2017-12-05: Celtic 0-1 Anderlecht, European Cup

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

Trivia

• Champions League 2017-18, Group Stages
• Matchday 6 Celtic draw Group B – Bayern Munich, Paris St Germain, Anderlecht
  Celtic still qualify to the Europa League, but clearly this was a very poor match. Celtic finish third.
• Celtic finish with no wins in home games.
• Celtic haven't won a home game in the last three CL/EL group stages the first team has competed in.
• Both sides poor on the night. PSG finish top even though lost 3-1 to Bayern. Bayern 2nd, Celtic 3rd, Anderlecht 4th.
  
• Brendan Rodgers admitted it was difficult to feel any pride in Celtic’s qualification for the last 32 of the Europa League after they finished their Champions League group stage campaign with another home defeat. The Scottish champions clung onto third place in Group B, despite being outplayed and at times outclassed by Anderlecht in the 1-0 loss.
• Anderlecht legend Paul Van Himst a week before this game on Celtic:
  “We should never have allowed ourselves to lose to a team of peasants like Celtic. They were a bunch of woodcutters. It was one of our worst matches ever in Europe, and we didn’t even muster an attack.”
  The hurt from him was huge, but quite a disparaging remark which we all laughed at.
  
• Anderlecht first away win in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final, since 2005, 14 matches before this one.
• Scott Brown breaks record as Scottish player to have played most times in European Cup, breaking Kenny Dalglish's record.
• Celtic are the only team that came through the Champions route to win a game in this season's Champions League, and the only not to finish bottom of their group.

Review

(44 bhoy of KDS)
For us in Europe we need eleven players on the pitch playing their best. First half, Broony was the only guy who was noticeably near that, and he spent half his time trying to cajole his teammates to a higher level. That for me is the oddest thing, why they were struggling to get going. Some performances were abject, we were more than a man down.

Second half was significantly better. Ntcham brought an energy and composure that spread to the players around him. We looked so much more determined.

For all we were poor, and it was scary to watch, Craig Gordon didn't have much to save that he shouldn't have saved. We're normally reliant on a great goalkeeping performance to keep us in European matches. And their goal was an OG. CG had no chance.

It was disappointing on a few levels as I went along really hoping for good performance, a win and a bit of cheer. But it wasn't an Astana or Beer Sheva away.

We are through. Definitely a case of "win" ugly. That was the realistic goal when the group opened.

(Mackin of KDS)
The problems last night stemmed from a midfield unable to keep the ball. In the first half, when our centre halves split for Brown to come and get it like he usually does, he was double marked. Armstrong and McGregor were nowhere helping out, so the ball just came back.

When Ntcham came on, he looked for the ball, and it meant that Brown could go back to playing his normal game. I've no idea why Ntcham didnt start because hes probably been our best player in the CL campaign.

There really wasnt anyone else who earned pass marks. Rodgers nullified Forrest by sending him to right back. Sinclair had a couple of flashes, but did nothing after being moved inside. Similarly, we couldnt really got Rogic on the ball when he came on. It was complete damage limitation stuff, and looking back on it it was almost certainly by design.

We got through, but it was a poor performance to add to the several we've had in Europe this year going all the way back to the summer.

Teams

Anderlecht

Goals

• Simunovic (62' minutes og)

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11049367/
• Match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11049647/
• Post Match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11049652/

MOTM

• Voting Thread http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11049651/
• Result Thread
• Winner –

Stats

Celtic
Anderlecht

Possession
Home40%
Away60%

Shots
Home10
Away9

Shots on Target
Home5
Away4

Corners
Home4
Away2

Fouls
Home10
Away12

Articles

Celtic 0 – 1 Anderlecht: Celtic survive scare to reach Europa League
Celtic's Jozo Simunovic (right) deflects the ball into his own net to give Anderlecht the lead. Picture: SNS STEPHEN HALLIDAY Published: 21:40 Tuesday 05 December 2017
Celtic stumbled unconvincingly into the knockout phase of the Europa League with an error-strewn and leaden display which did nothing to back up assertions the Scottish champions are capable of enjoying an extended run in the tournament in the second half of the season. READ MORE – Celtic 0 – 1 Anderlecht: How the Celtic players rated Anderlecht, requiring a three-goal victory to snatch third place in Group B of the Champions League from Celtic, will struggle to come to terms with how Jozo Simunovic’s own goal was all they had to show for their superiority in this contest. The Belgian champions were unrecognisable from the team beaten 3-0 by Celtic in Brussels back in September, especially in a remarkably one-sided first half. Brendan Rodgers’ wait for his first home win in the Champions League group stage continues and this was not the evidence of progress at this level from his team he had hoped to see. The consolation of a place in next Monday’s draw for the last 32 of the Europa League remains a valuable one for Celtic but even in European football’s secondary competition, they will be punished for any repeat of the performance produced last night. Anyone who arrived at Celtic Park harbouring the sense that this would be a relatively straightforward evening for the hosts were quickly forced to think again. Anderlecht’s task may have been a daunting one but they approached it with relish, vigour and a clear belief that it was not beyond them. They dominated possession and were by a distance the more threatening side in a first half which the Scottish champions were fortunate to survive unscathed. But for Craig Gordon, Celtic would have fallen behind after just two minutes. Setting the tone for what was to follow, Anderlecht knocked the ball around with pace, precision and confidence to stretch the home defence. Much it was orchestrated by their captain Sofiane Hanni, the Algerian midfielder catching the eye time and time again with his deftness of touch, intelligent movement and accurate passing. He shrugged off a challenge from his Celtic counterpart Scott Brown to create that first opening, picking out Henry Onyekuru on the left. The Nigerian striker, previously linked with a move to Celtic, drilled in a low cross to pick out Sven Kums whose firm shot from around 12 yards out was brilliantly kept out by Gordon’s instinctive save. From the corner which followed, a rattled Celtic defence were unable to clear their lines and were grateful to see Onyekuru miscue a shot wildly off target. Rodgers’ side were struggling to make any attacking headway of their own with Anderlecht closing them down effectively and regaining possession all too easily. Gordon was called into action again when Dennis Appiah and Pieter Gerkens combined cleverly down Anderlecht’s right to set up a chance for Adrien Trebel but the midfielder’s half-volley was too close to the Celtic ‘keeper who made a fairly comfortable save. As Anderlecht continued to control the tempo and direction of the contest, much to the growing agitation and concern of the home fans, Trebel tried his luck from 22 yards but once again his shot went straight at Gordon. Frank Boeckx had little to do in the Anderlecht goal with Celtic failing to put him under pressure even from any set pieces they managed to force in an attacking position. The visitors finished the first half as they had started it, firmly on the front foot, and it needed a superbly timed penalty area interception from Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic to deny Leander Dendoncker a clear sight of goal as he was poised to get on the end of a Kums corner. Rodgers had seen quite enough and made a double substitution at the start of the second half. Stuart Armstrong and Scott Sinclair, who had both been well off the pace, were replaced by Olivier Ntcham and Tom Rogic. Ntcham certainly made the desired impact as far as his manager was concerned. The French midfielder brought energy and direction to Celtic’s play and posed a goal threat of his own, sending a 20 yard shot just wide as he helped his side finally gain some sustained attacking momentum. Moussa Dembele, isolated in the first half, suddenly had some support and the striker latched onto Ntcham’s pass to barge his way into the penalty area and fire in a shot which was deflected kindly into the arms of Boeckx. The Anderlecht ‘keeper had to make a far more difficult save in the 56th minute, getting down sharply to his left to keep out a James Forrest shot on the end of Celtic’s most fluent passage of play yet. But just as it seemed they were finally taking a degree of control, Celtic found themselves behind six minutes later. A poor clearance from Kieran Tierney gave Anderlecht time and space down the right and Appiah’s cross found Gerkens whose header was diverted into his own goal by Simunovic. There was an opportunity for Simunovic to make amends quickly but he volleyed just over from close range, then Dembele shot wide from Tierney’s cutback as Celtic tried to kill off Anderlecht’s burgeoning hopes of a remarkable turnaround. The anxiety inside the stadium was almost palpable and Hanni came close to putting Anderlecht within reach of qualification when his shot forced a fine save from Gordon. Mercifully for Celtic, it was as close as they came to conceding a second goal which would have made the finale of the evening unbearably tense. Brendan Rodgers: Some Celtic players ‘have a long way to go’ Brendan Rodgers admitted it was difficult to feel any pride in Celtic’s qualification for the last 32 of the Europa League after they finished their Champions League group stage campaign with another home defeat. The Scottish champions clung onto third place in Group B, despite being outplayed and at times outclassed by Anderlecht in the 1-0 loss. The Belgian champions needed a three-goal margin of victory to snatch the consolation prize of a place in next Monday’s Europa League draw. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers at full-time. Picture: Bill Murray/SNS Celtic will be unseeded for the tie, which will take place on 15 and 22 February, and their possible opponents include Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Arsenal and CSKA Moscow. But Rodgers has tempered any expectations of a lengthy run in the tournament by his players, many of whom he feels remain some way short of the standard required for significant European success. “I don’t think we were spooked tonight, we just weren’t very good in our game,” said Rodgers. “Their movement technically was better than ours. We wanted to start game fast but didn’t. Our technique was poor. The players could not play quickly enough and needed five or six touches on the ball.“You have to see the game much quicker when you get to this level. Some of the players were short in their decision-making and we were not so good. Some of them think they are Champions League players, but this is a good leveller for some of those guys to reflect on the performance and be better. Celtic's Moussa Dembele at full stretch during the 1-0 defeat by Anderlecht. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS “There is a story for some of our players in that they have a long way to go before they can call themselves players at this level. But we’ve shown over the course of this campaign that we can be better.”Jozo Simunovic’s 62nd minute own goal settled the game in Anderlecht’s favour with Rodgers relieved his side had not been more severely punished. “The context of the game probably affected our performance, especially in the first half, with Anderlecht having to chase the game to make up the goal difference,” Rodgers said“They were much brighter and quicker than us. Midway through that first half had to change it tactically to try to stem the flow of the game but I was thankful to get in at 0-0 at half-time.“I thought we were better in the second half, we stemmed the flow much better, kept the ball and were a threat ourselves going forward.“Overall, the best team won, they were better than us. But over the bigger picture, our aim at the beginning of the competition was to get through to the Europa League and finish third in the group. That would be a massive achievement for us at this stage of where we are at. “We have done that. There is immense pride but it’s hard to feel that when you’ve lost. We have a lot of work to do before we can affect that level. But we are through and we can look forward to that when it comes around in February.” Read more at: https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/brendan-rodgers-some-celtic-players-have-a-long-way-to-go-1-4631929

Celtic 0 – 1 Anderlecht: How the Celtic players rated The Celtic starting XI line-up before the match. Picture: SNS CRAIG FOWLER Published: 22:50 Tuesday 05 December 2017 Share this article • • • 5 HAVE YOUR SAY Ratings out of ten for every Celtic player in the 1-0 defeat to Anderlecht. READ MORE – Celtic 0 – 1 Anderlecht: Celtic survive scare to reach Europa League Craig Gordon – 7 Had a few shots to deal with from around the edge of the area. Admittedly they were hit straight at him, but he still had to make the save them and did so with minimal fuss. Mikael Lustig – 6 Seemed a little spooked in the opening 30 minutes trying to deal with Henry Onyekuru. Settled down after his move to centre-back. Dedryck Boyata – 5 Defensively he was good. With the ball at his feet he was terrible, constantly gifting possession. Jozo Simunovic – 6 Celtic’s most solid defender on the night. Shame he blotted his copybook by scoring the game’s only goal on behalf of the opposition. Kieran Tierney – 6 Showed his typical enthusiasm for getting forward but his crosses were generally wayward. Didn’t get tight enough to Dennis Appiah in the build up to the goal. Scott Brown – 8 Quiet first 30 minutes but then started to dictate things in the centre of the park. Excellent second half and Celtic’s best player. Callum McGregor – 6 Was overwhelmed like the rest of his team-mates in the early going but managed to settle down and play his part. Stuart Armstrong – 4 Woeful. Gave the ball away just about every time he had it and contributed nothing to the attack. Hooked at half-time. James Forrest – 6 Didn’t get too many touches before being moved into the wing-back position following a change of system. Improved from that point and went close to scoring with an excellent run and shot. Moussa Dembele – 5 He was a lot better after half-time when playing up front alongside Tom Rogic, as his ability to drift out to the left wing caused Anderlecht some problems. Another who had a dreadfully poor first half, though. Scott Sinclair – 4 Completely ineffective again on the big stage. It’s not been a Champions League campaign to remember for the reigning Scottish Footballer of the Year. SUBS Olivier Ntcham – 7 – Took up more threatening positions and better care of the ball than Armstrong. Tom Rogic – 6 – Had moments when he contributed to the attack but was largely quiet following his introduction. Odsonne Edouard – 6 – Showed his power on a couple of occasions after replacing Dembele.

BBC
By Tom English

BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic

Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic deflected Pieter Gerkens' header into his own net

Celtic qualified for the Europa League knockout stages despite losing to Anderlecht in Champions League Group B.

Defender Jozo Simunovic scored a second-half own goal to hand victory to the Belgian side in Glasgow.

However, Celtic finished third, level on three points with Anderlecht but with a better head-to-head record after a 3-0 win in Brussels.

James Forrest shot wide and Olivier Ntcham had an effort saved for Celtic, who were outplayed for periods.
◾Celtic beaten by better team – Rodgers

Anderlecht had to match Celtic's September win in Brussels to snatch third place and the spot in the Europa League last 32.

Jozo Simunovic came close to equalising for Celtic, with a shot that flew just over

They downplayed their chances in the lead up to the game, but there was a touch of the bluff about their language and a touch of menace about the way they began the game.

The visitors were slick, whereas Celtic were sloppy. The Belgian side had an urgency that suggested they didn't believe they were on a hopeless mission.

Inside two minutes they created a great opportunity, Henry Onyekuru squaring for Sven Kums, whose drilled shot was beaten away by Craig Gordon.

A dozen minutes later they had another moment that sent concern around Celtic Park. Adrien Trebel's scissors kick was handily dealt with by Gordon, but it was the ease with which Anderlecht were finding space that was troubling for Celtic.

The visitors did not have the players to carry a sufficiently serious threat of overturning the odds, but Celtic made their own lives difficult with their wastefulness in possession.

Celtic striker Moussa Dembele

Celtic striker Moussa Dembele had a quiet night and eventually hobbled off with a slight injury

They gave the ball away constantly and grew jumpy. Without a home win in the group stages of the Champions League (and the Europa League) in 10 games stretching back more than three years, this was not what the home support had in mind for the night.

Brendan Rodgers changed it at the break, bringing in Olivier Ntcham and Tom Rogic for Stuart Armstrong and Scott Sinclair. The irony was that at a time when they started finding some confidence, accuracy and threat – Ntcham and Forrest had decent attempts – they fell behind.

It was soft, too. Dennis Appiah flighted a cross into the box where Pieter Gerkens and Simunovic competed for it. Gerkens got his head to it first, the ball then taking a deflection off Simunovic's shoulder and into the far corner of Gordon's net. An unfortunate goal, but such a basic one to concede.

Celtic captain Scott Brown

Celtic captain Scott Brown became the Scottish player with the most European Cup appearances, in his 69th game in the competition

Celtic had a couple of half-chances to take any heat out of the situation but couldn't put them away. Sofiane Hanni could have put the wind up Celtic in a major way, but Gordon made the save.

Hein Vanhaezebrouck, the Anderlecht manager, brought striker Lukasz Teodorczyk on and went with three up front in pursuit of the two goals he needed. It didn't work. Anderlecht never again looked like putting the frighteners on Rodgers' team.

They'd already done their work in Brussels, and it was just as well, because this was poor stuff from Celtic. It was a fifth loss from six Champions League games and a failed opportunity to improve Rodgers' record in the group stage, which stands at one win, three draws and eight losses.

What they do have, of course, is a place in the Europa League. That was the goal at the outset and they have achieved it.

Celtic will be unseeded in Monday's draw, but they have European football after Christmas. On a dispiriting night, that bottom line offered comfort.

Analysis

Former Celtic striker Scott McDonald on BBC Radio Scotland

They'll be no one more disappointed than Brendan Rodgers, he'll be kicking himself. He'll be hugely disappointed about the performance.

Tonight was a night to really put a stamp on getting into the Europa League and being positive about progressing within Europe. We still have to be positive, we're there, and there's a lot of football to be played between now and then.

There's a transfer window so we never know what is going to happen in that, but on tonight's performance, it's going to have to be a lot, lot better, if they want to progress in Europe.

Brendan Rodgers has guided his side to one Champions League group stage victory this season

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says his side "just weren't very good" and deserved to lose their final Champions League group match against Anderlecht.

Jozo Simunovic's second-half own goal secured the Belgian side's 1-0 win, but Celtic still finished third and qualify for the Europa League.

Rodgers felt his team was outplayed on the night and that several players need to raise their game in Europe.

"The best team won, they were better than us," he said.

"Our aim at the beginning of this competition was to get through to the Europa League stage, so there's immense pride at doing that.

"It's hard to feel that after you've lost, but we got the job done.

"We have a lot of work to do before we can affect that level, but we're through and we can look forward to that in February."

Anderlecht's Pieter Gerkens and Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic

Pieter Gerkens had a second-half header diverted into the net by Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic

Celtic defeated Anderlecht 3-0 away earlier in Group B and that left the Belgian side needing to match that score to finish above the Scottish champions.

They drew two early saves from Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon and were the dominant in the first-half but couldn't press home their advantage after taking the lead.

"The context of the game probably affected our performance, especially in the first half," Rodgers said.

"Them having to chase the game, they played much quicker and we were poor in our ball possession. I was thankful to get in 0-0 at half time and second half we were better.

"I don't think we were spooked, we just weren't very good. They were brighter technically, their movement was sharper.

"Some of our players have a long way to go before they can call themselves players at this level. We need to be better, but we've shown that we can be."

Olivier Ntcham was a half-time substitute and Brendan Rodgers Celtic performed better after the break

Celtic will not be seeded in Monday's draw for the Europa League last 32 and Rodgers says there will be need to be improvements in the team's performance at this level when the competition restarts in February.

"We've got to have a touch of realism – there are going to be much better teams in that than ourselves," he said.

"We were the fourth seeds in this group and there won't be too many of those who have jumped up into third place and got through.

"Tonight is an example of the long, long way to go and the gap there is between the teams at the very top end of European football and even those in behind that.

"There's a lot of work for us to do, we'll analyse the performance and think about how we could be better – then we will be better in the Europa League in February."

Former Celtic striker Scott McDonald on BBC Radio Scotland

They'll be no one more disappointed than Brendan Rodgers, he'll be kicking himself. He'll be hugely disappointed about the performance.

Tonight was a night to really put a stamp on getting into the Europa League and being positive about progressing within Europe. We still have to be positive, we're there, and there's a lot of football to be played between now and then.

There's a transfer window so we never know what is going to happen in that, but on tonight's performance, it's going to have to be a lot, lot better, if they want to progress in Europe.