Celtic went more than halfway to gaining a place in the second round of the bloated UEFA Cup. They looked like a team at ease with themselves knowing that the real challenges lie further down the road in this competition.
For a club which treasures a tradition of making European evenings the highlight of every season, this was a rather downbeat occasion. The odd rows of empty seats probably reflected the fact that fans have not got bottomless pockets even in this commercial age.
Celtic's needed to translate a clear technical advantage into goals to save them having to work too hard in the second leg. Manager John Barnes had done his homework well enough to know that Hapoel were a team wedded to attack and it certainly looked that way with Ronen Harazi and Sebi Cimirotic left upfield to try to use their pace. Unfortunately the strikers were mostly left to peer some 60 yards down the field and watch Celtic take shooting practice.
From the start Mark Burchill's pace and Henrik Larsson's decision worried Hapoel. The absence of someone to win the ball in midfield was an even more embarrassing factor. They looked like attractive lightweights who could always be knocked out by a big punch.
It was up to Celtic to decide how to prosper in this situation. The opening goal came in the 28th minute. Possibly only Lubomar Moravcik could have had the vision to supply the diagonal ball which went tantalisingly over the head of Shimon Gershon. Larsson completed the move with a volley to beat goalkeeper Shavit Elimelech.
Celtic might have gone further ahead minutes before half-time when Craig Burley came forward, and Larsson's delicate touch left Burchill with a clear chance from 12 yards. But the teenager dragged his right-foot shot wide of the post.
Celtic, though, were given a break in the 49th minute when Gershon, confronted by Stephane Mahe in full flight, was adjudged to have brought down the fullback. The Hapoel defender claimed with some justification that he was trying to play the ball, but the Belgian referee decided otherwise and awarded the penalty. The goalkeeper Shavit Elimelich was booked for leading the protest but Larsson scored from the spot to put Celtic into the comfort zone.
Celtic pushed for a third but Hapoel could not be discounted. In the 70th minute the lanky Cimirotic got away from the defence and the goalkeeper Jonathan Gould had to make a good save to keep his side's two-goal advantage.
Celtic: Gould, McNamara, Mahe, Tebily, Stubbs, Burley, Lambert, Moravcik, Petta (Blinker 85), Larsson, Burchill. Subs Not Used: Kharine, Petrov, Mjallby, Riseth, Brattbakk, Johnson. Goals: Larsson 25, 50 pen.
Hapoel Tel-Aviv: Elimelech, Antebi, Bakhar, Ohaion, Pisont, Rupnik, Udi, Toema (Gohen 72), Cimirotic, Harazi (Tikva 63), Gershon. Subs Not Used: Hillel, Racunica, Balali, Afek, Rahmin. Booked: Udi, Elimelech, Gohen. Att: 45,171.
Referee: F De Bleecker (Belgium).
