Glasgow | Celtic prepare for crucial Champions League clash

Celtic 3 - 0 Livingston

A heavily rotated Celtic side produced the ideal Champions League send-off as they brushed aside Livingston before turning their focus to a daunting trip to Kazakhstan.

Author | Sean M

Stadium | Celtic Park

Celtic search for a goal

Three goals in the space of 20 second-half minutes broke the visitors’ resistance. New Swedish signing Benjamin Nygren struck twice, either side of an emphatic finish from Irish striker Johnny Kenny, who netted his first goal at Celtic Park.

Nygren stood out in particular. He created and scored the opener, picked out the top corner for his second and generally set the tempo for Celtic’s improvement after the interval. Kenny’s thunderous finish from a Daizen Maeda cross sealed the victory, drawing a broad smile from Brendan Rodgers on the touchline.

The manager made eight changes from the side that faced Kairat Almaty in midweek, handing debuts to Japanese recruits Hayato Inamura at left-back and striker Shin Yamada. Key figures including Reo Hatate, Kieran Tierney, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor, Maeda and James Forrest were rested, though several were introduced after the break once Celtic had gained control.

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Livingston’s goalkeeper Jerome Prior could count himself unfortunate to be on the wrong end of such a scoreline. His remarkable save to divert Hyun-jun Yang’s close-range header onto the bar just before half-time briefly kept his side level.

Attention now shifts to the long journey east, where Celtic face Kairat in what amounts to a £40m showdown. Rodgers will be reassured that he was able to rotate so heavily, protect his core players and still preserve Celtic’s flawless start to the domestic season.

Patience pays off

Celtic will take satisfaction from this victory, but little more. Much of the performance was flat, particularly during a subdued first half.

Eight changes to the starting XI inevitably disrupted rhythm, yet the reshuffled side still managed to edge ahead, with Benjamin Nygren striking soon after the interval. Once several senior figures were introduced, Celtic’s tempo increased and the familiar pattern of domestic dominance reappeared.

Celtic on the attack

Onwards to Kazakhstan

The question is whether this level of performance will be enough on the European stage. For the challenge that awaits in Kazakhstan, the Scottish champions must find greater sharpness, invention and ruthlessness in front of goal.

Champions League qualification is at stake. One top-level display, or even a result that outweighs the performance, could quieten much of the background noise surrounding Brendan Rodgers’ side.

They will need to improve on what they showed here, and in last week’s tie, but with a perfect domestic start providing confidence, all focus now shifts to the prospect of becoming the first Scottish club to win in Kazakhstan.