[Official TC Thread] Celtic vs Happoel Be'er Sheva match thread. Wednesday 17th of Aug, 19:45, BTSport2

the 2 goals we conceded could be a blessing, at 3 nil up it looked like our players became a little complacent as beaver shavers looked, at that point, utter *. so I would guess Brendan Rodgers will be drilling that point home. at this level concentration has to be at 100% for the full length of any given game.

 

Forget Griffiths is only 25 sometimes, he's still growing as a player which we seen tonight. I think we can expect him to continue to grow for a few more years, too. Exciting times.

 

great play eve n if we went mad for a 5 min spell

 

Brendan "Cajones" Rodgers :smiley-laughing002:

 

Really hope BR see the need for that composed DM who thinks about defending when we're 3 up..

Sorry to be boring..:smiley-laughing002:

 

* me, it's never easy with us is it? It'll be nervy out there unless we get an early away goal I feel, even with a 3 goal advantage.

 

Unfortunately he was kind of culpable at their first goal.

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He came on at 3-2.

 

Rollercoaster of a match. 3-0 up and playing superbly. Everything rosy in the garden. BOOM. BOOM. 3-2. Aw for * sake - disaster! Brendan makes a few changes, we win 5-2 and everything is rosy again.

Compelling viewing. Watching Ronny Deila's Celtic was NEVER as much fun as that tonight. Really enjoyable stuff. We have our Celtic back and it's all down to one man.

 

Don't know about anyone else but i'm knackered after watching that :smiley-laughing002:

 

Bitton will be the man for that.

 

Bitton isn't a DM per se..

 

great strength to get back into it tonight. going over there with more options at the back can only be a good thing

 

Why were the beer sheva players doing training on our pitch after the game? :smiley-laughing002:

 

Warm down probably, or subs doing training. Always see un used players out after games

 

* stream changed during brendans interview

 

Yaaaaassssssssssss

 

Although O'Connell is another who looks like a different player BR and has done well...

Can't wait for Sviatchenko to return, a real leader.

 

We must be the only team in Europe who can dominate a game and win 5 2 and still come away saying we SHOULD be ok

 

CELTIC will head into next week’s UEFA Champions League play-off second leg with Hapoel Be’er Sheva with a three-goal advantage after they overcame the Israeli side 5-2 in an enthralling play-off first-leg clash at Paradise.
Three goals in a scintillating first 45 minutes from Brendan Rodgers’ team looked to have put the tie firmly in the Hoops’ control after Tom Rogic found the net inside 10 minutes before Leigh Griffiths rattled in a quick-fire double before half-time.
However, two goals in two minutes after the restart from the visitors reduced Celtic’s advantage but a pin-point header from substitute Moussa Dembele gave the Bhoys a two-goal cushion before captain Scott Brown re-established the three-goal advantage with a volley into the net with just five minutes left.
The skipper’s strike marked an incredible conclusion to a dramatic contest and has Celtic in pole position to qualify for the group stages.
After a rousing reception to the official UEFA Champions League anthem at Paradise before kick-off, Celtic set about the task of getting in front in the tie and it took them just over eight minutes to do so after an impressive start to the game.
Brown was first to try his luck with a powerful shot from the left of the box but David Goresh in the Be’er Sheva goal did well to tip the effort wide. There was nothing he could do about Celtic’s opener, however, after Griffiths picked out the run of Sinclair with a delightful chipped pass into the winger’s path.
Goresh came out to meet the forward and wiped him out with a thumping challenge. The ball broke to Rogic, who curved a left-footed shot past the Be’er Sheva goalkeeper and his stranded defence into the empty net.
Paradise erupted and willed the Bhoys on for another goal while Goresh was booked for his challenge on Sinclair.
The anticipated response from Be’er Sheva after conceding so early saw the visitors attempt to pass their way through the Celtic midfield, but Kolo Toure was a rock at the heart of the defence, with the Ivorian centre-half claiming every high ball and putting his body in front of any hint of a shot from Barak Bakhar’s side.
The 35-year-old was also majestic going forward, breaking free from defence into midfield at will and with purpose, and it was from one such run that the Bhoys doubled their lead just before half-time. Toure strode forward confidently, dancing past challenges before feeding the ball to Sinclair, who, in turn, found James Forrest out wide.
The winger delivered an excellent cross to the back post where Griffiths arrived like a bolt of lightning to power an unstoppable header into the net.
A brilliant first-half was then made even better when Griffiths curled a sensational free-kick from the right corner of the box into the top corner of Goresh’s net to put the Bhoys thoroughly, and deservedly, in charge at half-time.
However, Celtic’s lead then dissolved in the space of two minutes in the second-half when first Lucio Maranhao lashed a left-footed shot past Craig Gordon at the near post to make it 3-1, before captain, Maor Melikson smashed a first-time shot low beyond the out-stretched hand of Gordon.
Conceding two goals in two minutes shocked the Bhoys and they made a double switch in the wake of the goals, withdrawing Callum McGregor and Mikael Lustig for Nir Bitton and Saidy Janko. Brendan Rodgers then made his final play to extend Celtic’s slender lead by switching Rogic with Dembele with 20 minutes left.
And the Hoops forward took only two minutes to make an impact, heading home a Griffiths corner to make it 4-2. The forward looked in the mood for more as he fired another effort off the side netting but Be’er Sheva didn’t wilt, with the quick reactions of Gordon responsible for stopping Maharan Radi’s goal-bound header.
It was Celtic who would have the final say, however, with Hoops captain Brown restoring the Scottish champions’ three-goal advantage with an angled volley from the edge of the box with five minutes left. And they almost grabbed a sixth goal when Scott Sinclair curged through on goal, but he was denied by Goresh
The Bhoys had to play through an agonising four minutes of injury-time as the Paradise faithful watched the clock countdown but the Hoops held on to their lead confidently to head into next Tuesday’s return leg in control of the tie.