Match report: RB Leipzig 3-1 Celtic
Group F: “The pride and optimism that filled Celtic ahead of this season’s return to the Champions League is quickly giving way to a harsher, colder reality,” writes Jonathan Liew from the Red Bull Arena.
Ange Postecoglou speaks ...
“I’m disappointed obviously in the outcome, the defeat,” says the Celtic manager. “I thought we were well in the game, y’know? First half, even though we were 1-0 down I thought we created some good chances. They were good on the counter-attack but I thought we were just as dangerous going the other way. It was a matter of just hanging in there and we got a good goal but after we scored we kind of went into our shells a little bit, gave up possession and got a bit negative with our passing. I’m really disappointed with the second goal because that was a cushy one we conceded and that changed the course of the game.”
Jota speaks ...
“We knew how tough today was going to be against Leipzig because they are a very strong team,” he tells BT Sport. “We knew what we had to do but unfrotunately we didn’t get to finish our chances and I think after that they just did their work and we were running against the game. Unlucky for us, I think the team gave everything they could, the strategy was there but these are the little details that mnakle the difference in the Champions League.”
On his goal: “We are a team that is always ready to play as a possession team, as a counter-attack team. We need to take advantage of every moment in the game. We saw the space, we know that we are fast in the front three so you’ve just got to be ready.”
On Celtic’s fans: “What they gave us today was world class. Not many players can live this moment and they have travelled from Scotland to support us, and from around the world. We are just grateful for the atmosphere that they gave us today. I think every Leipzig player is going home today with the feeling: ‘Wow! They are unbelivable.’ So I just think we need to give these victories to our fans.”
What now for Celtic? The Scottish champions have back-to-back home games to come against RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk, followed by a daunting trip to the Bernabeu to face a Real Madrid side who may well have qualified for the knockout stages by the time that game comes around.
Joe Hart speaks ...
“Tough game, good opposition, two teams going for it,” he tells BT Sport. “There was a lot of pressure and at times it was extremely difficult. I’m at fault for the second goal, no doubt about it, but that’s the way the manager wants us to play so that’s ther way we play. Sometimes it’s going to hurt us but most of the time, as we provedv tonight, we got through the press and gave ourselves a real opportunity to score goals.”
On the second goal: “They were pressing with three and I wasn’t quite sure whether to go to the centre-half or Greg [Taylor]. I decided to go for Greg and I missed. Those are the simple facts but it’s high level football and something that I love playing but you make a mistake and you get punished.”
Full time: RB Leipzig 3-1 Celtic
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeep! Silva is unable to reach an excessively weighty dink from Xaver Schlager and the ref decides enough is enough. Leipzig have taken the three points from an entertaining game and consign Celtic to the bottom of Group F with just one point from their opening three games. Leipzig move to third with three points, one behind Shakhtar and three behind Real Madrid, who each have a game in hand and meet in the Spanish capital this evening.
90+3 min: More pressure from Leipzig. Forsberg controls a pull-back and sends a low diagonal effort narrowly wide of the far post. He accidentally handled the ball as it came his way and is penalised accordingly.
90+1 min: Celtic remain on the back foot. Moritz Jenz puts the ball out for a Leipzig corner under pressure from the apparently tireless Simakan. Nkunku is crowded off the ball before he can shoot when the ball breaks his way from the ensuing inswinger.
90 min: Joe Hart gets down to save smartly from a close range Forsberg effort.
88 min: Leipzig seem content to play down the clock, passing the ball around inside their own half as Celtic’s players chase shadows. The Scottish champions rode their luck at times tonight but also missed a couple of fairly gilt-edged first half chances. With the score level at 1-1, they gifted Leipzig a goal moments after their second VAR-prompted reprieve of the evening and that was that. Leipzig’s third goal of the evening was their best and since scoring it the hosts have looked extremely comfortable.
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86 min: Simakan goes down clutching his ribs after a robust coming-together with Giakoumakis. Free-kick for Leipzig halfway inside their own half.
84 min: Celtic win a corner but nothing comes of it. Leipzig right-back Mohamed Simakan, who has been excellent tonight, rallies the crowd with a few vigorous arm waves as he shepherds the ball out of play for a goal kick.
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82 min: Celtic double-substitution: Giorgios Giakoumakis and James McCarthy on for Kyogo and Reo Hatate.
81 min: Leipzig double-substitution: Yussef Poulsen and Marcel Halstenberg on for Raum and Szoboszlai.
80 min: There’s a break in play as David Raum receives treatment from two of his teammates for cramp.
GOAL! RB Leipzig 3-1 Celtic (Silva 77)
Leipzig extend their lead. Nkunku plays a give and go with Forsberg. The substitute plays a cross to the far post, where Mohamed Simikan arrows a sidefoot volley across the face of goal. At the far post, Andre Silva takes a touch before firing home his second of the evening. That, one suspects, is that for Celtic.
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73 min: Celtic double-substitution: James Forrest and Sead Haksabanovic on for O’Riley and Maede.
70 min: Leipzig double-substitution: Emil Forsberg and Amadou Haidara on for Kevin Kampl and Timo Werner.
69 min: Hart thwarts Silva on this occasion, saving an effort from close range with his legs.
67 min: Ah Joe. For reasons best known to himself, the Celtic goalkeeper plays a pass straight to Szoboszlai who was loitering outside the Celtic penalty area, probably still reeling from the injustice of having his recent fine strike ruled out. He played in Silva, who fired into the bottom left-hand corner.
GOAL! RB Leipzig 2-1 Celtic (Silva 64)
Oof! Leipzig score less than 40 seconds after having a goal disallowed and it’s a gift from Joe Hart.
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GOAL DISALLOWED: RB Leipzig 1-1 Celtic
It’s disallowed and Celtic are off the hook … but not for long.
There's a VAR check!
63 min: The ref goes to his pitchside monitor to see if Silva, the Leipzig player who was standing in an offside position when Szoboszlai shot, was in Joe Hart’s eyeline.
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GOAL! RB Leipzig 2-1 Celtic (Szoboszlai 61)
Leipzig retake the lead. Szobososzlai advances on the Celtic penalty area, is allowed to shift the ball on to his right foot and rifles a low drive into the bottom corner from distance.
60 min: Matt O’Riley is booked for holding off Josko Gvardiol in a manner referee Espen Eskas deemed too robust. He had his arms spread wide and the centre-half went down holding his face. It’s a harsh yellow for me, Clive.
59 min: RB Leipzig appeal for a penalty on the back of a possible handball by Greg Taylor. No spot-kick is forthcoming.
58 min: Nkunku and Szoboszlai combine in the Celtic penalty area and the Hungarian rolls a low diagonal effort off the foot of the far post!
57 min: Andre Silva leaps highest to meet a Raum cross at the far post. His weak downwards header doesn’t trouble Joe Hart in the slightest.
55 min: Hatate plays the ball in behind to Maede near the corner, but he’s unable to keep it in play under pressure from Kampl. Goal kick for RB Leipzig.
53 min: Hatate slips as he tries to play a crossfield pass to Kyogo and gifts possession to David Raum. Matt O’Riley tracks back to win the ball and is fouled by Kevin Kampl, who gets the first booking of the night.
52 min: The 3,000 travelling Celtic fans in the stadium have been jolted into life by that early second half strike. THey’re given more to shout about when Oliver Abildgaard dispossesses Timo Werner with a robust challenge as the German dawdled on the ball.
49 min: Hats off to Reo Hatate, whose quick thinking sent Celtic on their way with a quick pass. They had a two on one, Kyogo drew the defender and played the ball into the path of Jota, who beat Janis Blaswich with an inch perfect shot that could scarcely have been more precise.
GOAL! RB Leipzig 1-1 Celtic (Jota 48)
Celtic are level! They attack on the break and Kyogo squares the ball for Jota, who finishes with a composed, low diagonal effort into the far corner.
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47 min: Leipzig advance up the left flank but David Raum’s cross is cut out.
46 min: Willi Orban comfortably clears a long ball from deep with Jota trying in vain to close him down.
Second half: RB Leipzig 1-0 Celtic
46 min: Play resumes, with Celtic on the ball.
Half-time: RB Leipzig 1-0 Celtic
Peep! In a first half in which both sides lost their skipppers to injury, Christopher Nkunku twice had the ball in the net on the back of two splendid finishes but only one of his efforts counted. It’s the goal by which RB Leipzig lead as Celtic are once again left to miss squandered chances in Europe.
45+5 min: Juranovic advances down the right and swings in a cross. Kyogo sends his header wide and appeals for a corner, claiming the ball came off a defender. I’m not sure whether it did or didn’t, but Leipzig get a goal kick.
45+4 min: Celtic give away possession again and |Dominik Szoboszlai advances into their penalty area with the ball at his feert. He looks up and pulls the trigger but Greg Taylor intercepts to put the ball out for a corner from which nothing comes.
45+2 min: Andre Silva gets the ball on to his right foot on the edge of the Celtic penalty area and tries his luck. Joe Hart is more than equal to his low drive.
45+1 min: We’re into the first of seven added minutes.
44 min: It’s textbook Timo Werner as the German is played in behind for a one-on-one with Joe Hart by a beautiful dink around the corner from Nkunku. Not content with hitting his low shot straight at Hart (tick), Werner is subsequently flagged for offside (tick).
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43 min: The clock ticks towards half-time but given the number of stoppages we’ve had, we can probably expect plenty of injury time.
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40 min: Mohamed Simakan picks out Nkunku into space in the Celtic left-back position with a beautiful chip over the top down the right flank. Nkunku has nobody to pick out in the penalty arewa and holds the ball up under pressure from Greg Taylor. Leipzig’s promising attack fizzles out and the ball ends up in the hands of Joe Hart.
37 min: Celtic substitution: Oliver Abilgaard on for McGregor. The Danish loanee has played one minute of football for Celtic so far this season.
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37 min: Now Jota goes down after shipping an accidental elbow to the face. He’s fine but in worrying news for Celtic fans, Callum McGregor has gone to ground again. He signals to the bench that he needs to be replaced. Both sides have lost their captains to knee injuries but Peter Gulasci’s looked far more serious than that of his Celtic counterpart.
36 min: Play resumes with Juranovic apparently OK.
34 min: There’s another break in play as Celtic full-back Josip Juranovic receives treatment for a laceration to his head.
32 min: Interestingly, or not as the case may be, McGregor picked up that injury as he chased back in a futile effort to stop the counter-attack that led to the goal scored seconds after he had given the ball away. He and his team-mates could pay a very heavy price for his error if he is unable to continue.
31 min: McGregor adjourns to the sideline before returning to action for now. His obvious replacement would be Aaron Mooy, who hasn’t travelled because he’s injured too.
29 min: Celtic’s evening goes from bad to worse as Callum McGregor goes down with an injury to his right knee. He’s receiving treatment.
GOAL! RB Leipzig 1-0 Celtic (Nkunku 27)
RB Leipzig lead though Nkunku. With not a huge amount of goal to aim at after Joe Hart had narrowed the angle, Christopher Nkunku sends the ball fizzing into the bottom left-hand corner to round off a lightning fast RB Leipzig counter-attack from a Celtic corner. That’s a splendid finish.
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26 min: Another two gilt-edged chances go begging for Celtic. Moritz Jenz drills a low shot too close to Blaswich, before Kyogo has a decent shot deflected narrowly wide.
25 min: Leipzig’s substitute goalkeeper has his mettle tested and he passes with flying colours. Blaswich saves well as Kyogo steers a Maede cross goalwards with considerable power.
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24 min: Leipzig left-back David Raum sends a wonderful cross into the Celtic penalty area, where Szoboszlai skims a header wide of the far post. He should have done better.
23 min: It was Nkunku who was offside in the build-up to his own delightful finish and he had no need to be as he ran on to a low cross from the right. It’s a real let-off for Celtic.
VAR! No goal! RB Leipzig 0-0 Celtic
It’s as you were. Celtic earn themselves a reprieve as the goal is ruled out for offside after a consultation between referee Espen Eskas and his Polish VAR Tomasz Kwiatkowski.
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GOAL! RB Leipzig 1-0 Celtic (Nkunku 18)
Leipzig lead! They break upfield from that throw-in and Nkunku lifts the ball over the oncoming Joe Hart and wheels away in celebration before it bounces over the line.
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17 min: Celtic win a throw-in deep in Leipzig territory after good work down the right by Maede and O’Riley.
15 min: WIth Nkunku loitering with intent in front of him hoping to pick up any scraps, Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart deals comfortably with a low volleyed Mohamed Simakan cross from the right.
12 min: Leiupzig skipper and goalkeeper Peter Gulasci injured himself making that rushed clearance, appearing to twist his knee. He has been stretchered off after a lengthy break in play. He’s replaced by Janis Blaswich.
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9 min: A chance for Celtic, as Gulasci is sold short by a terrible backpass from Werner. Kyogo chases for the ball with the goalkeeper, who passes straight to Hatate. He rushes his pass across the face of the penalty area, when perhaps he could have taken a touch and tried a shot on the empty goal.
8 min: Nkunku runs on to a through ball in behind from Andre Silva, who is fouled by Welsh as he plays the pass. Joe Hart beats Nkunku to the ball but the referee awards RB Leipzig a free-kick about 30 yards from the Celtic goal. It’s fired straight into the defensive wall by Dominik Szoboszlai.
7 min: Celtic go forward again with Jota on the ball, bearing down on the Leipzig penalty area. He tries a shot himself but it’s deflected harmlessly into the arms of Gulasci.
6 min: Josip Juranovic plays an early cross-field ball from deep towards Matt O’Riley on the inside left. Willi Orban intercepts and clears.
4 min: It’s been a lively start. Nkunku goes close again, beating Stephen Welsh in the air before sending the ball wide. Moments later, Celtic have a chance as Matete tries to tee up O’Riley in the Leipzig penalty area. His shot is blocked.
2 min: An early fright for Celtic, as Leipzig work the ball up the right wing. Werner plays a ball in behind for Nkunku, who runs into traffic. The ball cannons off a white shirt and into the arms of Joe Hart, who got down quickly.
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1 min: Callum McGregor plays a ball from deep towards Daizen Maede but it carries through to RB Leipzig goalkeeper and captain Peter Gulacsi.
RB Leipzig v Celtic is go ...
1 min: After a minute’s silence for the many victims of the stadium tragedy in Indonesia at the weekend, RB Leipzig get the ball rolling.
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Not long now: Referee Espen Eskas leads both teams out and they line up either side of the match officials for the Champions League anthem. Kick-off is just a few handshakes, a coin-toss and a shrill blast of Eskas’s whistle away. Celtic’s players wear black shirts with thin green stripes, black shorts and black socks. Their hosts are in predominantly white shirts, shorts and socks.
Liel Abada: The Celtic winger is not in tonight’s squad as he is sitting this game out for religious reasons. The group F match coincides with Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar and Ange Postecoglou left it up to the player to decide whether or not he wanted to participate in the game.
Those teams: With the absence of Cameron Carter-Vickers confirmed, Ange Postecoglu names the same side that lined up against and beat Motherwell at the weekend, which means a Champions League debut for 22-year-old central defender Stephen Welsh.
RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose makes one change to the team that beat Bochum 4-0 on Saturday. David Raum comes in at left-back for Marcel Halstenberg, who drops to the bench. Former Chelsea striker Timo Werner lines up for the hosts, alongside Christopher Nkunku, who is being heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
RB Leipzig v Celtic line-ups
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Simakan, Orban, Gvardiol, Raum, Schlager, Kampl, Szoboszlai, Nkunku, Werner, Andre Silva.
Subs: Haidara, Poulsen, Forsberg, Blaswich, Halstenberg, Diallo, Novoa, Henrichs.
Celtic: Hart, Juranovic, Welsh, Jenz, Taylor, O’Riley, McGregor, Hatate, Maeda, Furuhashi, Jota.
Subs: Giakoumakis, Haksabanovic, McCarthy, Bernabei, Abildgaard, Bain, Siegrist, Robertson, Forrest, Ralston.
Tonight’s match officials
Referee: Espen Eskas
Referee’s assistants: Jan Erik Engan and Isaak Elias Bashevkin
Fourth official: Svein Oddvar Moen
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski
Early team news
Leipzig mifielder Konrad Laimer is out with an ankle injury, along with centre-back Lukas Klostermann. Midfielder Dani Olmo is also sidelined with an injury that has kept him out for over a month.
Visibly frustrated by his side’s profligacy in front of goal in their previous two Champions League encounters, Ange Postecoglou has been forced to plan for this game without striker Georgios Giokoumakis, who suffered a leg injury while on international duty with Greece. Swedish defender Carl Starfelt is also out as he recovers from the knee injury that forced him off the pitch in the first Old Firm derby of the season. James McCarthy and Cameron Carter-Vickers are also major doubts for tonight’s game.
Group F: RB Leipzig v Celtic
The Red Bull Arena is the venue for tonight’s meeting between third and fourth in Group F. With a point on the board already following their draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in Poland, Celtic are in slightly better shape than their hosts, who have lost both their group games, against the Ukrainian saide and Real Madrid, so far. Kick-off in Saxony is at 5.45pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
