MX23RW : Friday, September 27 22:42:16| >> :120:59044:59044:
[monks data]
Astana
Champions League | Third Qualifying Round
Jul 27, 2016 at 3pm UK
 
Celtic logo

1-1

FT(HT: 1-0)
Griffiths (78')

Leigh Griffiths nabs away goal for Celtic to seal draw with Astana in qualifier

Leigh Griffiths scores a second-half away goal as Celtic draw 1-1 with Astana in the first leg of their third qualifying match in the Champions League.

Celtic have come from behind to nab a 1-1 draw with Astana in the first leg of their third qualifying match in the Champions League.

Leigh Griffiths scored the crucial away goal in the 78th minute in Kazakhstan, boosting the chances of Brendan Rodgers and his team progressing into the next phase of the competition as they welcome Astana to Glasgow for the second leg.

It was a bright start to the game from the Scottish giants as Griffiths almost created an opening by sharply turning in the box before drilling a low attempt towards goal, but the ball bobbled past the near post.

Celtic ramped up the pressure by peppering attacks on their opponents' goal, one of which was produced by summer signing Moussa Dembele, whose thumping shot was blocked in the penalty area.

Astana had few opportunities in the opening 15 minutes, but they began to find their feet when Patrick Twumasi stormed past Kieran Tierney to get a cross into the box, but Mikael Lustig read the move and managed to turn the ball behind.

The resulting corner in the 19th minute broke the deadlock as Yuri Logvinenko leapt unmarked in the box to head the ball home and give his side the lead against the run of play.

Three minutes later, Celtic players appealed for a penalty when Dembele crumpled to the floor after trying to get on the end of a through-ball, but the referee waved away their claims.

After going in front, Astana had a spring in their step as they piled pressure on goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who denied shots from Azat Nurgaliev and Junior Kabananga.

After the break, Celtic went on the front foot, and Patrick Roberts came close after darting away from his marker before trying to curl the ball past the keeper with his left foot, but it was blocked.

The visitors held their breath when Gordon missed Nurgaliev's strike from the edge of the area, but they were dealt some luck when the ball clipped the top of the crossbar.

As the clock ticked down, Celtic tried to find a way through and their perseverance paid off when Griffiths fired the ball from just inside the penalty area and past the keeper.

Minutes later, Astana tried to respond through Kabananga, who let one fly from the edge of the box, but Gordon was alert and caught the ball comfortably.

After equalising, Celtic managed to see the game out by keeping hold of possession and running down the clock.

ID:277595: cacheID:277595:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4699:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Brendan Rodgers, manager of Liverpool looks on prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Aston Villa at Anfield on September 26, 2015 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Read Next:
Rodgers backs Liverpool for top-four spot
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Cowboys
20-15
Giants
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Bayern11003
2B. Leverkusen11003
3Celtic11003
4Aston Villa11003
5Dortmund11003
6Sparta Prague11003
7Juventus11003
8Liverpool11003
9Real Madrid11003
10Sporting Lisbon11003
11Atletico11003
12Benfica11003
13Brest11003
14Monaco11003
15PSG11003
16Arsenal10101
17Atalanta10101
18Bologna10101
19Inter Milan10101
20Man City10101
21Shakhtar10101
22Barcelona10010
23Girona10010
24RB Leipzig10010
25Red Star10010
26Sturm Graz10010
27AC Milan10010
28Lille10010
29PSV10010
30Stuttgart10010
31Brugge10010
32Salzburg10010
33Young Boys10010
34Feyenoord10010
35Slovan Bratislava10010
36Dinamo Zagreb10010


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!