Well, that was about as thorough a result as any Celtic fan could’ve hoped for. Celtic dominated visiting Astana 5-0 in the first leg tie between the two sides at Celtic Park.
Things got off on the right foot, as Celtic pressed hard from the early going and nearly took a lead in the first few moments. While the breakthrough on the scoresheet took a bit longer, once the scoring happened there was little doubt on the direction of this match.
Astana bookended three goals by Celtic with a pair of own-goals, as Scott Sinclair’s brace put the game out of reach.
With a 5-0 scoreline in the opener, what exactly did we learn? I mean, there are so many highlights and moments to choose from.
Once again, it is a great day (or night depending on where in the world you actually are) to be Celtic. So, let’s look in to the takeaways I got from this match.
Welcome to the Champions League Proper
I know, never count your chickens before they hatch, but come on. 1…2…3…4…5…I’m counting away and dreaming of a group we actually could navigate through instead of seeing all the giants humanly possible in one group.
No way in hell Astana are scoring five, let alone six more goals than Celtic are in the return leg next week, so let’s just put the comeback talk to rest.
The scenes inside Celtic Park for the final 20 minutes of the match spoke volumes as to the thoughts of Celtic fans everwhere. It was a pure celebration and a well-deserved one for a fanbase who has seen plenty of heartbreak at this stage in the past.
So, get ready to party next week and get ready for the coffers in the boardroom to be full once again. Not only is Celtic moving on the Champions League proper, it is also about to rake in another financial windfall that will secure some good things for the clubs future. Nothing like a cool £30 million or more to help in the celebratory mood.
However wonderful the feeling of relative safety is, there should be no reason Celtic will take its foot off the gas in the second tie though. That’s simply not Brendan Rodgers’ style.
Now the media will likely (and are already) begin obsessing over a crazy dream matchup with Liverpool in the UCL group stage. With the Reds already holding a 2-0 advantage from its road leg at Hoffenheim, it sure seems likely both sides are moving on.
Will they meet? Only ping-pong balls and other ties that are much closer will dictate that possibility.
Finally…Scott Sinclair Dominates
There was no hotter goal-scorer in Scottish football last season than Celtic’s Scott Sinclair. It was a large part of why he won both club and SPFL Player of the Year honors. But, his second season in the hoops hasn’t gotten off to the rapid-fire start his first season did.
Sure, he scored in the 4-1 thrashing of Hearts to open Scottish domestic play, but he has been struggling to find the back of the net on a larger scale. That stopped on Wednesday night though, as Sinclair not only looked dangerous — he WAS dangerous.
Two goals against Linfield in the second round tie aside, it was hard not to see how Sinclair was struggling to find the back of the net consistently and more importantly being highly involved in the attack.
He was all over Astana’s defense and could’ve put Celtic up in the opening few minutes of the match. Sinclair reached back and put a bouncing corner kick effort just wide of the net. Earlier this season that was the story of Sinclair — oh so close and that would be it for the night.
Perhaps some of his seeming struggles came from a lack of a real striker, but it didn’t matter much on Wednesday night. I mean, look at his second goal on the night for all the proof you need.
It seems like his confidence is back and that is great news for the Bhoys and really bad news for opponents to come.
Bitton Repays Brendan’s Confidence
Celtic without both Dedryck Boyata and Erik Sviatchenko in the middle of the defense is a scary proposition. Depth was such a concern that Celtic turned to veteran defensive midfielder Nir Bitton for cover.
It has been a few matches, and after a rocky go of it in the Glasgow derby against Partick Thistle, Bitton seemed not-long for the job. Many believed young Kristoff Ajer may get a go of it. Instead, Rodgers doubled down on his experimental cover and it worked brilliantly.
While Celtic struggled to get one on the board, Astana were finding some very good moment in counter attack early on in the first half. In fact, the visitors nearly nicked an all-important away goal early on in this one.
Luckily, Bitton’s play with his feet and his cool demeanor settled things down in the face of some first-half pressure. His work out the back also helped Celtic counter quickly at times of their own in the first half.
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Yes, Bitton isn’t the long term answer in central defense…especially with the group stage of Champions League football approaching. Celtic have to be buyers in the coming week or two, as they need more in terms of experienced depth if they want to avoid another group stage exit.