UEFA Champions LeagueMatchday OneWednesday, September 18, 2024Celtic Park, Glasgow CELTIC… 5(Scales 16, Kyogo 47, Engels 56pen, Maeda 69, Idah 860 SLOVAN BRATISLAVA… 1(Wimmer 60) Celtic kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava at Paradise. Brendan Rodgers’ side produced a stunning performance to take their first three points of the new format competition, thanks to goals from Liam Scales, Kyogo, Aren Engels, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah. As Celtic Park still sizzled with the electric atmosphere from the kick-off, the Hoops carved out the first opening of the game with a move of patience and precision. It started with Kasper Schmeichel passing the ball out to Callum McGregor from inside his own area and ended with Alistair Johnston floating a pass to the far post for Daizen Maeda. The winger controlled the ball but his shot went high and wide. Four minutes later, Slovan Bratislava hit on the counter-attack, with David Strelec cutting in from the right but his effort was deflected wide for a corner. Brendan Rodgers’ side were enjoying the bulk of possession, and Maeda came closer to scoring in the 11th minute following a short corner. Greg Taylor clipped a ball to the edge of the six-yard box, but although Maeda directed his header on target, it was comfortably saved by Dominik Takac. But the Bratislava keeper was helpless just five minutes later as Celtic took the lead through Liam Scales, the Irishman powering a header home from an Arne Engels corner. And just 60 seconds later, the Hoops should have doubled their lead when Nicolas Kuhn fed Kyogo inside the area, but his shot was well-saved. And the visitors had their goalkeeper to thank again in the 25 minute when he blocked a powerful Engels shot from the edge of the area. Kyogo had another great opportunity just after the half-hour mark but his shot from a Hatate cross was off target.If Celtic did not get as many goals as their performance merited in the first-half, that was certainly not the case after the break. And the Hoops got off to the best possible start with a goal after just two minutes of the restart. Nicolas Kuhn drove towards the byline and his dangerous ball across the six-yard box was steered home by Kyogo. Brendan Rodgers’ side were attacking Slovan Bratislava at every opportunity, and Alistair Johnston delivered a dangerous ball into the box that was just beyond the reach of Daizen Maeda. And the Canadian internationalist was involved in Celtic’s next goal when he was brought down inside the box in the 56th minute. Arne Engels, who had coolly slotted home a penalty in the weekend win over Hearts, did the same again, sending the keeper the wrong way to make it 3-0 to the Hoops. The visitors reduced the deficit on the hour mark when Kevin Wimmer fired home after a misplaced clearance from Greg Taylor. But it was still all one-way traffic, with Callum McGregor denied his fourth goal of the season when his shot from the edge of the box was turned from the post. And then an Alistair Johnston cross was deflected goalwards, but the Bratislava keeper did well to save it. However, there was nothing he could do in the 69th minute as Celtic scored a goal that was made in Japan. The ball was fed inside to Kyogo, who knocked it on to Reo Hatate, and his through ball found Daizen Maeda who slotted it home to make it 4-1 to Celtic. And the scoring wasn’t finished yet as Adam Idah got on the scoresheet for the first time since making his move to Celtic a permanent one. James Forrest threaded a superb ball through the inside right channel for the Irish striker, and he fired it home with a first-time finish to make it 5-1. A packed Paradise celebrated a famous victory – Celtic’s biggest ever in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League – and the Hoops will be looking forward with relish to the European challenges ahead.
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