James Forrest fires Celtic into play-off round
● Rodgers hails his side’s ‘sensational’ display in Norway as they take step closer to Champions League group stage
Brendan Rodgers hailed the maturity and composure of his players last night as they claimed a place in the Champions League play-off round, describing their display in the 1-0 win over Rosenborg as “sensational”.
James Forrest grabbed the precious goal which keeps Celtic’s Champions League ambitions alive, smashing a stunning shot beyond Rosenborg keeper Andre Hansen in the 69th minute of a tense clash.
Celtic progressed 1-0 on aggregate to book their place in tomorrow’s draw, with group stage European football now guaranteed for the club this season in either the Champions League or Europa League.
“It was a big performance,” said the Celtic manager. “What was important for me was to see the maturity and how we are developing as a team. This time last year I was going into these games with a hope we could get through.
“Now we go into them, and play to that level and with that composure, it was sensational really. I’m delighted with the players and how they managed the game, how they kept their nerve and courage to play.
“I’ve got a trust in them that they understand how we play. We have a way of working. We have identified a style of football and have a philosophy in how we defend and attack. The players are comfortable in it now.
“I was comfortable throughout the game. We haven’t conceded a goal yet in the qualifiers. People talk about our creativity but there is a steel to our play as well. At 1-0 you can panic a little, not keep the ball properly, but we controlled that element of the game well. Rosenborg never had any chances after that. It’s big applause to our players because we looked like the team who would go on and get another one.”
The Scottish champions will be seeded in tomorrow’s draw and have five potential opponents – Qarabag of Azerbaijan, who they beat in the third qualifying round in 2015; Astana of Kazakhstan, who they defeated in the same round last year; Croatian champions Rijeka; Czech Republic champions Slavia Prague; or Hapoel Beer-sheva of Israel, the side they edged past in the play-off round last season.
“When the draw comes there will be one of those anxious moments over the two legs,” said Rodgers. “But 12 months on it’s a different mentality and feel. Whoever we get, it will be a tough game, but my focus now is on Hearts on Saturday.”
Brendan Rodgers saw his faith in the goalscoring potential of James Forrest spectacularly vindicated as the winger’s thunderous strike took Celtic into the play-off round of the Champions League.
Forrestscoredtheonlygoalof a nervy third qualifying round tie with just over 20 minutes remaining, its timing perfect just as Rosenborg appeared to be seizing control and threatening to hand Rodgers a significant setback.
Thanks to Forrest’s moment of magic, the Celtic manager remains on course to lead his team into the Champions League group stage for the second successive sea- son. At the very least, the Scottish champions are now guaranteed Europe- an football until Christ- mas as they would drop into the group stage of the Europa League if they lose their final qualifier.
Their sights will be firmly focused on the bigger prize, howev- er, having emerged unscathed from a tie in which they were, for the most part, with- out the services of both central strikers Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths.
It was an evening of high stakes and big decisions for Rodgers. He opted to begin with fit-again Griffiths on the bench, handing Forrest the responsibility of spearheading the pursuit of an away goal.
The other significant choice was at the back where Erik Sviatchenko was restored in central defence at the expense of Kristoffer Ajer, who was n ot even named among the substitutes. That selection backfired when Sviatchenko succumbed to injury yet again with less than half an hour played, limping off to be replaced by Israeli international midfielder Nir Bitton. Despite that disruption to their plans, Celtic were generally the more progressive side and certainly created the better chances in a first half which provided goalkeeper Craig Gordon with little cause for concern.
He did have to make the first save of the match, comfortably holdingasnapshotfrommilan Jevtovic after some sharp play from Rosenborg’s captain and most accomplished player Mike Jensen.
But Celtic looked by far the more likely side to make a breakthrough and Mikael Lustig might have done better against his former club when, left unmarked and picked out by a Kieran Tierney cross, he blazed his shot wildly over.
Celtic came much closer in the 20th minute. Jonny Hayes, making his first starting appearance for the club, picked out Sviatchenko with a free-kick from the left and his close-range header was cleared off the line by Nicklas Bendtner. That proved to be Sviatchenko’s last meaningful contribution. Making a challenge on Andreas Konradsen five minutes later, he sustained the knock to his right leg which left him unable to continue.
Celtic remained determined to stay on the front foot as much as possible and only a superb save by Andre Hansen prevented them taking the lead in the 27th minute. Tierney surged impressively down the left again, his low cross finding Forrest whose close-range shot was diverted over the crossbar by the Rosenborg keeper.
Hansen and Gordon were both called into action in the closing stages of the first half with a long-range effort from Celtic captain Scott Brown and a header from Bendtner each easily dealt with.
Rosenborg began the second half with far greater intensity, moving the ball quicker and looking to press Celtic much higher up the pitch. The visitors appeared slightly taken aback and were relieved to see Yann-erik de Lanlay, the man who missed a sitter for the Norwegian champions in Glasgow, drag a right-foot shot narrowly wide after latching onto Bendtner’s lay-off.
Celtic were now finding it more difficult to find an outlet up front and with 57 minutes on the clock, Rodgers
“Forrest scored the only goal with just over 20 minutes remaining, its timing perfect just as Rosenborg appeared to be seizing control”
decided it was time for Griffiths to make his entrance. The increasingly peripheral Hayes was the man to make way. Griffiths wasted little time making his presence felt, whipping in a dangerous cross which Rosenborg scrambled clear before Scott Sinclair could make a connection.
The home side came close again when Jensen flashed a shot just wide of Gordon’s left-hand post and there was a clear sense they were taking the initiative – until Forrest’s stunning goal completely altered the picture and put Celtic firmly in control of the situation.
Sinclair, having far from his best night in a Celtic shirt, came to life when he burst through the middle to pick out Forrest on the right of the penalty area. The winger, now back in his natural position, took a heavy first touch but regained control of the ball before smashing it high beyond Hansen via the underside of the crossbar.
Rosenborg were visibly deflated, now requiring two goals to salvage the tie. It was a task which was clearly beyond them and all of the conviction drained from their play. Celtic should have added gloss to the scoreline in the closing minutes, Forrest missing a simple chance to add to his tally, but he had already converted the one chance which was all the visitors needed.