2020-09-24: Riga FC 0-1 Celtic, UEFA Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 2021 – 2022

Trivia

Thursday 6pm, Skonto Stadions (Riga, Latvia)
Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round
Riga FC are from Latvia; Double doubledecker buses of Riga FC fans parked behind the goal to cheer the team playing Riga-Celtic in Europa League
No gambling sponsorship allowed so shirts had “The Celtic Foundation” on them instead.
One leg matches due to the COVID situation
Neil Lennon admitted Celtic star Odsonne Edouard was off the pace in the 1-0 win over Riga in the Europa League third qualifying round on Thursday night. Lennon refuted claims the player was injured and that he was “fine” having been rested at the weekend
Celtic to play Sarajevo in next round, the final round
Ex-Celt Boyata has been named the new club captain of Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin for the season. The Belgian central defender spent four trophy-laden years at Celtic Park. Now Boyata has been rewarded with his strong season in Germany with the captain’s armband. Congrats to him.
Covid:
- Celtic hit with £30k fine to Bolingoli going rogue. £22k suspended pending further breeches. Aberdeen have same punishment: ““Aberdeen FC and Celtic FC demonstrated that they had gone to enormous lengths to ensure that their players adhered to all relevant requirements and protocols relating to Covid-19.”
- Fears of further lockdowns as virus rates rise again heavily
- Lockdown basically ramps up again in England (partially) which will affect Scotland too, and so hopes dashed for fans back at the grounds in good numbers.
- The Scottish Government have announced new restrictions following an increase in Covid-19 cases with the R number well above 1. A return to the stadium for supporters has been delayed but there will not be a postponement to the football season.
- Report: There are fears clubs could struggle through without financial assistance following the latest Scottish Government coronavirus restrictions. Fans won’t be allowed back in grounds at the start of next month with it to be assessed in three weeks time but it is thought that could last for a further six months which could leave clubs in a very difficult place.

Transfers:
- Reports: Olivier Ntcham is wanted by West Brom. Ntcham is rated at around £12m.
- AC Mian legend Paolo Maldini has confirmed the club’s interest in Kristoffer Ajer. But admitted it is not a deal they are planning currently. It emerged that the Serie A side could turn their attentions to the Celtic centre-back. Neil Lennon addressed the speculation saying £14m would unlikely get the deal done.
- Celtic 16-year-old prospect Josh Adam has confirmed he has completed his move to Manchester City from Celtic. The Premier League side have been tracking the midfielder for a number of months and have finally sealed the move despite competition.
- Young Celt, Kerr McInroy has joined Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic on a season-long loan. The 20-year-old midfielder has impressed as captain of Tommy McIntyre’s Reserves over the past few years, and has featured in Neil Lennon’s matchday squad on a number of occasions this campaign, but not yet played for the first Team. Good luck to him.
- Stoke City boss Michael O’Neill has addressed speculation that winger James McLean could head to Celtic before the transfer window closes. The former Northern Ireland boss said the reports are just “rumours” and that he isn’t looking to lose the player. McLean has always been desperate to one day play for Celtic.
- Reports claim Celtic are set to battle it out for Barcelona winger Alex Collado. The 21-year-old will be allowed to leave the Nou Camp this summer and the Hoops are reportedly keen but face stiff competition

Summary

Mohamed Elyounoussi’s last-gasp strike ensured Celtic avoided another European nightmare as they scraped to a 1-0 win over Riga.

Neil Lennon: “I thought we were very good. We had to wait a long time for the goal. Sometimes that happens in football. I thought we were excellent and our mentality was good. We missed a couple of really good chances to make life a little bit easier for us.”

(Murphio1888 of Twitter)

More throwing darts at the team sheet – doesn’t know how to accommodate all the midfielders he has so tries to get them all in the team at once – and it was a mess. Sorry, but we need a new manager, I can’t bear to watch any more of this rubbish.

Tom English on Twitter: “That was bloody hard going for Celtic against a hopeless Riga team. Ground it out. Something to be said for that I suppose”

Etims on Twitter:
“

FT Riga 0 Celtic 1 Being honest. That was a dire watch again. Being very kind. We are grinding oot results! POTM: Frimpers. Miles ahead of every other player on the pitch”

(Sellicky67 of KDS)

Definition of madness is doing exactly the same thing and expecting a different result. The result was the only positive thing, other than Frimpong pretty much, but the performance was the same.

Lennon’s tactics are shampoo. Would he have brought Frimpong on before the 80th minute if Forrest hadnt been injured? Shoehorning Christie into the team when this was the perfect opportunity to see Eddy and Ajeti. Brown starting and finishing the game, despite an early needless booking and getting a sore one. Why Ntcham off instead of him?

I really feel sorry for Taylor. He tries as hard as we all would, but everyone knows he isn’t a wing back. He did put in the occasional decent cross and could have scored in the first half, so fair plays for not hiding, but you may as well play him in goal he is so out of position.

Lennon has to pick a formation that his players are capable of playing, our squad seems taylor made (pardon the pun) for a 3-5-2 that really should be beating teams of this calibre and everyone domestically very comfortably.

Teams

Riga FC

12Ozols
9Petersons
19Prenga
21Stuglis
8Rugins
32Natã Wachholz Substituted forBezerra Brisolaat 71’minutes
26Panic
28Djurisic
33KamessBooked at 69mins
27Debelko Substituted forMilosevicat 67’minutes Substituted forN’Kololoat 90+1’minutes
10Rodrigues Figueira

Substitutes

7Bezerra Brisola
11Sharpar
16Purins
18Hora
34Cernomordijs
35N’Kololo
99Milosevic

Celtic

1Barkas
6Bitton
4DuffyBooked at 70mins
35Ajer
49Forrest Substituted forFrimpongat 34’minutes
8BrownBooked at 40mins
42McGregor
3Taylor
21Ntcham Substituted forAjetiat 72’minutes
17Christie
22Edouard Substituted forElyounoussiat 82’minutes

Substitutes

10Ajeti
11Klimala
14Turnbull
27Elyounoussi
29Bain
30Frimpong
44Elhamed

Goals: Elyounoussi (90′ minutes)

Assists:

Frimpong (90′ minutes)

Referee: Fábio Veríssimo

Att: none (Covid)

Articles

Match Report (see below)

Pictures

Match Pictures

Match Links

Stats

Riga FC

Celtic

Possession

Home29%

Away71%

Shots

Home4

Away15

Shots on Target

Home0

Away6

Corners

Home2

Away6

Fouls

Home15

Away13

Articles

Mohamed Elyounoussi’s last-minute goal allows Celtic to squeeze through 1-0 in Riga

Scottish champions make hard work of progressing to Europa League play-offs

By Andrew Smith

Thursday, 24th September 2020, 10:30 pm

Riga’s Herdi Prenga, left, and Marko Djurisic challenge for the ball with Celtic’s Shane Duffy, center, during the clubs’ Europa League third qualifying round tie at Skonto stadium. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/mohamed-elyounoussis-last-minute-goal-allows-celtic-squeeze-through-1-0-riga-2983022

The best that could be offered of Celtic in Riga was that they ultimately got the job done to move into the Europa League play-off stage and an away tie against Sarajevo.

The worst that could be said of Neil Lennon’s men is that it took them to within the closing seconds of normal time to find a way through against the Latvian champions. There was a palpable sense of relief, more than any delight, when Celtic’s two most crucial substitutes combined to end the home side’s resistance.

A deft ball over the top found Jeremie Frimpong down the right, an area he had pounded to become Celtic’s most productive attacking weapon. The Dutchman, brought on for the injured James Forrest after 35 minutes, didn’t deliver a clean cross. But his bobbing cutback provided all the opportunity Mohamed Elyounoussi required to spare his team from extra-time – or worse – with the Norwegian sweeping a low effort in at the far corner only eight minutes on from entering the fray in place of the ineffectual Odsonne Edouard.

The Frenchman was hardly alone in failing to fire. Damp squibs have provided more pyrotechnics than Lennon’s men were able to produce in the Skonto Stadium, despite a flurry of late opportunities. The best of these fell to another player introduced to proceedings, Albian Ajeti. He somehow failed to bundle the ball over the line from a yard in the 73rd minute, despite looking as if he had carried it into the net between his feet. He was blocked, practically in the net, by a combination of his own twisting and the desperate actions of Riga keeper Robert Ozols and centre-back Herdi Prenga.

Celtic cannot blame their stilted display on the antiseptic atmosphere they have struggled with in this pandemic age. The arena resounded to the sound of noisy backing from home supporters. Covid-19 restrictions may have meant the stadium was empty, but a resourceful group stationed two open-top buses behind a goal from where they banged drums and bawled out chants for their team.

Throughout the tie, their cries of encouragement had to be reserved for celebrating their team’s defensive doggedness. The pattern of the encounter was set early on, with the Latvian champions camping in on the edge of their own box and placing the onus squarely on Celtic to prise them apart. For the first half hour, the Scottish champions were thwarted in this endeavour through appearing to possess all the piercing powers of a rusty, blunt can opener.

Lennon’s fervent hope would have centred on his ability to restore Edouard to the starting line-up following his curious, fatigue-inspired absence at the weekend. The manager would have looked to the 22-year-old to provide his side with the edge required to break down obdurate opponents. Alas, Edouard looked completely out-of-sorts as Celtic struggled to muster any real goalscoring opportunities against a club unbeaten in their own environs across all six of their previous European ties.

Frimpong’s very presence seemed to inject life into the endeavours of Lennon’s side. Within two minutes of the teenager bounding on to the pitch, Olivier Ntcham drew a first save from Ozols with a fizzing drive the keeper finger-tipped over. Suddenly, Celtic seemed to be energised and spaces started to appear in and around the Riga box. Twice in two minutes Lennon’s men had chances to break the deadlock, but their inability to make these count said everything about the nature of their performance.

Nir Bitton should have burst the net when the ball broke to him 12 yards out but could only scuff his shot, allowing Ozols to gobble it up. Then Callum McGregor chose the wrong option when sent in on goal by an Edouard through ball. As the keeper advanced, he elected to square to Frimpong at the back post rather than go for goal, but his pass was cut out before it reached the wing-back.

Elyounoussi’s matchwinning intervention allows Celtic to park the display and move on, but the victory in no way disguises their continued problems finding anything in the way of attacking rhythm. The one comfort will be the clean sheet – even if this was achieved against a side that eschewed enterprise in the hope of catching Celtic on the counter. Riga patently hoped to replicate Ferencvaros’s success in catching the Scottish champions out in such fashion a month ago to end their interest in the Champions League.

They failed to do so and Celtic produced a clean sheet on the road in continental competition for the first time in seven games. In the process, disaster was avoided, with failure to secure European group stage football for the first time in a decade the unthinkable.

Lennon said he felt Frimpong made a “outstanding contribution” and said he hoped Elyounoussi’s goal “kickstarts his season into great things.”

Celtic will head to Bosnia next week to take on Sarajevo in the play-off round which is once again a one-legged tie. It promises to be an altogether tougher test for the Scottish champions.

FC Riga: Ozols; Petersons, Stuglis, Prenga, Rugins; Djurisic, Wesley Nata (Brisola 71), Panic, Roger, Kamess; Debelko (Milosevic 67) (N’Kololo 90+1). Subs: Sharpar, Purins, Hora, Cernomordijs.

Celtic: Barkas; Bitton, Duffy, Ajer; Forrest (Frimpong 35), Ntcham, Brown, McGregor, Taylor; Christie; Edouard (Elyounoussi 82). Subs: Bain, Klimala, Turnbull, Elhamed.

Referee: Fabio Verissimo (Portugal)

BBC

By Thomas DuncanBBC Scotland

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54242915

Celtic manager Neil Lennon praised his side for a “dominant” display as they edged past Riga FC to reach the Europa League play-off round.

Lennon’s side toiled to create at times against the Latvian champions.

But with two minutes left, Jeremie Frimpong crossed for substitute Mohamed Elyounoussi to steer in his third goal of the season and prevent extra-time.

“I felt the performance thoroughly merited the win,” said Lennon, whose side face Sarajevo next Thursday.

Reaction & as it happened

“It’s the first time Riga have lost here in a European tie, so big kudos to the players on that one.

“We had to be patient, left it a little bit late, but we should’ve had the game wrapped up a lot earlier.”

Lennon’s primary emotion will be relief, after a painfully one-paced display in the Latvian capital against a stuffy Riga side.

The Celtic manager alluded to their hosts’ defensive solidity before the game, and urged patience from his players.

And though Riga sat deep in a compact 4-4-2 as expected, he would have been alarmed at just how little his side managed to create initially.

Nir Bitton wasted the best chance of the first half when he scuffed his effort from 10 yards out, and Ritvars Rugins managed to cut out Callum McGregor’s ball to deny Frimpong a tap-in.

Riga rarely threatened or even ventured forward, but they were excellent at stifling Celtic. They might have been prepared for a second-half onslaught from their visitors, but it never materialised to the degree expected.

Ryan Christie had a surge and shot easily saved and substitute Albian Ajeti twice came within inches of turning in two Frimpong crosses from just three yards out, only for Herdi Prenga to twice scramble the ball clear on both occasions.

But just as extra-time seemed inevitable, Frimpong again showed his prowess with a terrific run and cross for Elyounoussi to edge Celtic into the play-off round.

The Scottish champions may be without James Forrest for that tie, who limped off with bone bruising in the first half and will miss Sunday’s match with Hibernian.

Man of the match – Jeremie Frimpong

Frimpong impressed after replacing the injured James Forrest and created Celtic’s clearest openings, including the decisive goal

What did we learn?

If not already evident, it was clear from this display that Celtic are yet to get anywhere near the attacking fluidity they showed at the start of 2020.

The midfield trio of Scott Brown, McGregor and Olivier Ntcham struggled to create tempo, and the returning Odsonne Edouard was miles from his best and cut a frustrated figure up front.

Frimpong, who started on the bench, was their best attacking outlet from right wing-back, causing problems with his searing pace and clever deliveries, which in itself will give Lennon food for thought.

What they said:

Celtic ‘should’ve had game wrapped up earlier’ – Lennon

Celtic manager Neil Lennon on Frimpong: “He’s not been at that level so far this season but we’ve seen this week him starting to show glimpses of it. He looked far more dynamic, purposeful.

“He put a great cross in for the goal, he can be thrilled with his performance because it’s not easy doing what he does.”

What’s next?

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