Celtic take giant step to Champions League

Hoops put Astana to sword in a night to remember for Brendan Rodgers’ side

CELTIC 5

ASTANA 0

Celtic confidently planted one foot into the Champions League group stages with a 5-0 thumping of Astana in the first leg of their play-off at Parkhead.

Returning midfielder Tom Rogic’s strike in the 31st minute was helped into his own net by defender Evgeni Postnikov before attacker Scott Sinclair added a second three minutes before the interval.

The former Manchester City and Aston Villa player notched his second on the hour mark, with further goals from winger James Forrest and Astana defender Igor Shitov, who deflected a Leigh Griffiths’ strike into his own net, for a result that in no way flattered Celtic.

The Hoops knocked the Kazakhstan outfit out in the third qualifying round last season on a 3-2 aggregate, and only a remarkable turnaround next Tuesday in Astana will prevent a repeat.

Celtic, surely, will be among European football’s big boys for the second successive season under Rodgers.

Griffiths had declared himself free of an ongoing calf complaint and Rogic came back into the midfield, while midfielder Nir Bitton was again asked to play centre-back.

The Hoops were boosted by the return of the Green Brigade, the ultras-style fan group, which had been suspended for two games for stadium indiscretions and helped provide a fantastic atmosphere.

Astana arrived on a run of eight consecutive league wins which saw them top their league after 23 matches, and their Bulgarian boss Stanimir Stoilov had confidently predicted his side would make it into the group stages.

That now looks like a somewhat fanciful boast.

It was hardly a whirlwind start by Celtic. Sinclair miscued a shot in the fourth minute and Griffiths headed a Forrest cross past the post with only goalkeeper Aleksandr Mokin to beat.

However, the Scottish champions kept passing and probing, and Rogic transformed the game with a run into the Astana box before knocking the ball past Mokin from eight yards, with Postnikov helping it into his own net.

Celtic increased the pressure as the interval approached and Sinclair took advantage of a break of the ball to race through on goal and drive past Mokin and in at the far post.

The second half was as open and stretched as the first, with both sides going for the next goal.

It was the home side who got it when, with Rogic and Yuri Logvinenko on the ground after a clash of heads, Griffiths slipped in Sinclair and he sped through to drill his shot through the legs of Mokin.

A groggy Rogic was replaced by Callum McGregor and Logvinenko by Abzal Beysebekov.

Griffiths missed the target from close range as the visitors struggled to cope with Celtic’s energy and pace.

Rodgers’ side kept up their pursuit of a fourth and it came in the 79th minute when midfielder Olivier Ntcham set up Forrest to score on the angle, before he was replaced by Stuart Armstrong, set to sign a new deal before the weekend.

With two minutes remaining Shitov deflected a Griffiths strike past his own keeper to make it 5-0 and surely secure Champions League football again, and the fans lapped up the final minutes.

Celtic: Gordon, Lustig, Bitton, Simunovic, Tierney, Forrest (Armstrong 82), Ntcham, Brown, Sinclair, Rogic (McGregor 63), Griffiths. Unused subs: De Vries, Benyu, Ajer, Ralston, Miller.

Pictures: SNS/PA. Top: Tom Rogic starts the Celtic rout, with his shot turned into his own net by Astana’s Aleksandr Mokin; above: James Forrest drives home the fourth goal.