Match report
FULL TIME: Astana 4-3 Celtic (agg 4-8)
Celtic qualify for the group stage of the Champions League! And what a match this was, both teams taking their attacking A-games and defensive Z-games to the party. Marvellous entertainment! What an advertisement for European football! Just think how good the Champions League group stage would be if they let all the champions into it!
90 min +3: Grahovac is booked for persistent tugging of Ajer’s shirt.
90 min +1: The first of five added minutes, and the excellent Muzhikov nearly threads a shot into the bottom-right corner from a tight angle on the right. Gordon needs to close that gap at his near post.
GOAL! Astana 4-3 Celtic (Griffiths 90); agg 4-8
Griffiths has been quiet tonight, but he’s never stopped running. And now he gets his reward. He takes a stride down the inside-right channel, and upon reaching the right-hand edge of the Astana D, smashes a vicious daisycutter across Eric and into the bottom left!
89 min: Another fine Muzhikov cross from the right. Twumasi, diving low six yards from goal, can’t connect. Anything on that, and it was in the net.
87 min: Muzhikov nutmegs Tierney out on the right, and floats a cross to the far post. Kabananga isn’t too far away from it, but Bitton nuts out for a corner, and the set piece is easily claimed by Gordon. The hosts have been sparkling in attack in this second half. On another evening ... well, it doesn’t bear thinking about for Celtic.
86 min: Ntcham has a pointless nibble at Shitov’s heel. He’s fortunate to escape a booking.
84 min: The Astana sub Beysebekov is hooked for Tagybergen.
83 min: Brendan Rodgers sides are nothing if not entertaining.
82 min: Phew. Eh? Anyway, that’s calmed Celtic down. Shomko’s disappointment gets the better of him, though, as he slides in late on Ralston. A booking, and he’s also got Brown up in his grille, wagging the don’t-try-that-again finger.
GOAL! Astana 4-2 Celtic (Ntcham 81); agg 4-7
Space for Ntcham out on the left. He opens his body and sidefoots goalwards. The ball clanks off Shitov, closing him down, and flies into the top left. Worried, Celtic? Nah. The entire bench does spring up and jig around in the excited style, mind you.
79 min: This second half was supposed to be a walk in the park!
78 min: Beysebekov had clattered into Tierney while setting up his mate there. Both players look extremely groggy, having taken good old-fashioned smacks in the coupon. Tierney won’t necessarily appreciate this, but the break is good news for Celtic, who have a couple of minutes to regroup and calm themselves down.
76 min: Astana should have a fifth. Shomko crosses deep from the left. Beysebekov rises at the far post and nods down for Twumasi, alone on the penalty spot! But Astana’s star man hoicks recklessly over the bar.
75 min: On the touchline, Brendan Rodgers swallows hard. He’s trying to exude serenity, he doesn’t want to transmit panic to his team. But there are micro-tells. Gulp. Hard gulp.
73 min: Twumasi is on another level right now! He slaloms down the inside-left channel, past four challenges, and hammers goalwards. Gordon parries out for a corner, a wonderful save. And then from the set piece, Muzhikov lashes a shot from a tight angle on the left. Gordon parries again. The ball breaks to Maevski, who should probably score from the penalty spot but snatches at the effort. Celtic are all over the shop here.
71 min: Postnikov is booked for a late slide on Rogic. From the resulting free kick, Griffiths looks for the top right. Eric palms round for a corner, which is cleared. A brave response by Celtic, who must be wondering what on earth is going on here.
GOAL! Astana 4-1 Celtic (Twumasi 69); agg 4-6
Oh me, oh my. Tierney scampers down the left and scoops long for Griffiths, who chests down on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box but blasts over. He had to score. And then the hosts go straight upfield, and within 20 seconds have another goal! Twumasi, tight on the right touchline, slips past Bitton, storms into the box unchallenged, and slams the ball past Gordon at his near post from a tight angle!
67 min: Celtic sweep upfield majestically, Ntcham instigating the move with a delightful turn deep inside his own half. He sends the ball upfield for Armstrong, who clips left for Griffiths. The cross inside only just evades Armstrong, who has kept on keeping on. That would have been a picture-book goal.
66 min: Griffiths takes a speculative whack from 25 yards. Eric snaffles with ease.
65 min: Armstrong comes on for Sinclair, who has put in a shift all right. How precious is his first-half goal now?
64 min: Shomko tries to create havoc in the Celtic box with a long throw from the left. Rogic rises to head clear. No bother.
62 min: Celtic are struggling to get a sniff of the ball. “Am not panicking yet but am starting to consider it,” admits Gordon Pittendrigh. It’s the default setting of every football fan.
60 min: Thing is, it won’t take much to put a stop to Astana’s gallop, such as it is. Griffiths very nearly latches onto a loose square pass in the Astana defence, one sliding Anicic tackle away from breaking clean through.
58 min: A long ball down the left releases Twumasi, who peels off Lustig’s shoulder. He’s onside, but the flag goes up. Relief for Celtic, because another goal for Astana in the next few minutes doesn’t bear thinking about.
57 min: ... while Forrest is replaced by Ralston.
56 min: McGregor is replaced by Rogic ...
54 min: And now Beysebekov races down the right, curls in low, and Kabananga hoicks over the crossbar from six yards! How did he miss?! The flag goes up for offside, but Celtic are living very dangerously here. Time to breathe in through the nose, and out through the mouth: keep calm, the hosts still need four.
53 min: Shomko curls into the Celtic box from deep on the left. Twumasi cushions the ball to Muzhikov, just to his left. Muzhikov can’t quite get enough purchase on the ball from 12 yards, but that was a chance. Gordon gathers.
51 min: One minute and 47 seconds between those two goals. Brendan Rodgers probably needs to hone his half-time patter.
GOAL! Astana 3-1 Celtic (Twumasi 49); agg 3-6
Celtic haven’t come out for the second half yet, and my, how they’re paying for it! Shomko makes good down the left, and chips carefully into the box. Twumasi, on the penalty spot, guides a simple header into the bottom left. Gordon had no chance for that one, either! Celtic are dozing, and how they’ve been punished. Astana still need four goals, but what on earth has happened here?!?!
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GOAL! Astana 2-1 Celtic (Muzhikov 48); agg 2-6
A loose ball from Brown, 30 yards from his own goal. Twumasi loops a cross in from the right. Brown, attempting to retrieve the situation, can only eyebrow the cross towards Muzhikov on the penalty spot. Muzhikov takes a touch and skelps a shot into the top right, Gordon had no chance!
46 min: Forrest zips down the right wing, cuts inside and looks to Sinclair a shot across Eric and into the far corner. Nope. Not quite. But not a dreadful effort either, just over the bar.
And we’re off again! Astanam make their second change of the evening: Tomasov is replaced by Beysebekov.
Half-time entertainment:
HALF TIME: Astana 1-1 Celtic (agg 1-6)
There’s just enough time for Muzhikov to have another long-distance rake. This one’s from just 35 yards, and to be fair nearly sneaks into the bottom left. But it shaves the outside of the post, and Gordon probably had it covered anyway. And that’s that! This is over, but there’s still 45 minutes to play. See you for those? Aw go on.
45 min: Twumasi has a shot from 40 yards! That’s probably worth it on the slippy artificial surface. Just about. But Gordon has it covered, flopping on the ball as it bumbles towards the bottom left.
44 min: Everyone just wandering about right now. Sinclair’s magnificent goal really did take the wind out of Astana’s sails.
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43 min: Space for Tomasov down the left. He whips hard and high from the corner flag, Gordon snaffling well at his near post under pressure from a couple of yellow shirts.
42 min: Kabananga skedaddles down the left, refuses to give up in a one-on-one battle with Lustig, and earns a corner. The set piece forces Gordon into a spectacular full-length over-the-bar save from Shitov, flicking on at the near post again. The second corner comes to nothing.
40 min: Muzhikov embarks on a power ramble down the left. He keeps going, and keeps going, but nobody offers him a passing option and eventually he runs out of space. Lustig mops up.
38 min: Tierney makes off down the left and whistles a cross towards the near post. Forrest reads the intention, but can’t guide the ball on target. His instinctive effort flashes wide.
36 min: Kabananga bustles hard down the inside-left channel, and very nearly breaks clear into the Celtic box after squeezing out a one-two with Shomko. But Lustig steps up at the correct time and the offside flag goes up.
35 min: Astana now need six more goals if they’re to progress. To be fair to the home fans, they are still giving it plenty.
SENSATIONAL GOAL! Astana 1-1 Celtic (Sinclair 33); agg 1-6
What were we worried about?! McGregor rolls a pass wide left to Sinclair, who takes a touch inside, opens his body, and curls an unstoppable shot into the top right with his right peg. That is an exquisite goal! Group stage, here Celtic come!
31 min: And now Astana are so close to their second. Tomasov loops a cross in from the left. Kabananga fresh-air-kicks from six yards. Any touch and that would have flashed past Gordon. Time for a few deep breaths, and to remember that an away goal will silence this stadium. They could already have a couple.
30 min: Celtic are still four goals ahead in this tie, of course. Still, you can forgive them a few nerves. Maevski makes room down the right and crosses. Forrest fails to clear. Bitton takes charge.
28 min: Celtic respond well to conceding, Sinclair powering through a couple of challenges down the inside-left channel and forcing a save from Eric. The resulting scrappy scuffle leads to a corner which doesn’t amount to much. But this feels like a match now, with the noise levels through the roof all of a sudden.
GOAL! Astana 1-0 Celtic (Ajer 26 og); agg 1-5
The comeback’s on?! Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But the home side are one-fifth of the way there. Shomko strides in from the left and lashes a poor shot in the general direction of the Celtic goal. It’s heading well right, but Ajer sticks out a leg and deflects the ball into the bottom left with Gordon going the other way. Bedlam!
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24 min: ... then go up the other end and nearly score. A deep Forrest cross from the right just about eludes Sinclair, on the edge of the six-yard box. The ball breaks wide left to Tierney, a superstar full back in the making. Tierney lashes a gorgeous low shot goalwards, but it’s deflected away from danger.
23 min: Corner for Astana out on the left. No idea how it occurred, the local station was showing McGregor’s shot from a few minutes ago. And the set piece nearly leads to a goal, Shitov flicking on at the near post. But Twumasi is snoozing at the far post, and doesn’t rise to clap a header goalwards. Celtic survive ...
21 min: Celtic are enjoying the lion’s share of possession right now. All very Rodgersesque.
19 min: McGregor has a pop from just inside the Astana area on the left. Eric makes a meal of blocking, but the job gets done. This isn’t going to end goalless.
18 min: A bit of space for Shomko out on the left. He feeds Kabananga on the inside. Kabananga larrups hard and low from 25 yards out, down the inside-left channel. It’s a dipping swerver, and Gordon does well to parry and smother the ball. This is lively and fun, if not particularly tense.
16 min: But it’s not breaking news to say they have absolutely no margin for error whatsoever. McGregor tears towards the Astana box. He’s got Sinclair to his left, Griffiths to his right. He opts left. Sinclair is clear in the area! But he opts to shoot across Eric and go for the top right. That allows Postnikov to come across and stick out a desperate leg. The defender blocks brilliantly, and the resulting corner comes to nothing.
14 min: Twumasi latches onto a loose ball in the middle of the park and makes good down the right. He reaches the byline, but his low cross dribbles harmlessly into Gordon’s arms. A disappointing end for Astana, though they look in the mood to give it a go and see what develops.
13 min: Ntcham has a dig from the best part of 30 yards. Nope! Meanwhile the clumsy Kleinheisler can’t continue: he’s replaced in the engine room by Grahovac.
11 min: Celtic don’t want to be conceding early, of course. No encouragement. So it’s not a great idea to allow Twumasi to glide in from the right, contort his body Zidane 2002 style, and lash a low shot inches wide of the right-hand post from 20 yards. A fine effort. Gordon probably had it covered, though you wouldn’t put the mortgage on it.
9 min: Brown brushes off Kleinheisler in the centre circle. Kleinheisler tries to bite back with a sliding tackle from behind, but only manages to bend his own knee underneath his own weight. Ooyah, oof, that’s going to hurt, especially on this artificial turf. A lot of grimacing. Brown looks on, unimpressed, as he does.
8 min: Tierney again, this time floating a chip in from his left wing. Forrest tries to plant a header goalwards, but can’t quite manage it.
7 min: Sinclair embarks on a Garrinchaesque ramble down the left. After drawing three yellow shirts, he flicks left to the magnificent Tierney, whose low fizzer is just about dealt with by Eric in the Astana goal.
5 min: The local TV director cuts to a pic of Brendan Rodgers slumped casually in his seat, and lingers awhile. It could be one of those nights. West Coast jazz at 10.
4 min: Kabananga chases after a bouncing bomb down the left. He tries to hook the ball infield, and had he managed it, Tomasov would have been racing down the inside-left channel at high speed, with not a lot of obstacles between himself and the Celtic box. But Kabananga air-kicks, unable to swivel gymnastically in mid-air. It would have been some pass, to be fair.
2 min: It’s a lively start, too, because Tomasov is very nearly released by a huge up and under down the Astana left. He’s offside, and the flag goes up before he can take a shot, but Celtic were light at the back there. On another day, this would already be 1-1!
And we’re off! A fine atmosphere at the Astana Arena, despite Celtic’s 5-0 advantage. Though goodness knows how it would have turned had Griffiths scored from a tight angle out on the left after being released down the wing on 12 seconds! His shot whips across the face of Eric’s goal and away from danger. Oh my!
The teams are out! The Champions League anthem, Jiggered Handel, blares out of the Astana PA. Both sets of players line up on the plastic pitch. We’ll be off in a minute! “Celtic also made it through a preliminary round in 2001, 3-2 on aggregate over Ajax after an excellent 3-1 win in Amsterdam,” notes Mike Cormack, with reference to something not mentioned in the preamble. “Chris Sutton’s header was one for the ages.” So it took me a while to work out why Uefa didn’t refer to this in their pre-match stats pack. Turns out the qualifying rounds are not considered the same as this play-off round, which was introduced in 2009-10. The Uefa semantics department earning their crust there. But, well, apologies for the omission, for that’s surely what it was.
Brendan Rodgers says all the necessary things. “The players did a great job in the first leg, but they understand we have to work hard in this second leg to qualify. So we are relaxed, but very much focused to staying on the job. It’s pretty straight forward. We start from scratch every single day, in order to be better, to improve. Simunovic is not fit. But I have trust in my squad. We don’t want to make any mistakes, we want to ensure we get a good result.”
No sweeping changes to the Celtic XI by Brendan Rodgers. Just the two swaps: Callum McGregor replaces treble-sealing Tom Rogic in midfield, while Kristoffer Ajer steps in for Burnley target Jozo Šimunović.
The hosts make just a couple of changes too. Goalkeeper Aleksandr Mokin makes way for Nenad Eric, while the suspended central defender Yuri Logivenko is replaced by Marin Anicic.
The teams
Astana: Eric, Shitov, Postnikov, Anicic, Shomko, Twumasi, Maevskiy, Kleinheisler, Tomasov, Kabananga, Muzhikov.
Subs: Mokin, Grahovac, Beisebekov, Tagybergen, Shaikhov, Maliy, Murtazayev.
Celtic: Gordon, Lustig, Bitton, Ajer, Tierney, Forrest, Ntcham, Brown, McGregor, Sinclair, Griffiths.
Subs: De Vries, Gamboa, Armstrong, Hayes, Rogic, Ralston, Miller.
Referee: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic)
Preamble
“Having that 5-0 cushion, you can get complacent. But that’s where we stay mentally strong, focus on the game in hand and get the job done.” Hats off to Scott Sinclair for professionalism. But, well, y’know.
Suffice to say, if you’re looking for drama, you’ve almost certainly come to the wrong place. Astana have a magnificent home record in Europe: they’re unbeaten in 14 matches at the Astana Arena! Only problem is, they capitulated totally in their away leg of this Champions League qualifier at Parkhead last week, Celtic equalling the biggest-ever victory in one of these play-offs. The Bhoys aren’t always dependable on their continental travels - they lost 7-0 at Barcelona last season, for example - but, well, y’know.
Should - c’mon, when - Celtic progress this afternoon, their overall record in Champions League play-offs will tip into the positive. They’ve been knocked out before the groups by Malmö (2015/16), Maribor (2014/15) and Arsenal (2009/10); they’ve made it through against Hapoel Beer-Sheva (2016/17), Shakhtar Karagandy (2013/14) and Helsingborgs (2012/13). So unless we’re about to witness a meltdown of unprecedented stripe, Scotland’s hooped heroes will make it four from seven in the play-offs ... and they’ll reach the group stage for the tenth time in all.
Kick off is at 9.30pm in Kazakhstan, 4.30pm back in the East End. Teams when we have them!
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