CELTIC’S ambitions of progression into the last 16 of the Europa League remain alive after the 1-1 draw in Copenhagen. The Parkhead side will rue the manner in which they allowed their firm grip of the game in the opening period to slip from their fingers, but with the return in Glasgow next Thursday here are five things we learned for the first-leg draw.
Celtic will rue their profligacy.
Before a ball was kicked in the tie Neil Lennon’s side would happily have taken a draw and an away goal back to Celtic Park for the second leg, but they will find it difficult to shake off the feeling that they allowed a glorious chance to wrap the tie up in the opening 20 minutes. By that point they could have been three goals up, yet somehow ended the game clinging on to ensure they left Denmark with a draw.
VAR did not win any more supporters among the Celtic fans last night.
Ryan Christie’s attempted header came off his arm and he was penalised after the technology was used for the first time in the Europa League. If the penalty might have grudgingly been accepted by the letter of the law by the Parkhead side, the yellow card for the Scotland internationalist seemed harsh given he knew little about the infringement. The fact he is now ruled out of the second leg is a considerable blow for Lennon.
Fraser Forster will not be a man short of offers this summer.
If the goalkeeper has further confirmed his credentials to Celtic with the latest big-game performance as he repelled Jens Stage’s penalty to enable Lennon’s side to leave with a draw, the reality is that a permanent move for the goalkeeper remains improbable given the financial disparity between Scotland and the English top flight. Like Odsonne Edouard, Celtic might as well enjoy having him while they can. Of the seven penalties the Parkhead side have conceded this term, Forster has saved four to highlight just how big a player he has been for Lennon.
Scott Brown’s influence is not to be overlooked.
The Celtic midfielder was forced out of the game prematurely with a calf strain and although the Parkhead side were already under the cosh at that point, they missed his experience as Copenhagen cranked things up in a frantic finale.
Edouard is a class act.
The striker will feel he ought to have done better in the opening seconds of the game after Christie’s intelligent ball had taken him in behind the Copenhagen defence, but there was an elegance in the way he which he claimed his 25th goal of the season. His movement and grace on and off the ball have made him a handful to play against but the issue for Celtic is that the more he shines on bigger platforms the more eyes are on him. On a more immediate note, if Celtic can create the same number of chances for him on home soil next Thursday the expectancy would be that he would bury a fair few of them.
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