IN the lead-up to this game, Neil Lennon had doubled down on his decision to play Ryan Christie up front ahead of Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala in the midweek defeat to Ferencvaros, and he tripled down on that call here as he again put the midfielder at the spearhead of the Celtic attack.
Was it stubbornness? Most definitely. Was it a massive gamble? Certainly. But was Lennon vindicated? Well, not quite.
Yes, his side had moved ahead five minutes before the interval through James Forrest while Christie led the attack, but his decision to bring on Klimala for Moi Elyounoussi at half-time told you everything you needed to know about how the home attack had been blunted without the presence of a conventional striker. It also spoke volumes about the continued inefficacy of Elyounoussi.
There was also the fact that it was Ajeti who showed a striker’s nous to find space in a crowded area and finish emphatically for the crucial second goal to kill the game. If anything, the questions over what might have been had Ajeti been trusted to start in midweek have only been aroused further.
Still, perhaps Chris Jullien should have been pushed up top against the Hungarians, such was the composure he showed to slide home a third goal in injury time.
Celtic in fact started the match with exactly the same side as had taken to the field during the week, making Lennon’s comments inviting players to leave the club if they didn’t want to be there all the more cryptic. David Turnbull, newly arrived from Motherwell, started on the bench.
The Fir Park side had a bit of a better time of it in midweek with a confidence boosting win over Glentoran on Europa League duty after a difficult start to their season. Stephen Robinson stuck with the 3-5-2 formation that served them well on Thursday evening, but brought in Tony Watt up top alongside Chris Long after an impressive cameo from the bench against the Northern Irishmen.
The opening to the game was predictable enough, with Celtic having a lot of the ball and Motherwell trying to hit on the counter.
The plan from the visitors was working to perfection for most of the first half, much to the frustration of Celtic, who were constantly forced wide and unable to provide the quality from the wings to cause any issues for the Motherwell defence.
Finally, they found a way through though, and as so often happens in these situations, it was a Motherwell attack that gave Celtic the room to exploit.
A poor Stephen O’Donnell cross was picked off, and suddenly the visitors looked stretched. Callum McGregor showed a stunning turn of pace to slice his way through the heart of the field, playing the ball to Forrest on the right. The winger faced up Ricki Lamie, who backed off far too readily, allowing Forrest to lift his head and pick out the opposite corner with a fine finish.
Celtic should have had the game buried on the hour, as a mistake from O’Donnell allowed Greg Taylor to fire across the face of goal, but Klimala – ironically enough – showed a distinct lack of a poacher’s instinct as he failed to tap home from three yards or so.
Ajeti then arrived for Ntcham as Lennon went with two up top, and the forward certainly made his mark after being given the freedom of Glasgow to turn in the box after a great pass from Kris Ajer, slamming home high into the net to put the result beyond doubt.
Klimala should have added a third after a slip by Mugabi, but Carson denied him in a one-on-one. He may well, as Lennon said, not have been ready for Ferencvaros, but whether Ajeti would have made the difference, Celtic will never know.
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