UEFA Champions League
Matchday Four
Celtic Park, Glasgow
Tuesday, October 11, 2022

CELTIC… 0

RB LEIPZIG… 2
(Werner 74, Forsberg 83)

It was a night of European disappointment for Celtic as they lost 2-0 to RB Leipzig at home on matchday four of the UEFA Champions League.

There wasn’t much between the sides throughout the 90 minutes, with chances created at both ends, but it was clinical finishing in the second-half from the Germans which saw them head home with all three points.

Before the match started, there was a period of impeccably observed silence in memory of the 10 people who lost their lives in the terrible tragedy in Creeslough, County Donegal.

Within 60 seconds of kick-off, Celtic had carved out their first chance. Sead Haksabanovic and Liel Abada combined well down the right, with Abada swinging a dangerous cross into the six-yard box, but Daizen Maeda couldn’t direct his header on target.

However, it was RB Leipzig who started to play themselves into the game, keeping possession well and trying to hit Celtic on the break.

But although they had plenty of the ball, they weren’t able to carve out any clear-cut opportunities to test Joe Hart, although Greg Taylor had to be alert at the back post in the seventh minute to defend a cross from David Raum.

Slowly but surely, Ange Postecoglou’s side began to assert themselves, with Haksabanovic dangerous just behind Kyogo. On 24 minutes, he tested the Leipzig keeper with a shot that was saved at the near post, and from the resulting corner, Moritz Jenz headed over.

Two minutes later, Celtic had a glorious double opportunity to take the lead but were denied on both occasions by the woodwork.
First, Matt O’Riley collected a short corner and fired a left-foot shot from the edge of the area which hit the post, and Taylor’s follow-up header came back off the bar.

The Hoops were unlucky, and in the 28th minute, they had an even better chance to score.

Josip Juranovic surged down the right before slipping the ball inside the Haksabanovic, and his cross found Kyogo, but the striker’s header from seven yards out went over the bar.

And on the stroke of half-time, Joe Hart was called in to action to deny Amadou Haidara, whose low shot was goalbound until the Celtic keeper's timely intervention.

Champions League disappointment for Celts at Paradise