Celtic sealed progression into the playoff round of the Champions League qualifying stages this evening, after they secured a 0-0 draw away at Qarabag FK in Baku.
Ronny Deila's men took a 1-0 lead on aggregate into the sweltering heat on show in Azerbaijan and they came up with a solid defensive display to claim a vital second-leg result.
The hosts were almost gifted a goal midway through the first half when Craig Gordon flapped at a cross, only for Emilio Izaguirre to clear the danger.
Reynaldo fired over the crossbar soon after for Qarabag before Richard Almeida's 20-yard drive was pushed away by Gordon.
While the Scottish champions enjoyed their fair share of the ball, they were unable to produce any clear-cut opportunities before the end of the half. Ronny Deila's men passed and probed around the Qarabag penalty area, but they were severely lacking an incisive touch when they needed it.
Qarabag started the second spell brightly and they almost found a vital goal, only for defender Rashad Sadygov to blaze over the bar from just outside of the penalty area.
The hosts continued to probe in order to break the deadlock and a neat exchange of passing saw Badavi Guseynov with time and space, but the frontman fired wide of the target.
The heat in Baku seemingly took its toll on the players, and they were thankful when a water break was introduced in the 75th minute, leading to a rejuvenated effort from the Hoops who came close through Stefan Johansen.
With the game heading into a nail-biting final few minutes, Celtic were able to stand firm despite mounting pressure from the home side to earn progress into the next round of qualifying.
Christopher Dodd
