Five things we learned from Celtic's 2-1 win over Sarajevo on Wednesday night.
RYAN CHRISTIE COULD BE SET FOR A HUGE SEASON
There has never been any doubt about the talent the attacking midfielder possesses, but after dispelling any doubts about his ability to have an impact for Celtic last season, he now looks primed to show that he can become an integral part of their attack.
Injuries disrupted Christie’s season last term, but providing he doesn’t suffer the same wretched luck in the coming campaign, he looks as though he could really be entering his prime.
Here, he not only got the opening goal with a typically cool finish, but he was a constant threat floating in behind Odsonne Edouard, picking the ball up in the hole and feeding it into his striker with unerring accuracy for the majority of the game. He looks fit, focused and fired up to become of Neil Lennon’s main men.
CELTIC STARTING TO FIND RHYTHM
The slick football exhibited here by Celtic at times could hardly have been in starker contrast with the dismal fare served up in the weekend friendly against Stade Rennais, and it looks as though their main men are starting to really click into gear.
READ MORE: Neil Lennon praises Celtic players for staying calm in face of Bosnian boot-boys
Scott Brown, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie, James Forrest and Odsonne Edouard all looked to be in the mood, and if these players are on their game it bodes well for Celtic’s chances of negotiating a further three qualifying rounds and making the Champions League group stages.
One or two signs of rust were still evident, no more so than at the Sarajevo goal, but overall Celtic looked to be finding their rhythm.
NEIL LENNON’S CELTIC CAN BE DISCIPLINED
It was a bit of a strange night for Celtic given that they were so comfortable in the tie going in, but they showed their professionalism not only in the way they got the job done in terms of qualification, but also in the way they kept their discipline in the face of some pretty serious provocation.
With the tie seemingly beyond them at 1-0, the frustration of the visitors bubbled up, and there were a couple of cautions shown for hefty and needless fouls on Celtic players.
It would have been tempting for a few in the home side to retaliate in kind, but with qualification all-but ensured, the last thing that Neil Lennon would have wanted was any needless cautions that could come back to bite his team later on.
Thankfully for him, the odd bit of handbags was all that transpired from those meaty challenges, as his men kept their cool and kept 11 men on the park.
LEWIS MORGAN CONTINUES TO GROW IN STATURE
The winger earned his start here after an impressive cameo in the first leg of the tie in Sarajevo and a standout showing in the friendly draw with Stade Rennais at the weekend.
READ MORE: Celtic 2 FK Sarajevo 1: How the Celtic players rated as they march on in Champions League qualifying
He came in as a straight replacement for the injured Mikey Johnston on the left but looked a little uncomfortable before being shifted back to his more familiar right-wing station 20 minutes in, and once he was there he carried much more of a threat.
He had one low ball in particular that only a last-gasp nick off a defender prevented Odsonne Edouard from tapping home, and he seemed to grow in confidence as the night wore on, getting at his man with more regularity and with greater success.
BOLI BOLINGOLI STILL FINDING HIS FEET
Up until just after the hour mark last night, the very early impressions of Bolingoli had been almost exclusively positive, with the full-back impressing in Sarajevo before being forced off through injury and getting right on the front foot here too.
For all his attacking threat though, he suffered the first setback of his young Celtic career as his clanger gifted Sarajevo an unlikely equaliser on the night.
Whoever plays at left-back for Celtic wither when Kieran Tierney is injured as he is at present, or if he eventually leaves the club, will suffer from comparisons to the brilliant young talent, but there has been enough about Bolingoli to suggest he can be a shrewd signing if he can pick himself up from this experience quickly.
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