FOURTEEN video games, three competitions, and a temperature variety of all-around 40 degrees. Celtic’s European experience is finally above for the year, as one thing of a shadow aspect went down with a whimper to Bodo/Glimt in Norway.
Possibly the most telling statistic of that European run while is the 17 targets that Celtic conceded on their travels, and the 27 in complete across all fixtures, with their attack unable to compensate for the volume of objectives they shipped to continental opposition.
They missing two plans below to seal their fate, an early strike from Ola Solbakken and a next-fifty percent purpose from Hugo Vetlesen, but the harm carried out for the duration of past week’s desperately disappointing 3-1 first leg defeat to Kjetil Knutsen’s attained outfit at Celtic Park.
All of the communicate prior to the match from Celtic supervisor Ange Postecoglou was about how this UEFA Conference League tie was as a lot of a priority as any other sport, but his line-up barely mirrored his rhetoric, with the Premiership clash at Easter Street on Sunday obviously getting precedence.
Captain Callum McGregor was on the bench as Postecoglou made 6 modifications to the side that defeated Dundee on Sunday, with Josip Juranovic, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate, Liel Abada and Jota also building way. In came Liam Scales, Stephen Welsh, Nir Bitton, Matt O’Riley, James Forrest and Daizen Maeda.
It was a very long way to journey for the 400 Celtic supporters – and at no small price – to stand uncovered and uncovered to the features to check out these types of a meek exit, with the 9-quid pints following the match barely most likely to soften the blow.
Most of the other chatter forward of the activity centred on the severe weather conditions circumstances in the Arctic Circle, and as the Celtic gamers warmed up – or attempted to, at minimum – they ended up battered by a howling wind, hail and sleet as it ripped by means of the exposed Aspmyra Stadium.
As kick-off approached though the weather conditions overhead calmed a tiny, and though it was still really substantially on the nippy side, the rain now falling overhead gave the sky the feel of a February night time in Glasgow.
There was an outstanding pyrotechnics screen as the locals signalled they were being perfectly up for it, and then it was left to both of those sets of players to see who could create the fireworks on the pitch.
It was the hosts who seemed to be warming to the activity early on, forcing a corner that the Celtic backline permitted to flash proper throughout their goalmouth that – fortuitously for the website visitors – carried via to protection.
Joe Hart then passed the ball specifically to Ulrik Saltnes on the edge of his individual spot, but Anthony Ralston managed to get back again and retrieve the problem, referee Sergei Ivanov disregarding statements for a bundle into the back again of the Glimt captain.
Just as in Glasgow final 7 days while, Glimt would get the early breakthrough. Bitton was robbed in midfield by Elias Hagen, and as the Celtic midfielder claimed in vein for a foul, his opponent charged on to the traveling to backline prior to feeding the ball large to Solbakken. He took a touch, reduce inside of on to his remaining foot, and completed properly low across Hart.
It could and ought to have been two moments later on, Amahi Pellegrino getting acres of space inside of the Celtic space, but Hart unfold himself to block.
Celtic experienced a good bit of possession thereafter, but carried little menace. Certainly, it was the hosts who normally looked the far more dangerous, and Hart yet again brilliantly denied Pellegrino right after an incisive breakaway experienced place the attacker very clear.
It took until eventually five minutes in advance of the break for Celtic to register an attempt on focus on, stand-in keeper Joshua Smits easily fielding a tame header from the hitherto peripheral Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The game appeared very well and really up, so it was anything of a shock to see Postecoglou send out on his captain McGregor and Abada at the crack for O’Riley and Rogic.
Abada managed to get into the space at least, and Celtic claimed for a penalty as his shot struck the arm of Brede Moe, which warmed up the browsing admirers a tiny if not convincing referee Ivanov.
Maeda then blew their biggest opportunity of the evening as he latched onto a Forrest flick to race in guiding the Glimt defence, but the forward blasted over when he really should have scored to at least inject a bit of life into the contest.
That was the last fading signals of a pulse although, as Glimt killed Celtic off the moment and for all.
A slick counter-attack observed a brief trade of passes on the edge of the box, prior to the ball was worked broad to Morten Konradesn. His small cross was met by the exceptional Vetlesen, who side-footed household.
The rest of the activity was immaterial, even though – without this means any disrespect to the gamers picked – it could be argued that the final result was preordained from the moment the teamsheets landed in any situation.
Many Celtic fans will take the evident sacrifice of this tie need to Postecoglou’s fully restored aspect acquire 3 vital factors against Hibernian on Sunday to sustain their advantage at the best of the Premiership, though possibly the shivering contingent that made it all the way up below will not be so straight away forgiving.