Legia Warsaw 4-1 Celtic: Hoops trounced in Champs Lge
- adamhigginsuk
- Jul 30, 2014
- 3 min read
Challenge: Celtic midfielder Stefan Johansen competes for the ball with Legia Warsaw's Michal Zyro (Picture from breakingnews.ie.com)
10-MAN Celtic face an uphill battle to reach the Champions League play-off round after suffering a comprehensive first leg defeat against Legia Warsaw.
Callum McGregor had given the Scottish champions an early lead with a stunning strike into the top corner.
But Miroslav Radovic's brace put the Polish outfit in command before Hoops defender Efe Ambrose saw red late on in the first half.
Celtic were saved by keeper Fraser Forster on several occasions while Ivica Vrdoljak missed two penalties, however Michal Zyro and Jakub Posecki struck further blows late on.
It was a chastening first defeat in charge for new rookie boss Ronny Deila, who will be concerned by his side's inexplicable collapse after such a promising start.
Their hopes of overturning the deficit hang by a thread with the minimum requirement a 3-0 win in next week's second leg at Murrayfield although the away goal could be beneficial.
Deila handed his Norwegian compatriot Jo Inge Bergret his debut after joining on loan from Cardiff on Monday, dropping Leigh Griffiths to the bench, while Teemu Pukki was preferred to fit-again Anthony Stokes after scoring twice against KR Reykjavik last week.
McGregor kept his place in the side for the third game running and enhanced his growing reputation once again as Celtic seized the initiative early doors.
Just like away from home in Iceland in the last round, the 21-year-old struck at a decisive time, collecting a Pukki pass and cutting in from the right hand side before curling a left-footed shot beyond the fingertips of goalkeeper Dusan Kuciak.
Bright start: Callum McGregor turns away to celebrate his goal with team-mate Stefan Johansen (Picture from sport.interia.pl.com)
But as a result of some slack defending, Celtic's lead lasted barely two minutes.
Adam Matthews - selected ahead of Emilio Izaguirre at left-back - failed to track Radovic's run into the penalty area and the Serbian forward drilled home beyond Forster, who could not keep the ball out despite his best efforts.
An open and absorbing contest transpired with both sides committed to an attacking approach in pursuit of more goals.
Kris Commons went close for the Hoops when he galloped forward away from two defenders before firing narrowly over the crossbar from 20 yards.
Legia - managed by former Blackburn boss and Rangers defender Henning Berg - were equally dangerous as Virgil van Dijk made a fine block from Michal Kucharczyk's 18-yard shot.
But Pukki passed up a decent opportunity at the other end, scuffing a low effort beyond the left-hand post from a delightful Commons through-ball - and it was soon punished as Celtic's night began to turn incredibly sour.
Radovic was in the right place to bundle home his second goal from close range after Kucharczyk was given plenty of time to head Michal Zyro's right-wing delivery across the goalmouth.
Celtic almost grabbed a rapid leveller when Matthews burst down the left and picked out McGregor with a fine cutback, the midfielder's firm low shot well saved by Kuciak.
But the game's complexion was transformed a minute before the break when the Bhoys were reduced to 10 men.
A poor touch from stand-in skipper Charlie Mulgrew allowed the all-action Kucharczyk a free run towards goal, which was halted by a despairing challenge from Ambrose just outside the box.
Dutch referee Pol van Boekel brandished a straight red card to the Nigerian defender for the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Deila responded by introducing midfielder Beram Kayal at the interval in place of Pukki with Mulgrew dropping into central defence.
However, Celtic began the second half in an underwhelming manner and could have fallen further behind on two occasions before the hour mark.
Firstly, Forster raced off his goalline to bravely block at the feet of Zyro from close range before Legia captain Ivica Vrdoljak drove a penalty wide after Mulgrew clumsily tripped Duda in the box.
Deila replaced debutant Begret with full-back Izaguirre - a defensive switch designed to limit the damage as the 100 Celtic fans inside the Pepsi Arena sensed their side's Champions League dreams were fading fast.
But a determined Legia inflicted more woe in the dying stages as Zyro capped an impressive personal display by heading in Radovic's centre six minutes from time.
The Hoops were given a reprieve when Vrdoljak failed from the spot again with Forster springing to his right to make the save after Mulgrew was penalised for a foul on Kosecki.
Kosecki added a fourth in stoppage time, slotting home Lukasz Broz's cross, as Celtic were undone again.
And with the Hoops all but out of the Champions League, it will take a mammoth display to overturn the odds next Wednesday if they are to avoid a Europa League play-off place.
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