Nicolas Kuhn scored a formidable double as Celtic secured back-to-back residence wins on this season’s Champions League with a convincing 3-1 win towards RB Leipzig.
The Hoops once more proved their dismal exhibiting in Dortmund was a one-off as they took perception from their draw towards Atalanta final day out to stun the aspect sitting second within the Bundesliga.
Christophe Baumgartner headed the guests in entrance however Kuhn curled a surprising shot in off the put up and smashed Greg Taylor’s cross into the online earlier than the break.
Parkhead was rocking and Reo Hatate put the sport out of attain as he slammed the ball in after Leipzig keeper Peter Gulacsi made a large number of Alistair Johnston’s cross.
Daizen Maeda had the ball within the internet in stoppage time however the offside flag was up.
Celtic now have seven factors from 4 video games with 4 video games remaining, whereas RB Leipzig are but to get off the mark within the competitors.
Champions League development stays inside Celtic’s attain
Kuhn got here by the Leipzig youth ranks earlier than arriving in Glasgow in January following spells within the B groups of Ajax and Bayern Munich and at Fast Vienna, and no one would have loved Celtic’s redemption towards German opposition greater than him.
The house aspect appeared assured in possession and pressed their guests nicely within the opening levels. Arne Engels had a shot blocked after Maeda obtained in behind and Kuhn drifted previous his marker to place a harmful ball throughout the face of purpose.
The complexion of the sport utterly turned when Benjamin Sesko curled simply vast with assistance from a deflection. Any purpose may need been disallowed for what appeared a foul on Auston Trusty within the centre circle however Celtic abruptly struggled to get out of their half or retain possession.
Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner scores to make it 1-0
Kasper Schmeichel pushed Lois Openda’s shot vast after Trusty had gifted Leipzig possession and the guests took the lead from Kevin Kampl’s nook halfway by the half. Cameron Carter-Vickers’ flick inadvertently arrange Baumgartner, who dived to move residence from shut vary.
Kuhn was the catalyst for the sport to activate its head once more. The previous Germany youth worldwide was concerned in some good play down the fitting simply earlier than receiving Engels’ flick, chopping inside and clipping an inch-perfect shot in off the put up from 20 yards within the thirty fifth minute.
Kuhn quickly gained the ball again deep in personal half and was on the centre of some good possession play earlier than chopping the Leipzig defence open with an exquisite go with the surface of his foot. Maeda couldn’t preserve his shot down from the sting of the field.
Celtic saved the stress on. Johnston had a shot saved earlier than Kyogo Furuhashi beat two males and angled a goal-bound shot which was diverted vast by Orban’s sliding block.
Kuhn doubled his tally in stoppage time when he slotted residence after Greg Taylor had helped Hatate’s go throughout the six-yard line.
Celtic’s Reo Hatate celebrates scoring to make it 3-1
The vast participant had a half-chance for a hat-trick inside 4 minutes of the restart following Callum McGregor’s dynamic break however he skied his shot.
Hatate got here shut from 20 yards earlier than Leipzig had some stress and Schmeichel made an excellent diving save from Sesko following a protracted ball.
Celtic quickly rediscovered their verve. Hatate pressured a diving cease after sensible wing play from Kuhn and a number of other balls fizzed throughout the Leipzig field.
Schmeichel produced a wonderful cease from Baumgartner’s volley however Celtic had been quickly again on the assault and Hatate was available to internet from three yards within the 72nd minute when Gulacsi spilled Johnston’s low cross.
‘Excellent’
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Celtic supervisor Brendan Rodgers hailed his gamers after their spectacular 3-1 win towards RB Leipzig within the Champions League.
Celtic supervisor Brendan Rodgers:
“I think we started the game with a real good confidence. We then conceded the goal, so we got rocked for a little bit and we were a bit loose on our passing, but I think the maturity in the team to then recover from that, score the first goal and continue to play.
“I am all the time demanding, particularly on the urgent aspect of the sport and the aggressive aspect of the sport, I believed that we had been completely excellent in that.
“I felt tonight we had that combination of the vibrancy and excitement in attack from the Bratislava game and then the real tactical discipline in our defending from Atalanta.
“I feel we pulled these two collectively to provide an impressive staff efficiency towards a extremely, actually, actually good aspect, who’ve solely conceded 5 targets all season.
“So to score three and have other opportunities to score, I tip my hat to the players.”
