Neil Lennon predicted his side would improve next week and finish off Elfsborg to claim a place in the Champions League play-off round.
Kris Commons' goal just 14 minutes from the end delivered a vital advantage against the Swedish champions in a tense night at Parkhead. Celtic created chances but their play was laboured before they finally got the breakthrough their pressure deserved.
The Celtic manager said he was delighted with the win, the clean sheet and the performance, but admitted his side was still some way short of its best. "There is obviously a bit of rust there, but we will be a week sharper and week fitter next week. We had to be patient, Elfsborg made it difficult to break them down.
"The crucial thing is the clean sheet. The tie is probably still in the balance but we're confident we will go there and get a result."
When asked if Celtic had now done enough, he said: "I don't know. You can't make predictions. What I do know is that they are growing, they are learning from experience and our away [record] last season was very, very good.
"The artificial pitch [at Elfsborg's Boras Arena] means we might change things with the team a little bit, but I'm pleased with the result tonight, that's the most important thing.
"There was rust, the final ball could have been better, we could maybe have worked the goalkeeper a little bit more. But I thought we got stronger as the game wore on and that surprised me, considering where both teams are in their seasons."
Mo Bangura played against Celtic despite being on loan from them and was jeered by the Parkhead support. "I thought he did well considering it was a thankless task for him at times," said Lennon. New signing Derk Boerrigter was introduced to the fans at half-time but did not play and will come into contention for the weekend Premiership opener against Ross County.
Elfsborg manager Jorgen Lennartsson warned Celtic it would be a different game next Wednesday. "We think the game is alive. We are a very strong side at home," he said. "We have lost only one game in 25 at home. Of course it will be a different game, we will have to score and we will have to attack more. But Celtic can't feel that the game is over. It is absolutely not."
A confident Kris Commons is convinced that Celtic will score in the second leg and that progress to the final qualifying round is in the hands of the Scottish champions. He said his headed goal in the second half was "vital" but said Celtic had the capability to take the tie beyond Elfsborg in the Boras Arena next week.
"We showed the sort of quality that got us into the last 16 of the Champions League last season," said the Scottish internationalist of the performance last night. "I think we will score over there. Fraser [Forster] could have stayed in the changing-rooms. I don't think the ball touched his gloves. They were happy at 1-0. I think they would have been delighted at 0-0. But we are more than confident about going on the road and getting goals."
Commons admitted Celtic had to increase the pace in the second half after a sluggish opening, saying: "It felt like a testimonial in the first half.
We never got the tempo going. We upped it in the first 15 minutes of the second half and the crowd got behind us."
Elfsborg defended in numbers and Commons said: "It reminded me a lot of how we played against
Barcelona. We had to give their players respect, get behind the ball and break them down. They probably saw how good we are at home and gave us respect.
"They need to score goals now. It would suit us if they come out. There will be more spaces and gaps for us. We also have the bonus of more players coming back from injury, and hitting top form."
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