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| Celtic qualify for final 32 despite limp defeat at hands of Salzburg | Celtic qualify for final 32 despite limp defeat at hands of Salzburg |
| (36 minutes later) | |
| Celtic Park, storied hotbed of European football, bristling bowl of big-game exhilaration, has enjoyed better nights. A 3-1 defeat by Salzburg will hardly go down alongside wins over Barcelona, Manchester United and Milan but by virtue of results elsewhere it was enough to secure Celtic a place in the last 32 of the Europa League. | |
| FC Astra’s 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb means the Hoops will have continental competition beyond Christmas to illuminate what has been an overcast season, although there was little illuminating about the Scottish champions’ display against a frankly stronger Salzburg side. | FC Astra’s 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb means the Hoops will have continental competition beyond Christmas to illuminate what has been an overcast season, although there was little illuminating about the Scottish champions’ display against a frankly stronger Salzburg side. |
| “We wanted to get through by ourselves, with a win,” explained Deila, who confessed his unease at celebrating Europa League progression with a defeat. “Salzburg are a lot of things we want to be. Every time they attacked I felt threatened and we started the game very poorly by conceding two easy goals. I didn’t feel well after 15 minutes, but I think we fought our way back into the match. Salzburg have shown themselves as a very good team, but I think we have been the second best team [in the group].” | “We wanted to get through by ourselves, with a win,” explained Deila, who confessed his unease at celebrating Europa League progression with a defeat. “Salzburg are a lot of things we want to be. Every time they attacked I felt threatened and we started the game very poorly by conceding two easy goals. I didn’t feel well after 15 minutes, but I think we fought our way back into the match. Salzburg have shown themselves as a very good team, but I think we have been the second best team [in the group].” |
| This is a Celtic side still lacking an identity under Deila. Every so often there are glimpses of the Norwegian’s vision, microcosms of his dynamic and free-flowing philosophy, but such progress has been hindered by defeats to Hamilton. Or Inverness. Or in this case, Salzburg. | This is a Celtic side still lacking an identity under Deila. Every so often there are glimpses of the Norwegian’s vision, microcosms of his dynamic and free-flowing philosophy, but such progress has been hindered by defeats to Hamilton. Or Inverness. Or in this case, Salzburg. |
| Deila’s side have reserved their best form for the Europa League this season, but this was a largely disjointed and incoherent display, particularly in the first half, with the defensive shakiness that handicapped their Champions League qualification campaign again an affliction. | Deila’s side have reserved their best form for the Europa League this season, but this was a largely disjointed and incoherent display, particularly in the first half, with the defensive shakiness that handicapped their Champions League qualification campaign again an affliction. |
| Improvement was made after the interval, but Celtic struggled to find any kind of traction in the final third, with John Guidetti, the on-loan Manchester City striker who has scored 10 goals in 11 games, notable in his absence. Without the Swede – who is ineligible for the Europa League group stages – Celtic don’t just lack their top scorer, but a player who has quickly become the focal point of the entire team. | Improvement was made after the interval, but Celtic struggled to find any kind of traction in the final third, with John Guidetti, the on-loan Manchester City striker who has scored 10 goals in 11 games, notable in his absence. Without the Swede – who is ineligible for the Europa League group stages – Celtic don’t just lack their top scorer, but a player who has quickly become the focal point of the entire team. |
| “I am really looking forward to it,” said Deila, casting his thoughts to the competition’s knockout stage – when Guidetti can be registered. “It’s three months until the next round so we can prepare for that.” | “I am really looking forward to it,” said Deila, casting his thoughts to the competition’s knockout stage – when Guidetti can be registered. “It’s three months until the next round so we can prepare for that.” |
| Everton, Fiorentina and Inter Milan are among the sides Celtic could face in the competition’s last 32, with the third place teams from the Champions League groups also dropping into the draw, although Deila insisted the task of facing a team as strong as Salzburg has prepared his side for anything the latter stages of the Europa League might throw at Celtic. | Everton, Fiorentina and Inter Milan are among the sides Celtic could face in the competition’s last 32, with the third place teams from the Champions League groups also dropping into the draw, although Deila insisted the task of facing a team as strong as Salzburg has prepared his side for anything the latter stages of the Europa League might throw at Celtic. |
| “I don’t think the third one in the Champions League is any better than the team we met today,” the Norwegian said. “This is the standard. We met a modern football team that was very direct and intense, and if we can handle this we can handle a Champions League team.” | “I don’t think the third one in the Champions League is any better than the team we met today,” the Norwegian said. “This is the standard. We met a modern football team that was very direct and intense, and if we can handle this we can handle a Champions League team.” |
| Captain Scott Brown provided some foresight beforehand, maintaining that Salzburg would provide the toughest test Celtic have faced so far this season, and so it proved. Within 12 minutes the chance of securing passage to the competition’s last 16 with one group game to spare looked to have been spurned. | |
| The Brazilian forward Alan reacted quickest to a deflected Massimo Bruno shot, breaking beyond the static home defence to meet the spinning ball on the volley, leaving Craig Gordon helplessly still with an assured finish into the bottom right corner. | |
| His shortened name might not conjure up immediate thoughts of joga bonito and the football styling of his homeland but the Brazilian’s nifty footwork and general attacking threat were proving too much for the Celtic backline to handle and he doubled Salzburg’s lead five minutes later with a backpost finish on the stretch from a corner. | |
| But against a side owned by a well-known energy drink brand, Celtic finally found their wings on the half-hour when Stefan Johansen – so often Celtic’s spark of energy in the Europa League this season – sent a volley of his own into Peter Gulasci’s net after good work from Emilio Izaguirre down the left. | |
| Kris Commons and James Forrest were introduced by Deila with little over 20 minutes left to give his side more of a platform in the final third but it was the Austrians who came closer to scoring, with Alan inches away from finishing a low cross from his strike-partner Soriano. | |
| Celtic Park has grown accustomed to hailing goalkeeping heroics this season, but it was Gulasci rather than Gordon who pulled off the best save of the night, denying Johansen from a matter of yards. Naby Keita did add a third in stoppage time, heading a rebound past Gordon to secure top spot in Group D for Salzburg. |