Brendan Rodgers signalled Celtic mayday but then something happened that didn’t make sense – Keith Jackson at Parkhead

Brendan Rodgers signalled Celtic mayday but then something happened that didn’t make sense – Keith Jackson at Parkhead

It may have meant nothing but it felt like everything on a galvanising night in Glasgow’s east end.

Luis Palma

It really wasn’t supposed to matter this much.

But what began as a fairly, lifeless affair in Glasgow’s east end, ended in the kind of bedlam which serves as a reminder to us all of why we fell in love with this game in the first place. It meant nothing. And yet it felt like everything. Almost enough to forget, for a while at least, that this entire Group E campaign has been a wholly miserable experience from the outset for a Celtic side which went into this one just to fulfil the fixture list. But they ended it with clenched fists, puffed chests and a major monkey off their back, with a first Champions League win on home soil for ten years.

And the consolation of proving to themselves that good fortune doesn’t always abandon them at the first sound of UEFA’s favourite anthem. For once in this competition, lady luck was wearing a green and white shirt as sub Gustaf Lagerbielke – of all people – popped up with a last gasp winner to spark scenes of celebration which made it feel like qualification was at stake instead of Celtic’s elimination confirmed.

Luis Palma’s first half penalty had them in front but it seemed like a sorry old story repeating itself when Feyenoord levelled nine minutes from time. And yet, on a night which defied all the established logic, Lagerbielke came off the bench to claim the mantle of Celtic’s most unlikely hero.

CELTIC PLAYER RATINGS FROM HOME WIN AGAINST FEYENOORD

More and more lately, Rodgers’ team selections have felt like some sort of coded cry for help. But when the name of Stephen Welsh appeared on this latest team sheet, the messaging lost whatever subtlety was left. With Nat Phillips and Gustaf Lagerbielke left on the bench, this was Rodgers effectively standing on the sidelines, waving both arms in the air while screaming ‘mayday mayday’ up at the directors’ box.

No matter what he may say in public, it’s impossible to believe – when he was lured back here in the summer, promising to turn Celtic into a credible European force – that he envisaged completing his first campaign with a pairing of Welsh and Liam Scales at the heart of defence. In fact, it makes no sense at all.

And yet the pair of them, to their credit, were apparently unfazed by the challenge and able to settle quickly into a robust looking partnership as Celtic did what Celtic always do on nights such as these. They started brightly enough and dominated proceedings for much of the opening 15 minutes albeit without causing the visitors any serious concern.

That may have been different, had Callum McGrgegor opted for a little more power and better direction in 10 minutes when he side footed the first shot of the night straight at keeper Justin Bijlow. Or if Kyogo Furuhashi hadn’t fluffed his lines when he raced clear onto a fairly sensational 50 yard through ball from Scales but choked a shot into Bijlow’s torso.

But those chances came and went and before too long there were familiar flashes of danger at the other end, in particular featuring Feyenoord’s prolific Mexican frontman Santiago Gimenez and young midfielder Quinten Timber. Timber, in fact, looked like causing trouble every time he got on the ball and 21 minutes in he combined superbly with Luka Ivanusec to send Gimenez powering in behind Celtic’s defence, rounding Hart and popping a calm finish into an empty net.

At first it seemed a killer blow had just been landed but Celtic were spared by a linesman’s flag and VAR confirmed that the official had got it right. Not long after, Gimenez was through for a second time and although he had timed his run to perfection this time he blasted his shot straight at Hart, who made a fine save to keep it out.

Still, this all felt horribly familiar nonetheless. Until, all of a sudden, a perfectly unexpected plot twist arrived. It was Scales who helped deliver it too, winning a penalty as he outmuscled Ramiz Zerrouki while the pair tussled, while waiting for a corner to come in from Celtic’s left. Zerrouki reacted by wrestling the Irishman to the ground in front of French ref Benoit Bastien who had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.



Feyenoord players surround referee Benoit Bastien

Palma stepped up, laced it straight down the middle and Celtic were 1-0 up. Yes, the Dutch responded strongly. Hart had to save another effort from Gimenez with an outstretched boot and, on the rebound, Timber had a shot charged down.

Then skipper Lutsharel Geertruida toe poked one off the base of Hart’s right hand post at the end of a dazzling combination of one touch passes. And yet Celtic survived. By the skin of their teeth? Maybe.

But a refreshing change of pace all the same. It could have been 2-0 right at the start of the second half when Palma tried his luck again, this time at the far post, after good work from Mikey Johnston down Celtic’s right. Yes, the Honduran’s shot was deflected behind by Bijlow’s right boot but, even so, this was an early sign of Celtic’s eagerness to get the job done.

Feyenoord, however, had other ideas. For a sustained period they came flooding forwards in all kinds of numbers, carrying all manner of threats but Celtic’s defence stood firm in the face of it. The closest the visitors came was when a deflected shot from Ivanusec looped up in the air but came down on the wrong side of Hart’s left hand post, with the keeper clawing at thin air.

With energy levels noticeably dropping, Rodgers turned to his bench in 67 minutes, replacing Kyogo with Hyeong-gyu Oh and Johnston with James Forrest.

Then, as if he hadn’t quite gambled quite enough for one evening, Rodgers replaced the fatiguing Welsh with Lagerbielke.

And, not long after, Feyenoord were level as sub Yankuba Minteh lashed a low shot home from 16 yards after Gimenez had whipped a ball across from the right, to the very area where Welsh had been defending so capably for most of the match. With nine minutes still left on the clock, Arne Slot urged his players back into position, sensing that there was more for them to take.

And yet there was one final twist to come. Well, of course there was. And it had to be Lagerbielke who provided it, soaring up at the back post to head Matt O’Riley’s cross home from close range in the dying seconds. It may have meant nothing. But it felt like everything.