Celtic 1-0 Younger Boys: Hoops safe Champions League development with dramatic victory

Celtic secured Champions League development with a Younger Boys personal objective on an evening of disallowed objectives, missed penalties and purple card drama at Parkhead.

The Hoops knew a win in opposition to the facet backside of the desk would all however assure a play-off place and Kyogo thought he had given them the dream begin just for his strike to be dominated out for offside.

Callum McGregor’s foul noticed the Japan striker denied once more earlier than he had a 3rd objective dominated out, once more for offside, as they dominated in opposition to a facet who’ve but to choose up some extent on this season’s Champions League.

Luck wasn’t on Celtic’s facet with Arne Engels’ poor penalty simply saved after Greg Taylor was introduced down within the field earlier than half-time.

Auston Trusty struck the bar earlier than Kasper Schmeichel produced a superb double save to disclaim Younger Boys, however their fortunes turned when Loris Benito turned Adam Idah’s ball into his personal web to spark wild celebrations.

Celtic have Daizen Maeda despatched off for a late, pointless problem as they progressed to the knockout levels with a recreation to spare.

Hoops finish 12-year wait

A draw would have left Celtic doubtlessly needing a consequence at Villa Park subsequent Wednesday however the late objective propelled them as much as 18th place, stage on 12 factors with Juventus, Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

A win in Birmingham subsequent week would seemingly see Celtic declare one of many seeded locations within the play-off spherical, if not a top-eight end and direct entry to the final 16.

The late slice of luck was at least Celtic deserved for a efficiency that was stuffed with verve for 60 minutes. Midfielders Callum McGregor, Engels and Hatate dominated play and Celtic discovered areas by means of the visiting again 4 proper from the beginning.

Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn bought spherical the surface with regularity however the deliveries weren’t fairly falling for Furuhashi.

The Japan ahead’s first offside objective got here inside six minutes following a cross from Engels and Kuhn quickly bought in behind following McGregor’s cross however noticed his shot deflected large after skipping previous three males.

Hatate and Furuhashi shot large from half-chances earlier than Kasper Schmeichel made his solely first-half cease to beat away Joel Monteiro’s 25-yard strike.

Furuhashi then had two objectives chalked off inside two minutes simply after the half-hour mark. The primary was initially given after McGregor robbed Niasse and arrange the centre-forward to wrongfoot the goalkeeper however Norwegian referee Rohit Saggi penalised the Celtic captain for a foul following a VAR evaluate.

Furuhashi was then flagged offside once more after changing Maeda’s cross from shut vary.

Engels’ weak penalty was saved within the forty first minute after Taylor had his shirt pulled however the Belgian shook off the miss to create a number of possibilities from set-pieces earlier than the break. Furuhashi and Hatate – twice – got here shut.

The strain continued after the interval. Engels, Maeda and McGregor had photographs saved and Trusty headed in opposition to the bar earlier than Celtic nearly bought hit by a sucker punch just for Schmeichel to tug off a superb double cease from Darian Males.

Celtic’s vitality ranges began to dip and Brendan Rodgers made some adjustments in a bid to regain the impetus, Alex Valle and Paulo Bernardo approaching halfway by means of the half earlier than Idah changed Furuhashi.

There was no speedy impression and guests threatened from some set-pieces however Idah’s run-in behind led to the objective and Schmeichel saved from Sandro Lauper within the remaining seconds of stoppage time.

‘A bit of little bit of historical past’

Celtic supervisor Brendan Rodgers:

“We didn’t score the penalty and that can rock you, but it never did.

“The profitable objective, to point out that stage of composure within the eighty fifth minute of the sport, to construct the sport from the ‘keeper proper the way in which by means of the staff, out onto the facet of the pitch after which a completely unbelievable cross by Reo.

“We get that little bit of luck for the winning goal that we never had in the first half.

“I have been concerned in most of the video games right here the place you find yourself drawing that recreation and it’s kind of flat on the finish, and even worse lose a recreation whenever you should not have.

“For us to win it, I think it shows the maturity and it shows the development of this squad.

“It is somewhat little bit of historical past created, we’ve not been within the knockout levels for a very long time.

“If we look at progress, we’ve won three games, we’ve drawn three games, we’ve lost one. Over the course of the Champions League, it’s a really good consistency.”

‘An enormous slice of luck, who cares!’

Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson on Sky Sports activities Information:

“They certainly deserved it on the balance of play and the chances they created. The three goals they scored were all correctly disallowed, but you could see it was coming and all of sudden the game just changed and it looked like they’d blown it.

“The supervisor makes adjustments on the proper time and it is Adam Idah, who’s been getting a troublesome outdated time, who truly leads the road nicely and takes the chance. An enormous slice of luck to get the objective however who cares?

“There have been many nights at Celtic Park that have gone the other way and Celtic have crashed out of this tournament so I don’t think Brendan Rodgers will be caring too much that his side lost control in the second period, only that they got the goal that mattered and that’s the one that takes them into the play-off.”