THERE was no surprise in the ultimate result as Celtic headed out of Europe last night. What did raise a few eyebrows, however, was the manner of the performance in Valencia as Celtic, until Jeremy Toljan's red-card anyway, battled ferociously against what seemed like a lost cause. There was no happy ending but there was some solace for Brendan Rodgers to find in the spirited nature of the display which was in sharp contrast to the sloppy lethargy that was the hallmark of the first 90 minutes of the tie. If there was a criticism to make, it was that this was a performance that was a week too late. Here are a few things we learned:
RED CARDS CHANGE GAMES
Who knew?
Jeremy Toljan and Celtic will feel a little aggrieved at the fullback’s dismissal. Toljan appeared to have lost his man and his clumsy efforts to retrieve the situation resulted in his second booking of the game, a change that completely altered the flow of the game. Up until that 37th minute, Celtic had showed a composure and a bravery on the ball that wasn’t evident on their own turf in the first leg. There were chances for Celtic up until then and Brendan Rodgers’ side will feel that they did enough to regain a little bit of the pride that had been stripped from that first leg. After the sending off, however, Valencia came to the fore and Celtic’s already arduous task was compounded.
READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers' men crash out as Jeremy Toljan sees red
OLIVER BURKE NEEDS TEAM-MATES ON SAME PAGE
Oliver Burke’s pace can be utilised to get in behind defences and full backs but if there is no-one fast enough to get into the box and offer support then it negates that speed. Ditto the fact that if you get into good areas but are ill at ease with deploying the finish then it takes away from its effectiveness. Burke still looks uncomfortable being deployed as an out and out striker. Twice in the opening period as Celtic enjoyed a decent spell he got into good areas only to find himself isolated and decent chances were lost.
CELTIC STILL CAPABLE OF CAUSING SURPRISES
Few expected the Parkhead side to muster a genuine comeback in the fabled Mestalla arena but the manner of the performance up until Toljan’s sending off offered a little bit of hope. The thing is, however, that Celtic lost this game in the first-leg. Had they played with some of the courage that they did in Spain they might have given themselves a chance. They will be heartened by the manner in which they at least showed some fight against Valencia but there will be some frustration that in so many aspects of this tie that Celtic were utterly complicit in their own downfall. Who knows how the tie might have see-sawed had Kristoffer Ajer’s header from Ryan Christie’s free-kick gone into the back of the net. The young Norwegian, however, will have gained so much from the experience of last night. Struggling with cramp in the latter stages of the game Ajer, who is still just 20, was one of the positives for Celtic. His performance should auger well going forward.
BRENDAN RODGERS IS WILLING TO BE PRAGMATIC IN EUROPE
The Celtic manager has regarded a cautious approach with some cynicism in the past, insisting that he wanted his team to stamp their own philosophy on a game, regardless of the quality of the opposition. There seemed to be an acceptance ahead of last night’s game that a more sober approach was beneficial. Indeed, until being reduced to ten men there was a feeling that Celtic had all the momentum. Rodgers started with a back five with Jeremy Toljan and Jonny Hayes asked to play as wing-backs which left Jozo Simunovic, Dedryck Boyata and Kristoffer Ajer to try and nullify Valencia’s threat. It might offer some food for thought ahead of future European ties.
READ MORE: How Celtic rated as they salvage pride but head out of Europe after Valencia defeat
NO WAY BACK FOR CRAIG GORDON?
Scott Bain had two saves in particular in the opening period that were impressive as he kept Valencia at bay. Faultless for the goal that eventually and inevitably came, the keeper's performance belied his inexperience at European level. It is impossible to see Gordon coming back in unless there is an injury to the current holder of the gloves. Rodgers had warm words for the keeper as the duo embraced at the end of the game and it seems pretty clear that he has become the number one at the club.
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