Celtic 2 CFR Cluj 0
Celtic exacted the perfect revenge on Cluj, architects of their Champions League downfall, with a victory every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests.
Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager, retains legitimate aspirations of progression from Group E; the Europa League has given the Scottish champions scope to develop. Dan Petrescu, Lennon’s opposite number, missed pre-match media duties after falling ill at a Glasgow hotel. The former Chelsea defender recovered sufficiently to bark instructions from the bench, even if nothing Petrescu witnessed would have raised his spirits. Celtic were superior in every department.
Cluj’s 4-3 win here, in an unorthodox game by any reasonable standards, triggered a wave of scepticism towards Lennon. Celtic’s response arrived via decent transfer business and a series of strong domestic performances. The 1-1 draw in Rennes to open the Europa League group campaign was the least Celtic deserved. That Cluj saw off Lazio on the same night meant retribution would not be a straightforward process.
After a ragged opening, Christopher Jullien twice came close to sending the hosts in front. The towering French centre-back forced Giedrius Arlauskis into a fine save with an 11th-minute header, with Jullien’s next attempt looping narrowly over the Cluj crossbar.
Those opportunities triggered a spell of Celtic dominance which, in turn, resulted in a deserved lead. Callum McGregor is due credit for a wonderful pass to release Boli Bolingoli, whose chip from the left found the head of Odsonne Edouard. Celtic’s striker further enhanced his blossoming status by calmly nodding the ball beyond Arlauskis.
Celtic’s stranglehold on the match did loosen before the interval, albeit not to any material effect. Mario Rondon had the ball in the hosts’ net, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. The Cluj striker was subsequently booked for diving, having toppled under the attentions of Ryan Christie inside the Celtic penalty area.
If this competition is the poor relation of the Champions League, someone has forgotten to tell the Celtic support. A packed stadium took in this fixture, as is credit both to the appetite people in this domain have for European football and Lennon’s ability to raise the status of matches. Celtic’s followers were back on their feet within 15 minutes of the restart.
Mohamed Elyounoussi showed tenacity to retrieve the ball in midfield, with the Southampton loanee feeding James Forrest. Elyounoussi’s desire to maraud forward was similarly impressive; he collected Forrest’s return pass before slotting home Celtic’s second, albeit with the aid of a deflection. Nothing Cluj had done until that point suggested they could retrieve even a point. – Guardian
