Celtic pegged back after Elyounoussi’s first- half brace Three things we learned

Scottish champions settle for share of spoils after letting two- goal lead slip

CELTIC are just two victories away from making history by becoming the first club ever to both lift the Scottish Cup and complete domestic trebles four years running.

Yet, this was one quadruple the besieged Parkhead club and their manager Neil Lennon would rather have avoided.

The Scottish champions travelled to France for their second Europa League group game with the hysterical overreaction to their threegame winless streak – they have lost to Rangers and AC Milan at home and drawn with Aberdeen away since the international break – still stinging their ears.

A draw against the only undefeated side in Ligue

1 this season in the Stade Pierre- Mauroy was far from a disgrace. Indeed, the point they picked up for their heroic efforts last night could prove invaluable to their hopes of getting out of Group H and reaching the knockout rounds.

Still, Celtic surrendered the two- goal lead that a firsthalf Moi Elyounoussi double had given them in the second half, and have now gone four matches without triumphing for the first time in over six years. Another two of the players who have been sidelined as the result of positive coronavirus tests, Nir Bitton and Odsonne Edouard, this month returned to the Celtic squad.

Neither Bitton, who was outstanding in defence before being ruled out, nor Edouard, their talismanic striker, made the starting line- up. Still, their presence in the squad was an indication Celtic are, slowly but surely, recovering from their off- field difficulties.

Vasilis Barkas had missed the Premiership match at Pittodrie on Sunday as a result of the back injury he suffered in a collision with Shane Duffy late on against Milan.

The Greek keeper, a £ 5m acquisition from AEK Athens in the summer, was available for selection last night, but Scott Bain, who had been come in for him at the weekend, kept his place.

Barkas has been unable to show why Celtic were prepared to pay so much money for him in the opening months of the 2020/ 21 campaign and many fans had wanted to see him replaced before he picked up his knock. Based on this display by his understudy, he will struggle to win back his place.

Bain produced outstanding one- handed saves from a Boubakaray Soumare piledriver and a Yusuf Yazici free- kick after Duffy had fouled Jonathan Bamba as Lille piled on the pressure.

It was, though, far from one- way traffic. Albian Ajeti had a goal chalked off for offside by referee Aleksandar Stavrev and should have done far better after Diego Laxalt and Elyounoussi combined brilliantly to supply him up with a gilt- edged chance. His first- time attempt flew way over his intended target.

The Swiss forward atoned for that spurned opportunity moments later when his cute back heel wide on the left fooled Zeki Celic and sent Elyounoussi charging into space on the edge of the opposition area, with the Norwegian winger sublimely curling the ball home from 20 yards. Lille goalie Mike Maignan had no hope of getting a hand to his effort, as it clipped the inside of the right post on its way in.

The scorer put Celtic further ahead just four minutes later when right- back Jeremie Frimpong squared to him in acres of space in the Lille area. He met it first time and his shot eluded the outstretched Maignan and rolled into the bottom left corner.

Duffy, the Republic of Ireland defender who has joined from Brighton on loan, has been struggling of late and his challenge on Jonathan David on the edge of his penalty box five minutes before half- time was foolish. He clipped the heels of his rival and the match official point straight to the spot.

On this occasion, however, the centre- half was hard done by. Television replays showed

It was far from one- way traffic

that he had made contact just outside. Unfortunately for him, VAR is not in use in the group stages of this competition.

David, the 20- year- old striker who Lille paid Gent a cool € 30m for back in August, stepped forward to try his luck from 12 yards. The Canadian’s shot was weak and he was denied by the right leg of Bain. His save rounded off an impressive 45 minutes.

Kristoffer Ajer limped off injured early in the second half and was replaced by Bitton, while Ajeti made way for Edouard.

Celtic dropped deep to protect their lead and Lille pulled a goal back at a Yazici corner in the 67th minute. Jeremy Pied nodded his delivery down to Celik, who fired past Bain from close range.

Jonathan Ikone levelled eight minutes later when nobody dealt with a Domagoj Bradaric cross.

Lennon made a triple substitution with 10 minutes remaining. Off went Brown, Ryan Christie and Olivier Ntcham and on came Ismaila Soro, Tom Rogic and Stephen Welsh. The replacements helped their side see out a draw.

It was unclear at the final whistle whether they had picked up a point or dropped two.

CELTIC ARE ANYTHING BUT POORLY COACHED

FOR all that Neil Lennon has had his critics, one thing they certainly can’t level at his side after this showing is that the players don’t know their roles.

It was a display full of grit at one end and no little invention at the other, married together by solid organisation, with each player comfortable in what was expected of them.

Yes, they still look extremely vulnerable at set- plays, and even more so after Kristoffer Ajer was forced off through injury, but despite the late lapses they showed more than enough in the opening hour to suggest they are still a team to be reckoned with.

WHERE HAS ELYOUNOUSSI BEEN HIDING?

THE Norwegian winger has of late been a shadow of the player who impressed so much during his first season at Celtic. Indeed, he was hardly seen in the draw against Aberdeen at the weekend.

Those recent showings are all the more mystifying when you see the level of talent that he undoubtedly has during a performance like this.

The first goal of his double was a thing of beauty, picking up the ball, advancing towards goal and curling an absolute beauty into the top corner. His second was wonderfully taken too, steering the ball into the bottom corner first- time from Frimpong’s cutback.

LAXALT LOOKS A REALLY USEFUL ADDITION

THE left- back has been one of the few bright sparks from their recent poor run of form, and he was in impressive fettle once more here as he bombed up and down the left.

As well as being solid in the tackle, he was more than willing to carry the fight forward as well, and he showed that he has a decent delivery on him too when the opportunity presented itself.