UEFA Europa League, Group G

Matchday 5

Thursday, November 25, 2021

BayArena, Leverkusen

BAYER LEVERKUSEN…3

(Andrich 16 & 82, Diaby 87))

CELTIC…2

(Juranovic pen 40, Jota 56)

It was a night in which Celtic came so close to earning a famous win in Germany, losing 3-2 from two late Bayer Leverkusen goals, ending any hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Despite falling behind to an early Robert Andrich header, the Bhoys showed steel and courage to fight back against the group leaders in the Europa League. Josip Juranovic scored from the penalty spot, before Jota put the Hoops in dreamland in the second-half.

However, late goals from Andrich and Moussa Diaby gave the hosts the three points, which means it will be Europa Conference League football for the Celts after Christmas.

It was an even opening to the game, with both teams having good periods of possession. It was the hosts that would get the first chance of the match in the 10^th minute, Andrich heading over from a Florian Wirtz corner.

That was the warning sign for Celtic, as six minutes later, the same corner routine from the same side produced the first goal of the match. Wirtz ball in was met by the onrushing Andrich, who glanced his header into the bottom left corner.

The goal didn’t keep the Celts down and Ange Postecoglou’s men looked the more threatening side after going 1-0 down.

Kyogo was testing the Bayer Levekusen back-line with his runs in behind and almost got behind on a few occasions. The home side were under pressure from the Bhoys’ high press and again Kyogo, leading from the front, nearly stole the ball off the goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

The Bhoys continued to grow into the game, knocking the ball around with more confidence and finding gaps in the Leverkusen midfield, but failing to get an effort on goal.

Then, the moment that changed the game for Celtic. A nice passing move down the left-hand side found Jota on the byline who put a teasing ball into the area. Just when Kyogo looked like he was about to flick it on, Hradecky came flying out from his goal, crashing through the Japanese internationalist.

Referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos saw nothing wrong with the collision, but soon he was called over to the VAR monitor, and duly awarded a penalty.

Josip Juranovic stepped up and was the coolest man in Leverkusen, dinking his penalty down the middle, in off the underside of the bar, to send the travelling Hoops fans wild and level the score after 40 minutes.

Still, Leverkusen came flying back, determined to go into the break with their lead restored, as Diaby smashed an effort off the post, before the ball fell to Wirtz who managed to hit the other post, right on the stroke of half-time

Celts just fail in German test as Leverkusen fight back