accepted as the final result beforehand, there was enough in Astana’s performance to initially suggest this could be as awkward as any of the assignments Celtic have faced in their annual battle to reach the group stage.

Postnikov, destined to be a key figure in the drama which unfolded, put himself under early pressure with a cynical foul on Tom Rogic which earned him a caution with just six minutes played.

Celtic pursued an early goal with trademark intensity and both Sinclair and Leigh Griffiths wasted fine opportunities to provide it. The winger miscued a shot wide from close range after a free-kick broke kindly to him, then Griffiths guided a free header wide of Aleksandr Mokin’s left-hand post after being picked out by a perfect Forrest cross.

After weathering that initial burst of Celtic pressure, Astana grew into the contest and began to frustrate the hosts with some assured and intelligent possession. Scott Brown was fortunate to escape a booking for a foul on Patrick Twumasi which mirrored Postnikov’s earlier offence. Twumasi posed a clear threat to Celtic and it was the Ghanaian who registered the visitors’ first attempt at goal, cutting inside from the right to fire a shot narrowly wide. An error from Jozo Simunovic then presented Serikhzhan Muzhikov with an opportunity but his effort was comfortably held by Craig Gordon.

As Celtic tried to re-assert themselves, Griffiths was unfortunate to be flagged offside as he broke clear and lobbed the ball over Mokin into the net.

The Astana ‘keeper was beaten in the 32nd minute, however, as Celtic struck the crucial first blow in the tie. Rogic, with a run into the penalty area reminiscent of the one which saw him score the treble-clinching Scottish Cup winner at Hampden in May, fired the ball in from a similarly tight angle on the right. In a desperate effort to cut out the danger, Postnikov could only help the ball into his own net.

To Astana’s credit, they appeared relatively unfazed by the setback and almost equalised just two minutes later. It was a glorious opportunity for Postnikov to atone for his error but the Russian defender sent his free header from Muzhikov’s cross wide of Gordon’s right-hand post.

It was clear Astana would not be easily discouraged but their heads did drop for the first time when Sinclair’s precious strike doubled Celtic’s lead three minutes before half-time. His pace allowed him to find room behind the Astana defence on the right and he drilled a shot across the body of Mokin whose slight touch on the ball could not prevent it nestling in the far corner. If there was a sense the scoreline flattered Celtic to some extent, that was of no concern to Rodgers’ players or a jubilant support who were already savouring the prospect of seeing their club take a place among Europe’s elite once again in the coming months.

That probability moved closer to inevitability when Celtic added their third goal 15 minutes into a frantically contested second half. They benefited from Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan’s decision to allow play to continue after a sickening clash of heads between Rogic and Yuri Logvinenko left both players flat out on the turf.

The ball broke in Celtic’s favour with Griffiths showing good awareness to set Sinclair free inside the penalty area where the winger slotted another fine finish low beyond Mokin.

Celtic were forced to replace the groggy Rogic with Callum McGregor while Logvinenko, booked by the official for his part in the head clash, also staggered off to be replaced by Abzal Beysebekov.

Any lingering possibility that Celtic may yet be susceptible to a remarkable turnaround in next week’s second leg were surely swept aside when they made it 4-0 with 11 minutes remaining. Olivier Ntcham, who had impressed throughout, was the architect with a delightful through ball to Griffiths. He in turn fed Forrest who beat Mokin from a tight angle.

Griffiths’ goal after 88 minutes was later officially credited as an own goal for ****** but that will only be a minor irritation for Griffiths on a hugely satisfying night for Celtic.

Celtic 5 – 0 Astana: How the Celtic players rated
Celtic's starting XI prior to the match. Picture: SNS

Craig Fowler

Published: 22:32 Wednesday 16 August 2017
• http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-5-0-astana-how-the-celtic-players-rated-1-4534183Ratings out of ten for each and every player in the victorious Celtic side on a memorable night for the club.
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Craig Gordon – 7
He gets an extra point for a nifty first half header after sprinting off his line to halt a potential threat. Other than that he was mostly a spectator.
Mikael Lustig – 9
Nullified the threat of Marin Tomasov in the first half when Astana threatened to cause some problems, and played a perfectly weighted through pass which set Rogic off on his run in the build up to the opening goal.
Nir Bitton – 7
The concerns about him prior to the game were unjust as he was solid in defence throughout. Ironically, the only thing which let him down was his distribution, which was uncharacteristically sloppy at times.
Jozo Simunovic – 8
Another who had a couple of wayward passes before the break but he cut that out completely after the restart. Defensively he was an absolute rock throughout the 90 minutes.
Kieran Tierney – 8
Another top notch European performance from the 20-year-old who never fails to shine on the big stage. Dealt easily enough with the threat of Patrick Twumasi, who threatened in the opening period before going quiet, and continued to get down the other end to support.
Scott Brown – 9
The captain seemed to have a sixth sense for danger throughout the match. Wherever Astana got bodies forward, he popped up to help halt the attack. In possession he never seemed to waste a pass. A true leader’s performance.
Olivier Ntcham – 8
The young Frenchman was a little sketchy at times in the first half, showing off his terrific range of passing one second before being sloppy with five-yard balls the next. Like the rest of his side, he tightened it up after the break, and began to stroll through proceedings. Displayed his quality with a superb pass for Leigh Griffiths in the build up to the third goal.
READ MORE – Celtic 5 – 0 Astana: Champions League group stage all but secured
James Forrest – 9
Looked confident from the start as he troubled the visitors with his running and a couple of wicked crosses. Topped off a fine individual performance by netting Celtic’s fourth goal.
Tom Rogic – 8
Played at No.10 but was given license to roam about the attack and find the gaps with which to exploit. This contributed to the opening goal when he drifted out to the right, picked up the pass from Lustig and embarked on a run similar to the one in the Scottish Cup final, with a similarly happy outcome.
Scott Sinclair – 9
Wasn’t in the game in the opening 30 minutes but burst into life once Celtic went a goal up. Scored two vitally important goals, timing runs to perfect to exploit the same in behind the defence, which really seemed to boost his confidence as he got stronger and stronger as the game progressed.
Leigh Griffiths – 8
Another who improved tremendously once Celtic found their way in front. Seemed to be thrown off his game somewhat by an early missed chance, but settled down as the match wore on. Played a well-timed pass for Sinclair to net the third before adding the finishing touches on a memorable night when his shot found the back of the net via a wicked deflection.
SUBS
Callum McGregor 8 – The perfect sub to come on for Tom Rogic. His energy irritated a tiring Astana.
Stuart Armstrong n/a – Came on for James Forrest for the final eight minutes.

BBC

By Richard Wilson

BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

1 hour ago From the section Football 88

Scott Sinclair celebrates
Scott Sinclair slotted home Celtic's second goal of the night

Celtic all but booked their Champions League group stage berth by thumping Kazakh champions Astana in the play-off first leg.

Tom Rogic created the opener when he drove into the box and lifted a ball into the area that Evgeni Postnikov could only divert into his own net.

Sinclair raced clear to add the second and doubled his tally after the break.

James Forrest fired the fourth before Leigh Griffiths' shot deflected in off Igor ****** for number five.

The sides meet again on Tuesday in Kazakhstan for the second leg, which now looks a formality for the Scottish champions, who knocked Astana out of the competition in the third qualifying round last term.
Postnikov own goal
Rogic knocked the ball into the danger area and Postnikov sent it into his own net for Celtic's opening goal

Fortune favoured Celtic at critical moments in this one, but it was a measure of the ruthless instincts of Brendan Rodgers' side that they took full advantage.

Astana set up to try to thwart the home side, who found it tough to pass through a packed midfield and defence in the opening stages.

Forrest and Kieran Tierney – playing very high and wide to try to stretch the game and allow Sinclair to play infield and closer to Griffiths – provided a couple of dangerous crosses, but Celtic needed to be patient.

They were rewarded when Rogic, who was casually effective, showed quick feet to carry the ball past two defenders and into the penalty area. He clipped it across goal, where Astana centre-back Postnikov lunged to clear but fired the ball into the empty net.

The goal bolstered Celtic, but they still had to survive a scare when Postnikov powerfully headed Serikzhan Muzhikov's corner wide from a central area.
Scott Sinclair scores
Sinclair produced a composed run and finish to double Celtic's tally

The home side were not to be swayed, though, and when a tackle deep inside Astana's half inadvertently sent the ball beyond the visitors' defence, Sinclair ran through from an offside position and expertly steered the ball beyond goalkeeper Aleksandr Mokin.

Astana had been disciplined for the opening part of the first half, but Celtic's advantage scrambled their senses after the break. They might have griped that when Rogic and Yuri Logvinenko clashed heads just inside the Astana half play should have stopped. The referee played advantage, since it had been a foul against the Celtic midfielder, and Griffiths combined with Sinclair for the latter to drill home a third goal.

Rogic and Yuri Logvinenko were substituted, with the Astana man having his head bandaged before he was booked and replaced. Celtic were in full command by then.

In the build-up to the game the focus had been on whether or not Griffiths would be fit enough to lead the line and provide Celtic's goal threat. He sliced wide when sent through on goal, but his impact on the first leg was one of creativity. Having played a vital role in Sinclair's second, he set up the fourth goal of the night for Forrest by shrewdly holding on to the ball before playing it into the winger's path.
James Forrest makes it 4-0
Forrest drilled the ball beyond Mokin to make it 4-0 to Celtic

As with all three earlier strikes, Forrest punished the meek goalkeeping of Mokin, lashing the ball past him and into the far corner.

Griffiths could not be contained and his shot was directed into the net by ****** to round of the evening's scoring.

Astana have an excellent record at home, but this tie is beyond them now. Celtic showed their cutting edge, but they also have the experience and game management to complete their progress into the group stage of the Champions League.