Celtic 2-1 Sturm Graz

Mark Atkinson reports from Celtic Park.

Transcript

00:00Good evening from Celtic Park, where it's finished Celtic 2, Sturm Graz 1 in the Europa League.

00:07Big win for Brendan Rodgers' men, their first off the European campaign, leaving them on four points after three matches.

00:15They were a goal down here to a wonderful strike from Tommy Horvath, but they showed real courage, you would say, in the second half.

00:22Back and back, Liam Scales equalised, and Benjamin Negrin got the winner on 64 minutes.

00:28Celtic played much better, that's probably the key takeaway.

00:31Sturm, you would say, by criticism about their Honda Civic display against Dundee.

00:37In all honesty, had they won this match by more goals, there wouldn't have been too many complaints from the Austrians,

00:42who played their part in a Serie A match, but Celtic really left goals out there.

00:46But this was a marked improvement from the Celtic team, and Rodgers afterwards came into the media tent outside here at Celtic Park

00:53and said, well, the performance wasn't quite a Ferrari-esque one, it was more Range Rover sport,

00:58and there were no Morris Miners either.

01:00Of course, this is on the back of his Honda Civic comment to describe the Dundee performance.

01:04One wonders if Rodgers will have another positive car analogy to give us after the game on Sunday,

01:10when Celtic travelled to Hearts in the Premiership, the leaders by five points at Titan Castle.

01:15That's going to be a huge match.

01:16If Celtic play like they did today, you would expect them to be pretty competitive in the game.

01:23The one concern for Celtic, or in fact, actually four concerns, are injuries.

01:27Dyson Maida missed this game due to a hamstring complaint.

01:30Kelechi Hinacho tweaked his own hamstring two minutes into the game,

01:33and then on 21 minutes, Alsa Johnson, in his first game back from a hamstring tear,

01:39aggravated the issue on 21 minutes, had to come off.

01:42And then right at the end, Cameron Carter-Vickers limped off with an ankle issue.

01:47You'd have to say that all of those players that I've mentioned are doubts for the trip to Titan Castle.

01:51It will stretch Celtic's squad to the limit.

01:54Nevertheless, they head along the M8 in a much better place.

01:58A few potholes, you would say, in this game, but they will be happy with how they performed.

02:05And it sets up a really cracking match, actually, against Hearts on Sunday,

02:08which I think we are all looking forward to.

02:10Celtic, the only Scottish team to win in Europe tonight.

02:13Rangers lost 3-0 at Bram Bergen, and, of course, Aberdeen lost 6-0 in the Conference League to I-Campaign.

02:18So the champions giving us one solider of positivity on the continent.

02:22It finished here at Celtic Park.

02:24Celtic 2, Sturmkratz 1.

02:25Outro