CELTIC have never played so badly and made so much money on the same night.
That fact Brendan Rodgers became the first Celtic manager to lead the club into the Champions league in his debut season on a night when his team saw off Hapoel Be’er Sheva meant this Israel play-off had a happy ending.
But his team for long worrying periods were second best by some distance in Israel. It was the ghost of away European games of the past come back to haunt the Northern Irishman who had nothing to do with previous games. Hapoel scored twice, missed plenty of chances, including a penalty, and will feel aggrieved.
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And yet what is it they say? That football is all about results and this aggregate win is as important to the club as any in a long time came fittingly in ‘The Land of Milk and Honey’ because that is precisely what the group stages of the world’s most lucrative football competition are to the clubs involved.
Celtic could earn as much as £30million over the next few months, enough to sew up the domestic scene for many years, or so you would imagine, and it will allow Rodgers to go shopping in more expensive boutiques.
But once again the Celtic fans were made to suffer. They watched their team outplayed here. That 5-2 lead was under threat for so long and by the end the Scottish champions were hanging on as never before.
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At least they are there. But there were quite a few found lacking. Rodgers needs to get in at least two more first-teamers or the group stages may be punishing.
Success, of course, at this level is never easy. From the start it was clear Hapoel had not given up hope. A minute had gone when James Forrest was outmuscled on the touchline by Ofir Davidzada, the ball was picked up by Ovidiu Hoban whose curling shot gave Craig Gordon his first piece of work for the evening.
And then after quarter of an hour the first glimpse of what was to become a long night for the Celtic defence.
Saido Janko has never convinced and the right back stuck out a leg and got nowhere near the ball as he tripped Davidzada just inside the box. Dutch referee Bas Nijhuis pointed to the spot, Maharan Raid went for power from 12 yards and Gordon guessed right and got his body behind the ball.
That blessed relief for Celtic lasted until the 21st minute when the old failings reappeared as a simple corner was not dealt with. Raid floated a ball into the six yard box and substitute Ben Sahar found it far too easy to get up and head the ball home.
There were quite a few players from the visitors who looked uncomfortable, no more than Janko who was all over the place. Hapoel are not brilliant but they can pass the ball and were finding so much space when last week there was none.
At least Griffiths got a shot on target after 33 minutes, the first time the ball had spent any time in the Israeli’s half. Then Janko to be his credit made a good run from deep and for once put his cross into the box where Sinclair got the ball but his effort was tame.
After some decent Hapoel pressure, the impressive Anthony Nwakaeme tested Gordon with a shot from outside the area, and then Celtic broke on 38 minutes, the ball was played from Sinclair, Griffiths, McGregor and eventually to Forrest who put his shot from close in over when a cross was the better option.
Rodgers would have welcomed half-time. Many of his players needed a not-so-gentle reminder what was at stake and that they had to up their games. Forrest was replaced by Tom Rogic. Janko stayed on and three minutes into the half was partly to blame for the second goal.
A nothing ball into the Celtic box should have been dealt with by Gordon who inexplicably allowed it to bounce, Janko barged into him, the ball got loose, Hoban said thanks very much and scored from close range. It was an excruciating moment for both defender and goalkeeper
Now what did Celtic have? It looked at this stage as if many had gone. They couldn’t pass or make a tackle. Rodgers understandably wore the look of a man who didn’t quite believe what was going on in front of him.
Moussa Dembele replaced the knackered Griffiths and on the hour the Frenchman cut in from the left and sent his curled shot a coat of paint wide of the post. Celtic nearly scored again four minutes later when Rogic did well to get a past a few tackles on the edge of the box, the ball broke to Sinclair who got off a shot, which was well save by David Goresh, and Dembele was in an offside position when he missed the rebound. Sinclair really should have done better
But still came Hapoel. A brilliant scissor-kick from Hoban on 68 minutes was a fraction wide and then he tested Gordon with a well executed shot on the bounce from outside the area.
Celtic, the fans, players and manager began praying for the final whistle; it was that part of the world after all. They got away with it, just.
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