COMEBACK WITH A BANG
with so many key men out. Yet again the Parkhead manager is having to fight his way to the groups with a straitjacket on.
Mind you, a year ago against Rosenborg he had no centre-halves or strikers, so last night was at least marginally less of a stress.
Tom Rogic and James Forrest were the understudies up front last term. Rodgers called them false nines – this time he had a real number nine million.
He didn’t half look the part. The France youth cap is making that £9million price tag seem like a snip and his double against the Scandinavians could go a long way to paying back his fee several times over.
Edouard was the tip of the spear and while it took some rejigging behind him, the French ace was always the most likely to make the most of his solo. The 20-year-old’s been on song in pre-season and his finish was note perfect and delivered with impeccable timing. The interval would have given Rosenborg a chance to clear out the lungs. Instead Edouard took the wind out them with his cool, calm execution. The Hoops supporters could breathe again after Birger Meling’s 15th-minute opener caused Parkhead pulses to quicken. Nothing is ever straightforward in these qualifiers. But Ntcham’s fancy footwork was a sensational start to the second act before Edouard’s sublime encore gave Celts are far more comfortable cushion to take to Norway. If it wasn’t for the woodwork the travelling Hoops fans would have been heading to Trondheim just for a sing song. The fat lady isn’t quite out just yet but Celtic are in great shape to make the next stage.
RYAN LAPS UP MASTERCLASS