BHOYS BUCKLE UNDER SIEGE
EUROPA LEAGUE Insipid Celtic fall in Russia as Rodgers’ team exhibit many of their old failings 13
AT the height of the Second World War, the siege of Leningrad is believed to have lasted some 872 days. In the city that has subsequently been named St Petersburg, the resistance of Brendan Rodgers and his Celtic players proved to be rather more feeble last night.
By the end of a hugely disappointing affair, the small pocket of travelling fans were entitled to feel they had sat through this dreary old movie a few times.
After all the promise of the first leg, so many old failings were again their side’s undoing. A lack of poise and concentration. The loss of an early goal. An inability to take one of the few half-chances that came their way. Progress at this level does not seem to come easy.
No one expected finishing the job to be in any way straightforward but Zenit rather cruised through to the last 16, the Scots simply unable to lay a glove on them.
The cohesion and belief Celtic had shown in winning the first game in Glasgow was conspicuous by its absence. So, too, was the high-press which seemed to rattle the Russians. With the exception of Olivier Ntcham and James Forrest, no one in a hooped shirt really did themselves justice.
It was a particularly painful affair for Dorus de Vries. The Dutch goalkeeper needed a big display here to lay claim to Craig Gordon’s jersey in the longer term but a poor attempt to deny Daler Kuzyaev the second Zenit goal will not help his cause.
By that stage, though, the cracks were long evident. Branislav Ivanovic’s headed opener after seven minutes was claimed with embarrassing ease.
Celtic rallied to an extent after the break but by the time Aleksandr Kokorin added a third just after the hour they had shown little sign of finding their cutting edge.
Truthfully, Rodgers’ men were well beaten in the end. Any belief that the ring-rust that had beset Roberto Mancini’s men in Glasgow would last another week proved to be wishful thinking.
The prospect of a second successive Treble, with the next stop Pittodrie on Sunday, means Celtic will not have much time for reflection, but on the long flight home they will have considered how distant the latter stages of European competitions can seem on such nights.
What a curious backdrop the Krestovsky Stadium made. Although a jaw-dropping structure, its heated interior — keeping out the minus 14 degree cold — gave it a surreal feel.
With the match nowhere near a sell-out, the noise rather bounced off the arena’s retractable roof. For all the world, it felt like a gargantuan swimming pool.
Having presided over the near perfect European performance last week, the unchanged line-up Rodgers named surprised no one. Ivanovic returning for Zenit at right-back was the only alteration to Mancini’s side.
It took the former Chelsea man just seven minutes to make an indelible mark on the contest. Just as Celtic seemed to be easing their way in, Leandro Paredes’ low curler from the edge of the box forced De Vries to turn the ball away for a corner.
It was comedic defending thereafter. Paredes’ out-swinger along the six-yard line found Kristoffer Ajer blocked off at the far post and Jozo Simunovic oblivious to the impending danger. Rising unchallenged, Ivanovic’s planted header found the top corner and, in the blink of an eye, Callum McGregor’s first leg goal had been cancelled out.
The important thing from Celtic’s perspective was not to concede a second in short order. Kokorin, anonymous in Glasgow, looked set to do just that until De Vries belatedly marched from his line to claim a troubling ball over the top.
Paredes, the £25million Argentinian, was running the show. He drew a foul from McGregor 30 yards from goal and took command of the dead-ball situation. De Vries was relieved to see it graze the roof of his net.
Celtic’s occasional promise on the counter attack tended to fall down either through a lack of a final ball or Zenit’s cynicism. Kuzyaev and Paredes had their names taken, both for crunching fouls on Forrest.
It took 27 minutes for the turnaround to be completed. Celtic have conceded 13 goals in their past three away matches in Europe, with Paris Saint-Germain firing seven past them and Bayern Munich netting three Again, the manner of the concession was meek. Working a short throw-in, Anton Zabolotny found Kuzyaev advanced but posing no obvious threat. As he rolled the ball on to his right foot 25 yards out, still the danger seemed remote.
It was a decent strike but was eminently saveable. De Vries knew as much as soon as the ball flew past his outstretched left arm on route to the back of the net. So much for avenging the seven goals he lost in the Nou Camp last season. A truly disastrous night was now in danger of unfolding.
Eboue Kouassi did not help matters by becoming the third booking of the night for a rash challenge on Zenit skipper Domenico Criscito. With that went the Ivorian’s composure. Only Moussa Dembele’s stationing on the near post prevented Emiliano Rigoni scoring a third directly from a corner.
The interval didn’t arrive a moment too soon for the visitors.
To the surprise of no one, Tom Rogic replaced Kouassi during it. The Australian made a telling introduction by feeding Ntcham only for the Frenchman to panic and drag a decent chance wide of the far post.
Celtic were at least asking questions. When Forrest won a corner after dazzling Criscito down the right, Ntcham’s corner gave Ajer half a chance of landing the all-important goal. Alas, the Norwegian could not get sufficient purchase on the header.
Sensing a glimmer of hope, Rodgers summoned Scott Sinclair to replace McGregor. But before the switch could be made, the tie was effectively over.
Simunovic did well to repel an initial cross by Zabolotny only for the ball to land at Ivanovic’s feet. The Serbian’s low cross was menacing. Mikael Lustig did not spot Kokorin running off his shoulder. The Russian international buried the chance from four yards.
We had seen 66 minutes elapse before Andrei Lunev was forced into a meaningful save. It stemmed from excellent wing play by Forrest. Ntcham’s consequent strike was much too central, though.
Forrest then bowed out with Charly Musonda representing Rodgers’ last throw of the dice.
Rogic and Sinclair did succeed in warming Lunev’s gloves but they never truly stretched Zenit’s custodian. After all the promise of the first leg, that rather typified Celtic’s night.