Match ends, Celtic 1, FK Qarabag 0.
CelticCeltic1FK QarabagFK Qarabag0
- Boyata with late goal for Celtic
- Second leg in Azerbaijan next Wednesday
Dedryck Boyata kept Celtic's Champions League hopes on track with a late winner against Qarabag.
Celtic had a frustrating night in the third qualifying round first leg with Gary Mackay-Steven's fumbled shot the only one on target in the first half.
The Azerbaijani champions were no easier to contend with in the second half, though goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic's stunning save denied Virgil van Dijk.
However, Kris Commons' cross found Boyata, who headed in from six yards.
A fractious night at Celtic Park but a precious victory, and a clean sheet, for Ronny Deila's team in this Champions League third qualifying round tie, ahead of next Wednesday's second leg.
In the days before this match, Celtic made big play of the respect they had for the visitors, citing their impressive results in the Europa League last season and reminding their supporters that this tie could be an almighty grind.
And a grind it was. Qarabag created little or nothing but in their pursuit of a cushion, Celtic toiled in the opening half.
There was a lack of accuracy in their play, a lack of wit to cut open a visiting defence that was cool for the most part. Save for a tame Mackay-Steven shot and a snappy Richard Almeida free-kick that rebounded off Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon to safety, there was precious little to excite.
Qarabag looked comfortable at the back. Fearless, even. More than once they played intricate passing in their own penalty area where others might have panicked. Their ease was a polar opposite to the anxiety of the home support - big in number and big in angst.
That mood was only added to in the minutes before Boyata freed them from their footballing purgatory.
Celtic carved out decent openings early in the second half, two of them falling to Nadir Ciftci and both of them missed.
The first a header that flashed wide of Ibrahim Sehic's goal and the second thumped straight down the goalkeeper's throat.
Midway through the half, Van Dijk thumped a magnificent header on Qarabag's goal only to see Sehic make a save from the Gods. Soon after, the Dutchman lashed a shot over Sehic's crossbar.
Deila emptied his bench in search of inspiration. James Forrest came on for the hushed Stuart Armstrong. In a statement of intent, Leigh Griffiths, a striker, replaced Nir Biton, a holding midfielder. Then Commons appeared in place of Ciftci.
And it was Commons' delivery that finally unlocked Qarabag. When Boyata stole in ahead of Sehic to score it released a pressure valve inside Celtic Park.
In the process, it gave his team a vital lead on the tortuous journey to the white heat of Baku next week.
Line-ups
Celtic
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Gordon
- 23Lustig
- 20Boyata
- 5van DijkBooked at 45mins
- 3IzaguirreBooked at 36mins
- 6BittonSubstituted forGriffithsat 69'minutes
- 8Brown
- 14S ArmstrongSubstituted forForrestat 62'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 25Johansen
- 16Mackay-Steven
- 7CiftciSubstituted forCommonsat 80'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Ambrose
- 9Griffiths
- 15Commons
- 18Rogic
- 22Janko
- 26Bailly
- 49Forrest
FK Qarabag
Formation 4-5-1
- 13Sehic
- 18Qurbanov
- 55Huseynov
- 14Sadiqov
- 25AgolliBooked at 62mins
- 67El JadeyaouiSubstituted forPoeponat 87'minutes
- 20Almeida de Oliveira
- 2Garayev
- 10Quintana SosaSubstituted forDiniyevat 82'minutes
- 77TagiyevSubstituted forMammadovat 73'minutes
- 9dos Santos Silva
Substitutes
- 1Valiyev
- 6Mustafayev
- 11Mammadov
- 19Salahli
- 29Poepon
- 32Yunuszada
- 91Diniyev
- Referee:
- Robert Schörgenhofer
- Attendance:
- 43,011
Match Stats
Home TeamCelticAway TeamFK Qarabag
- Possession
- Home46%
- Away54%
- Shots
- Home8
- Away4
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away0
- Corners
- Home2
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Celtic 1, FK Qarabag 0.
Post update
Foul by Dedryck Boyata (Celtic).
Post update
Cosqun Diniyev (FK Qarabag) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Ansi Agolli (FK Qarabag).
Booking
James Forrest (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by James Forrest (Celtic).
Post update
Reynaldo Silva (FK Qarabag) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, FK Qarabag. Rydell Poepon replaces Alharbi El Jadeyaoui.
Post update
Attempt missed. Gary Mackay-Steven (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Post update
Attempt missed. Elvin Mammadov (FK Qarabag) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high.
Post update
Foul by Stefan Johansen (Celtic).
Post update
Elvin Mammadov (FK Qarabag) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).
Post update
Elvin Mammadov (FK Qarabag) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!
Goal! Celtic 1, FK Qarabag 0. Dedryck Boyata (Celtic) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kris Commons following a corner.
Substitution
Substitution, FK Qarabag. Cosqun Diniyev replaces Dani Quintana.
Post update
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Badavi Huseynov.
Substitution
Substitution, Celtic. Kris Commons replaces Nadir Ciftci.
