Match Pictures | Matches: 2021 – 2022
Trivia
- UEFA Cup qualifying play-offs, first leg; KO: 19:45
- Game on Celtic tv and ppv; sell out at Celtic Park; given covid restrictions applicable to Main Stand, around 53,000 supporters in attendance
- AZ Alkmaar are from the Netherlands, finished third in the Dutch league.
- AZ Alkmaar without suspended forward Jesper Karlsson and the injured Owen Wijndal against Celtic tomorrow.
- In past 12 months, we’ve seen a huge exit of some of our youth players to wherever. Yet, last night we saw a game with a backbone of our youth players: Ralston, Welsh, McGregor, Montgomery, Forrest. Truly humbling and an important point. Hope Wee Dembele takes note and stays.
- Reports: Celtic is the preferred destination for striker Thomas Henry. The 26-year-old Frenchman is a reported target for the Glasgow giants after impressing in the Belgian top-flight with OH Leuven. Liam Scales will complete his move to Celtic by the end of the month from Shamrock Rovers (€600k + addons). Repeat Celtic target Ben Davies moves on loan to Sheffield Utd! Celtic are in transfer talks to sign striker Georgios Giakoumakis, according to reports.
- Postecoglou said: “I’m not looking for players to replace the ones we’ve got. I’m looking for players to complement what we’ve got, so we can keep building a strong squad – which we’re going to need.”
- Report: Celtic have agreed a fee to sign Josip Juranovic from Legia Warsaw. The deal is reportedly worth £2.5m.
- Ex-Celt Gary Caldwell has been announced as the lead development coach for Newcastle United on an interim basis. Good luck to him.
- Snooker: John Higgins hits 147 at British Open to overtake Stephen Hendry in all-time rankings for maximums! In a crazy draw, Mark Allen defeats former partner Reanne Evans at British Open in a tetchy atmosphere between the two!
- Politics: Mass evacuation from Afghanistan as Western forces leave. Mass refugee evacuation begins.
Summary
Ange “If we bring 60,000 into the ground then they (supporters) expect us to go for it from the first minute not wait ten minutes for us to get into the game or take the foot off the gas after ten minutes. I just don’t think that’s what football’s about”
Ange Postecoglou “At the end of a cracking game of football it’s great to come out on top.”
Joe Hart – “It was exciting. We stepped up, we were brave and believed in what the manager’s pushing us to do. The fans were fantastic tonight.”
(joebloggscity of thecelticwiki)
These games are vital and dynamics change now with no away goals. Anyhow, tonight’s scoreline can be argued in many ways, but the truth is that Celtic were unfortunate to not score a third but fortunate not to have conceded at least two. AZ Alkmaar will rue their two chances in the opening 5 minutes. Celtic did ride their luck somehow.
Ralston had a great game despite the defence still being a cause for concern. Starfelt still not up to scratch yet. Kyogo scored another fine goal, and Rogic appears to be back to his best form.
McGregor is a fine captain and the performances across the squad show what a difference a good manager makes. Not all is perfect and the pressing tactics has its risks but the support is enjoying what they see whilst the players have bought into the philosophy.
One more round to go.
In past 12 months, we’ve seen a huge exit of some of our youth players to wherever. Yet, last night we saw a game with a backbone of our youth players: Ralston, Welsh, McGregor, Montgomery, Forrest. Truly humbling and an important point. Hope Wee Dembele takes note and stays.
Liam Kelly – Anthony Ralston was absolutely sensational. So pleased for him, a really likeable character who gives 100% every game. Welsh superb too, along with Rogic, Kyogo and Hart. Probably fortunate to win by 2 goals but great improvements in such a short space of time
BP – Thought the game management was a big thing tonight. We won a few sneaky fouls, got the physio on a couple of times, made the right subs. Basically what teams usually do to us. The difference between that and the second half against Ferencvaros last year was massive. Welsh is growing as a player by the week. Be interesting to see his stats tonight but thought he was immense.
Thecelticwiki – Deserved win and a great shift from everyone.There were a couple of individual errors but I thought collectively the defence did really well. AZ a step up from every opponent we’ve played so far this and tie is still very much alive. But we can get a result in Netherlands.
Teams
Celtic:
Formation 4-3-3
- 15Hart
- 56RalstonBooked at 63mins
- 4Starfelt
- 57Welsh
- 3Taylor
- 14Turnbull
- Substituted forSoroat 88′minutes
- 42McGregor
- 18Rogic
- Substituted forMcCarthyat 75′minutesBooked at 82mins
- 11Abada
- Substituted forEdouardat 58′minutes
- 8Furuhashi
- Substituted forMontgomeryat 74′minutes
- 49Forrest
Substitutes
- 1Barkas
- 6Bitton
- 10Ajeti
- 12Soro
- 16McCarthy
- 22Edouard
- 26Urhoghide
- 29Bain
- 30Shaw
- 41Robertson
- 54Montgomery
Goals:
- Furuhashi (12′ minutes),
- Letschert (61′ minutes og)
Assists:
- Turnbull (12′ minutes)
AZ Alkmaar
Formation 4-3-3
- 12Verhulst
- 2Sugawara
- 22Letschert
- 4Martins Indi
- 25Oosting
- 6Midtsjø
- Substituted forClasieat 72′minutes
- 10de WitBooked at 48mins
- 8Koopmeiners
- 28Gudmundsson
- Substituted forEvjenat 72′minutes
- 21Pavlidis
- Substituted forPokuat 80′minutes
- 17Aboukhlal
Substitutes
- 1Vindahl-Jensen
- 3Chatzidiakos
- 15Witry
- 16Reus
- 18Evjen
- 20Clasie
- 23Taabouni
- 24Reijnders
- 27Gullit
- 29Koopmeiners
- 31Beukema
- 36Poku
Goals:
Assists:
Ref: Ovidiu Hategan
Att:55,000 est (some sections resticted due to covid)
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Match Links
Stats
- Possession
- Home48%
- Away52%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away3
- Corners
- Home8
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away9
Articles
BBC
By Thomas DuncanBBC Scotland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58215272
1 hour ago1 hour ago.From the section Europa League
Kyogo Furuhashi scores for Celtic against AZ Alkmaar
Kyogo Furuhashi stretched to score his sixth goal in six games for Celtic
Celtic’s rousing progress under manager Ange Postecoglou continued as they took a big step towards the Europa League group stage with a pulsating victory against AZ Alkmaar.
Kyogo Furuhashi turned in Tom Rogic’s superb cross to open the scoring before the break and make it six goals in six games since arriving in Glasgow.
It was no less than Postecoglou’s side deserved after a fast-paced, all-action first half, and after the break Kyogo teed up James Forrest, whose deflected effort found the net.
AZ were overwhelmed at times in the first half but created plenty of chances themselves, but a combination of last-ditch Celtic defending and profligacy means they go into the return leg in the Netherlands next Thursday in a difficult position.
How Rogic & Ralston have revived Celtic careers
Podcast: ‘He’s young, Scottish and he’s improving’
‘We tried to play our football’ – reaction & as it happened
Postecoglou’s influence on Celtic has grown with each passing game, and the Australian’s mantra of all out attack has brought the best from his players, who have now scored 18 goals in five games.
It produced a raucous atmosphere at Celtic Park, too, with fans loving their team’s swashbuckling style.
No player epitomises the change more than summer signing Kyogo, who has already become a hero at Celtic Park, if the legions of Japanese flags are anything to go by.
The forward led Celtic’s ferocious press, and seems to enjoy a fantastic understanding with a revitalised Rogic, who rolled back the seasons by pirouetting away from three AZ players before finding an outstretched Kyogo, who produced a fantastic finish.
Rogic, Liel Abada, and James Forrest had multiple efforts each as Celtic swarmed AZ throughout the first half and, despite a drop off early in the second period, they eventually found a crucial second goal just after the hour.
David Turnbull won possession high up the pitch and found Kyogo, whose precise pass allowed Forrest to turn and fire a shot towards goal, which went in with the help of an AZ defender.
Out to kill the tie, Celtic ought to have had a third with five minutes left, but a sensational double save from AZ goalkeeper Hobie Verhulst prevented substitute Odsonne Edouard from scoring from close range.
The Dutch side were second best, but by no means a soft touch as they threatened to expose Celtic’s lingering defensive frailties.
Zakaria Aboukhlal caused problems with his pace, and exposed defender Carl Starfelt inside the opening five minutes, only to flop the deck too easily before taking a shot.
Joe Hart had to prod Vangelis Pavlidis’ effort onto a post just a minute later as AZ targeted the open prairie between Celtic’s full-backs and centre-backs, while after the break Thijs Oosting inexplicably side-footed well over from seven yards out.
But, despite the scares, Celtic soaked up late pressure to earn an impressive victory.
Man of the match – Tom Rogic
Tom Rogic
Kyogo was outstanding, but Rogic got Celtic ticking in forward areas and looks a revitalised player
What did we learn?
What a difference a few weeks makes. Celtic looked ominously off the pace in exiting Champions League qualifying and losing their league opener, but just a few games later they look a slick attacking outfit.
Rogic looks like the player of old and Kyogo is relentless on and off the ball, setting the tempo which Postecoglou demands. A previously written-off Anthony Ralston continues to grow too.
Defensively, there are still concerns. Starfelt was slack in possession early on and his recovery pace is not quick enough to make amends for his errors. Alkmaar might have punished some of Celtic’s sloppy defending had they played more than one competitive game so far this season.
This was definitely Celtic’s stiffest test of the season and they passed it with aplomb – but better teams will expose the space they leave when they lose the ball.
However, it is still very early days for Postecoglou and reinforcements are expected to arrive.
What they said
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou: “I thought it was a cracking game. They took it to us at times, we had to work hard and show resilience, but the pleasing thing for me was we didn’t yield or change our approach.
“We were still trying to be brave and even the times it didn’t work out, we just got back on the horse and went again. Our reward for that was getting the two goals.”
What’s next?
Celtic are back in Scottish Premiership action on Saturday, at home to St Mirren (15:00 BST), before the return leg in Alkmaar next Thursday (19:15).
Celtic: “We didn’t yield our football” in thrilling Europa League triumph over AZ Alkmaar says Ange Postecoglou
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou was left in awe of the reserves of energy his team unearthed to drag themselves through a pulsating and punishing examination in order to come away with a 2-0 first leg lead in their frenetic home Europa League play-off against AZ Alkmaar.
By Andrew Smith
Wednesday, 18th August 2021, 10:38 pm
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/celtic-we-didnt-yield-our-football-in-thrilling-europa-league-triumph-over-az-alkmaar-says-ange-postecoglou-3351725
A tie that teemed with opportunities for both teams, it was goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and James Forrest that made the difference to the scoreline – but only because of Celtic’s ability to hang tough inbetween their regular assaults on their opponents. A fifth straight win for Postecoglou was the reward for their endeavours, and the Celtic manager could only but admire his players’ fortitude and fight that accompanied their finesse against adept opponents.
“In the midst of a really heavy programme of football, the guys keep going to the well again and they keep producing. They were outstanding,” he said. “The spirit they showed tonight, when physically I think a few of them were pretty much running on empty, was great. They never stopped which is a great sign for me.
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“[Resilience] is all part of it. It is one thing wanting to play beautiful football, but you have got to roll your sleeves up and show that at times and we did that. We had to at times. We knew we would have to because they are a good team. The key to that is we didn’t yield our football, we didn’t try and change anything we were doing. We had to be brave on the ball and I thought we were.”
Celtic are nerve-shredding and spine-tingling in equal measure – and with a bit of fortune, they lead AZ Alkmaar after pulsating Parkhead night
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/celtic-are-nerve-shredding-and-spine-tingling-in-equal-measure-and-with-a-bit-of-fortune-they-lead-az-alkmaar-after-pulsating-parkhead-night-3351718
Celtic supporters must have felt they were chomping on their major organ for an early supper, so often would hearts have been in mouths across their team’s exhilarating 2-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar in the clubs’ Europa League play-off first leg.
By Andrew Smith
Wednesday, 18th August 2021, 10:17 pm
Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi continued his blistering start to his Celtic career by opening the scoring against AZ Alkmaar.
Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi continued his blistering start to his Celtic career by opening the scoring against AZ Alkmaar.
Ultimately, though, it was heart and soul which Ange Postecoglou’s men put into a chance-fest of a tie that earned them the lead to take to Holland. Fortune favoured them, but that was because the goals netted by Kyogo Furuhashi and James Forrest either side of the interval were the least they deserved for their exuberance, intent and menace. How the same facets shown by Alkmaar left them with nothing to show for their endeavours, the visitors won’t know, but the pumping chest and pumping desire of Celtic’ s Anthony Ralston as a defensive leader from right-back had more than a little to do with that.
The pre-match press involving Postecoglou had the Australian unrepentantly accepting he was a football purist whose teams would be adherents to an open, expansive, expressive brand of attacking football – irrespective of the circumstances, irrespective of the opposition.
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Such a bold mission statement posed many questions. Chiefly, of course, what would happen if they were faced with a team as willing – and capable – of going at them with the intensity and lick with which they had put teams to the sword in recent renaissance. AK Alkmaar proved exactly such a team. And what it meant we were treated to was pure alright: pure thrill-and-spill variety-style entertainment of old. Celtic’s approach, to produce great feats of derring do while so often seeming to teeter on the edge of everything falling apart, reminded of those plate spinning acts. The ones were you would marvel at what took the breath away as you waited for bits of crockery to smash into tiny pieces.
Furuhashi celebrates his goal in front of the Celtic fans.
Furuhashi celebrates his goal in front of the Celtic fans.
Inside the first five minutes, Alkmaar had sliced their hosts ruthlessly apart twice. Then, Zakaria Aboukhlal was wasteful with the first of what would prove four glorious openings before Joe Hart got the slightest touch to turn a goalbound effort from Evangelos Pavildis on to the post.
It was nerve-shredding stuff for the home support but it quickly gave way to spine tingling football from their team. A swirl, a back-and-forth, that framed the entire evening.
Breathless stuff, as Celtic found their groove, Tom Rogic proved the man who could take it away. Postecolgou’s puppeteer as the Parkhead club began to pull the strings in proceedings, and pull the Dutch side apart, the 29-year-old was the player from his pomp.
The featherlight touch and balletic movement were all in situ. If the encounter seemed bagatelle at times, the Australian always seemed to have the surest handle on the levers. So it proved when Celtic did what it seems a given for them to do: leave a team spinning with the alacrity they switch the play to set up Furuhashi to score. The 17th-minute deadlock breaker, ensued from Rogic becoming creator with a flick, trap and pirouette that sent him down the left flank before delivering a chipped cross that the Japanese striker produced an acrobatic slide-jump to jab it into the net. A sixth goal in six games hardly does justice to the astonishing impact of the £4.6million attacker.
James Forrest turns the ball past Hobie Verhulst in the AZ goal to make it 2-0 to Celtic.
James Forrest turns the ball past Hobie Verhulst in the AZ goal to make it 2-0 to Celtic.
Alkmaar then found themselves on the rack with keeper Hobie Verhulst forced to produce saves from Liel Abada, Rogic and Forrest before Hart was equal to another drive from Aboukhlal as the Celtic defence was exposed again.
It was carelessly believable that the first 45 produced one one goal. And the second half was a sequel where the storyline was something of a rehash. The Celtic goal led a charmed life with two chances that the visitors should have buried before Celtic roared back again.
It just had to be the redoubtable Forrest, scoring his third European goal of this campaign alone, and a 15th in his career, to leave only Henrik Larsson, Jimmy Johnstone and Chris Sutton with higher totals. Turnbull and Furuhashi combined to see the forward push the ball through to the Scotland winger. He peeled off his marker before hitting a shot on the half-turn that went in off Timo Letschert.
It was a slice of the good fortune that Celtic enjoyed over the evening… even as they were unlucky not to net a third in an almighty scramble near the end which resulted in two saves from the keeper before substitute Adam Montgomery having a header blocked on the line.
AZ Alkmaar’s Thijs Oosting misses a good second-half chance to let Celtic off the hook.
AZ Alkmaar’s Thijs Oosting misses a good second-half chance to let Celtic off the hook.
Yet, it should be said that, however harem-scarem it was at times for Celtic, they did have valiant performers in their backline, with bodies put on the line and desperate last-ditch tackles fashioned when required. Ralston, again immense with his application and determination, showed the desire that made sure of the most unlikely clean sheet to take into the second leg when he came from nowhere to cut out a cross destined for a posse of Alkmaar attackers. It was that sort of night for Celtic, a footballing sleight of hand… and feet.
Celtic: Hart; Ralston, Starfelt, Welsh, Taylor; McGregor; Abada (Edouard 58), Rogic (McCarthy 75), Turnbull (Soro 88), Forrest; Furuhashi (Montgmoery 74). Subs not used: Barkas, Bitton, Ajeti, Urhoghide, Bain, Shaw, Robertson.
AZ Alkmaar: Verhulst; Sugawara, Letschert, Martins Indi, Oosting; Midtsjø (Clasie 72), De Wit, T Koopmeiners; Gudmundsson (Evjen 72), Pavlidis (Poku 80), Aboukhlal. Subs not used: Vindahl-Jensen, Chatzidiakos, Witry, Reus, Taabouni, Reijnders, Gullit, P Koopmeiners, Beukema.