| Match Pictures | Matches: 2017 – 2018 | 2017-18 Pictures |
Trivia
- Champions League 2017-18, Second Qualifying Round, Second Leg
First Leg: Linfield 0-2 Celtic. - “Little did we know that the Champions League draw would give us an away tie in the 17th century. If they can't stage a game, kick them out.”
- Celtic to play Rosenburg in next round (they defeated Dundalk in second round after extra-time)
- First leg was tumultuous with coins & a bottle thrown at Griffiths at a corner, trouble in the stands from Linfield supporters and so on. From the last game: UEFA charge Linfield for throwing objects, pitch invasion. Leigh Griffiths charged with provoking fans. Celtic charged for improper conduct (5 yellow cards).
- Debuts: Ntcham & Benyu
- Scott Brown breaks record for most European games by Scotsman
- Rangers are allowing Linfield access to their facilities ahead of the Belfast side’s meeting with Celtic
- Steven Caulker will likely join Celtic on a free transfer from QPR. The West London club are happy to unload the defender on a free transfer, though they may insist on a sell-on clause. Brendan Rodgers is in the market for a centre-back and could be tempted to bring the 25-year-old, who is battling problems with alcohol and gambling addiction, to Celtic Park.
- Kolo Toure reveals new Celtic deal is close as Brendan Rodgers lines up player/coach role for veteran
- Former Manchester United footballer Philip Mulryne has been ordained a Roman Catholic priest. The Belfast-born man, who won 27 international caps for Northern Ireland, has also taken a vow of poverty.He is reported to have once earned about £600,000 a year during his time as a professional player.He was ordained in Dublin. A fine story to hear, he has sacrificed a lot for his love of people to do what he has done, and a lot to respect him for it.
- Jozo Simunovic has made a highly controversial decision by switching his international football allegiances from Croatia to Bosnia.
- Transfers: Rumours of Dembele to Arsenal.
- Women's Football: Scotland making their debut at a major tournament and have several part-time players. England thrash Scotland 6-0 in their opening game at the Women's European Championship.
- Celtic charged by UEFA after home game against Linfield for:
Illicit banners
Kit infringement (shirt sponsors Magners being shown on substitutes bibs)
Stairway blocking
Review
(THT of KDS)
Could have been ten. I thought we looked sharp enough. We laboured a little in front of goal but given the numbers they defended with it was always likely things would get a little bogged down in front of goal. Another 90 minutes will help blow the cobwebs away for a few while the two most recent arrivals really impressed and look remarkably settled.
I think the big difference between now and previous CL qualifying campaigns is that we already look like a well oiled team rather than a work in progress. The players aren't getting to know each other. We're already playing with movement and understanding – qualities which are usually missing at this stage of the season.
(FatBoab of KDS)
Easy street against the worst European opposition I think I've ever seen. They would struggle in the Scottish First Division.
As for us, a good excercise and , with more clinical finishing, we would have neared double figures. Some bad misses, especially first half. Ntcham looks terrific. Big, strong and with a superb first touch and eye for a pass, he'll be special in the months and years ahead. Hayes and Benyu also did well when they came on, so plenty to be pleased about.
We will need to be much sharper next week, but should get the required result .
One more thing. Great sing song tonight.
(BMH of KDS)
Movement in second half much better and great to see us take the chances that came
First half was way too many missed chances but second half was more like it and yeah, could have been 8-0
Their fans are an enormously dislikeable shower of scum bags
They lost the plot on occassions tonight and tried to make a run for the Celtic fans
Happy to sing songs of hate and murder but for god sake don't wave a banner with a Provo on it
It outrages them!
Stayed outside to watch them walk up London road escorted by plod – all that was missing was an Attenborough voice over
Teams
Celtic
- 01 Gordon
- 08 Brown
- 11 Sinclair
- 18 Rogic
- 05 Simunovic
- 23 Lustig
- 10 Dembele
- 63 Tierney
- 21 Ntcham Substituted for Armstrong at 67' minutes
- 49 Forrest Substituted for Hayes at 68' minutes
- 42 McGregor Substituted for Benyu at 74' minutes
Substitutes
- 06 Bitton
- 14 Armstrong
- 15 Hayes
- 24 de Vries
- 26 Benyu
- 28 Sviatchenko
- 88 Kouassi
Goals
- Sinclair (4' minutes, 54' minutes),
- Rogic (46' minutes),
- Armstrong (90'+2 minutes)
Linfield
- 1Carroll
- 5Haughey
- 2Stafford
- 18Casement
- 8Lowry
- 22Mulgrew
- 38SmythSubstituted forStewartat 65'minutesBooked at 72mins
- 24GarrettBooked at 41minsSubstituted forMillarat 65'minutes
- 7WaterworthSubstituted forStewartat 72'minutes
- 31Quinn
- 27Mitchell
Substitutes
- 3Stewart
- 4Robinson
- 10Stewart
- 12Millar
- 14Burns
- 32Clarke
- 35Deane
Attendance: 58,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Forum
- Pre-match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11034521/
- Match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11034852/
- Post Match http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11034859/
MOTM
- Voting Thread http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/11034856/
- Result Thread
- Winner –
Reports
Moira Gordon: Never a classic but Celtic rightly have last word
Brendan Rodgers urged patience at Parkhead last night. Picture: SNS. Brendan Rodgers urged patience at Parkhead last night. Picture: SNS. By Moira GordonPublished: 06:00
Friday 21 July 2017
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/moira-gordon-never-a-classic-but-celtic-rightly-have-last-word-1-4508828
The match had been wrapped up in Belfast. Last night was just a case of making the scoreline look pretty and minus Leigh Griffiths and his scarf tying antics, it was up to Scott Sinclair, Tom Rogic and Stuart Armstrong to put the
metaphoric bow on things.
In the build-up Brendan Rodgers had warned the Parkhead faithful that they may have to demonstrate a degree of patience, aware how dogged the Northern Ireland side had been in the first leg. And while a fourth-minute Sinclair opener nullified any possibility of a nervous tension being allowed to build, the visitors’ approach was clear. With a minimum of 10 men behind the ball for the vast majority of the match, swamping their own penalty area as they tried to smother attack after attack, they made Celtic work to carve out chances.
With a sit-in campaigners at Faslane would be impressed by, Linfield proved the Celtic boss right. But this was no peace protest. How could it be with so much animosity in the air?
The luminous yellow perimeter of police and stewards who penned in the travelling support served as a necessary precaution. The singsongs were aimed at antagonising but they were the ones who succumbed to frustration first, jostling with their keepers as they struggled to get at rival fans in the wake of the second and third goals.
But if they had been the ones enjoying some target practice on Friday night, as they volleyed bottles, coins and verbals at the Celtic players, the home team got their own back last night, chucking everything at the stodgy Linfield rearguard. They battered at the banks of blue shirts as they tried to breach the backline and get the goals their dominance deserved.
Rodgers had been looking for a more clinical edge to his team’s play, keen to convert plentiful possession into something more tangible as they eye the next round and try to build momentum as they head into another domestic campaign.
Sinclair gave him that in those opening few minutes but it took time to add to that as they struggled to plot a way past their belligerent blue-shirted foes.
It was a wall in front of another wall and Celtic tried to find a way over and a way round but despite the probing, Roy Carroll’s involvement remained remarkable limited, as forays forwards were snuffed out, crosses were cleared and, when space was someone created amid the melee of bodies, efforts were sclaffed.
This wasn’t one of the glamour European nights that will be used to regale future generations or flashed on big screens in years to come, as so many other highlights were in the moments prior to kick-off, but it is the kind of tie that must be negotiated for those magical moments to materialise further down the line.
While there have been slip-ups before, this was never likely to be another impish failing. While there was moments of frustration, this Celtic team are too confident in their own ability to ultimately find a breakthrough, too driven by a desire to improve to give Linfield even a sniff of any kind of hope or encouragement.
Even when David Healy’s men made a rare foray into their hosts half, they were offered nothing but palpitations as Celtic broke away and charged into the unoccupied space. It took until the start of the second half for Rogic to get Celtic’s next goal. It was inevitable, though. As was the third, from Sinclair. Even Armstrong’s fourth. The only surprise, given Celtic’s dominance and their desire to remind their guests who really were the people in this tie is that there were no more.
Articles
Brendan Rodgers says Celtic are in ‘champion shape’ Scott Sinclair celebrates after putting Celtic 1-0 ahead after only four minutes at Celtic Park. Picture: SNS. STEPHEN HALLIDAY Published: 06:00 Thursday 20 July 2017
http://www.scotsman.com/teams-2-14959/celtic/brendan-rodgers-says-celtic-are-in-champion-shape-1-4508818
Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic are “100 per cent” better prepared than they were last year to reach the group stage of the Champions League. The Scottish champions defeated Linfield 4-0 at Celtic Park to wrap up a 6-0 aggregate win in their second qualifying round tie, the comprehensive nature of the success in sharp contrast to 12 months ago when they had to recover from a shock 1-0 loss to Lincoln Red Imps at the same stage. Celtic will face Rosenborg in the next round after the Norwegian champions overcame Dundalk in extra time last night. The first leg will take place in Glasgow next Wednesday with the return in Trondheim seven days later. “We’ve watched some of Rosenborg’s games already,” said Rodgers. “They play 4-3-3 and are midway through their season. They’ll have a good level of fitness, their structure is pretty much set. Norwegian teams are disciplined and organised but we know whoever we get won’t be easy. “But if we want to get to where we want we have to get through these games. I’m pretty happy we can go in tactically ready and physically we’re still building up. We’re 100 per cent different to where we were this time last season.”Celtic led 1-0 at half-time through Scott Sinclair’s fourth-minute goal, the winger netting again in the second half along with Tom Rogic and Stuart Armstrong.“After conceding the first goal so early I was thinking ‘Oh no’, “admitted Linfield manager David Healy. “But to be fair, we got to half-time at 1-0 and regrouped – or so I thought.“We conceded a soft second goal at the start of the second half. Celtic came out and had a right go. They had five or six forward players at times. They came out at 100 miles per hour and 4-0 was about fair. “I patted the players on the back for their effort and discipline. We got done late on with our fitness level. The kit man has ordered chicken burgers and chips because these boys are up at 7am in the morning for work. That’s the level we are at.“Celtic are an incredible team these days. It’s probably the best squad they have had in a long number of years. I just hope we don’t draw Celtic under-20s when we come back here in the Irn-Bru Cup this season!”
BBC
By Tom English
at Celtic Park
19 July 2017
From the section Football
Celtic forward Scott Sinclair opens the scoring against Linfield in Champions League qualifying
Celtic eased into the Champions League third qualifying round with a 4-0 home win completing a 6-0 aggregate success against Linfield.
The hosts dominated possession at Celtic Park and Scott Sinclair's finish after four minutes set the tone.
Sinclair scored again after the second half opened with Tom Rogic's superb long-range strike, with Stuart Armstrong netting in stoppage time.
Celtic meet Rosenborg of Norway next, with the first leg in Glasgow.
Linfield set out to try to contain the Scottish Premiership champions, but their resistance faltered and goalkeeper Roy Carroll produced two excellent saves in keeping with his performance in the first leg last Friday in Belfast.
He denied Moussa Dembele in the first half, and then Sinclair as he looked to complete his hat-trick with a dipping shot from long range before the end.
Olivier Ntcham made his debut for Celtic following his move from Manchester City.
Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic added to his goal from the first leg with a superb long-range shot
Celtic dominate but spurn chances
Celtic's two-goal advantage from the first leg at Windsor Park was always going to be added to in a substantial way, the only question being how many they would manage to get.
A vast home support turned out, and they were rewarded with a goal inside four minutes when a shot from Ntcham broke to Sinclair, who scored from a tight angle.
The sense then was an onslaught was coming, but it was an onslaught that took a long time to reap more goals.
Celtic had multiple chances but could not find the accuracy to convert them. Dembele, Rogic and Sinclair had two excellent opportunities apiece before the break but all of them went begging. At least two were sitters.
Debut boy impresses
Ntcham, a £4.5m signing, was a presence in the heart of the park, and the Frenchman comes with a big reputation.
The president of his loan club for the past two seasons, Genoa, once compared him to Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
That is a bit of a fanciful notion, but Ntcham looks a powerful player with a perceptive touch. It will be interesting to see how he develops in this Celtic team.
Olivier Ntcham made his competitive debut for Celtic with a composed midfield display
Linfield overwhelmed
Rogic smashed in a second goal just two minutes after the restart and, seven minutes later, Sinclair made it three when finishing smartly after benefiting from a lucky break of the ball off Linfield's Jamie Mulgrew
There would have been a hat-trick for Sinclair had it not been for a wonderful save from the veteran Carroll in the Linfield goal. The 39-year-old stretched out an arm and put Sinclair's effort on to the crossbar.
By then, Celtic fans knew that it was Rosenborg awaiting them in the next round. The Norwegian side sneaked past Dundalk and will pose a bigger threat to Brendan Rodgers' team than Linfield, who conceded a fourth in stoppage time.
Jonny Hayes and Kundai Benyu came into the game and both were dangerous. Hayes went close to scoring and Benyu's grace on the ball posed the visitors more problems. He was involved in the build-up to the final goal, smashed home by another substitute, Armstrong.
Linfield manager David Healy set his side up to contain Celtic, but suffered an early setback