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Celtic vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva. UEFA Champions League Qualifying Play-Offs Round.

Celtic ParkAttendance52,659.

Celtic 5

  • T Rogic (9th minute)
  • L Griffiths (39th minute, 46th minute)
  • M Dembele (73rd minute)
  • S Brown (85th minute)

Hapoel Beer-Sheva 2

  • L Palhano Soares (55th minute)
  • M Melikson (57th minute)

Celtic 5-2 Hapoel Be'er Sheva: Hosts hit five in topsy-turvy Champions League play-off first leg

17/08/16 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIRST PLAYOFF ROUND 1ST LEG .  CELTIC v HAPOEL BE'ER SHEVA  .  CELTIC PARK -
Image: Leigh Griffiths netted twice in the first half

Celtic beat Hapoel Be'er Sheva 5-2 in their Champions League qualifying play-off first leg on a topsy-turvy night at Celtic Park.

Tom Rogic gave Celtic the lead in the first 10 minutes, slotting into the corner with the goalkeeper stranded after the ball broke kindly to him, before Leigh Griffiths doubled with a back-post header.

Rodgers praises 'brilliant' win
Rodgers praises 'brilliant' win

Brendan Rodgers insists his Celtic side answered a big question about their mentality in 5-2 victory

Griffiths' superb free-kick put Celtic 3-0 up on the stroke of half-time, but the visitors got back in it through Lucio Maranhao, who drove home with their first shot on target in the 56th minute for a vital away goal.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva got a second moments later through Maor Melikson, striking into the bottom corner from the edge of the area, before substitute Moussa Dembele headed in from a corner for 4-2.

Tom Rogic celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game
Image: Tom Rogic scored the opening goal of the game

Scott Brown volleyed in the fifth late on, meaning Celtic take a healthy lead to Israel for their second leg, which will be played in Beersheba on Tuesday, August 23.

Celtic had bitter memories of losing at this stage in the previous two seasons, but got off to a flying start in front of their vocal home support.

Tom Rogic opens the scoring for Celtic
Image: Rogic slots home in the ninth minute at Celtic Park

Brown forced a fine save out of David Goresh in the visitors' goal after five minutes, and Celtic were ahead just four minutes later.

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As Scott Sinclair piled into a 50-50 with Goresh, the ball broke kindly to Rogic on the edge of the area for the Australian to coolly slot into the bottom corner past the defender on the line.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says there's still a big job to do against Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Celtic dominated the first half with 12 attempts on goal to the Israeli side's one, and it was 2-0 to the hosts when Griffiths headed into the bottom left corner from James Forrest's right-wing cross after Kolo Toure's fine run forward from defence.

And in first-half injury time Griffiths grabbed a sublime third for Celtic, curling a free-kick into the top right from the corner of the penalty area.

Leigh Griffiths celebrates scoring with Brendan Rodgers
Image: Griffiths celebrates scoring with Brendan Rodgers

Celtic continued pushing directly after the break, but Hapoel Be'er Sheva got a vital away goal after 56 minutes with their first shot on target and only their second shot of the game.

Breaking after clearing a Celtic corner, Maranhao found the near post from inside the area with a left-footed drive, though goalkeeper Craig Gordon could have done better.

David Goresh fails to stop Leigh Griffiths' free kick
Image: David Goresh fails to stop Griffiths' free-kick that made it 3-0 before half-time

And two minutes later it was 3-2, Melikson driving home superbly into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area past Gordon.

Brendan Rodgers then brought on Dembele, and within three minutes the former Fulham man made it 4-2, nodding in Griffiths' corner ahead of goalkeeper Goresh.

Gordon then saved from point-blank range as Maharan Radi got a header towards goal, but with just a few minutes remaining Celtic had regained their three-goal lead.

Celtic's Scott Brown celebrates scoring his side's fifth goal of the game with teammate James Forrest (right) during the UEFA Champions League qualifying p
Image: Celtic's Scott Brown celebrates the fifth

After making a hash of his first effort with his left foot, the ball fell kindly to Brown on his right, and his half volley into the right corner sent Celtic Park back into raptures.

Sinclair nearly made it six late on with a fine run, saved by Goresh at the far post, and Celtic held the lead to take to Israel on Tuesday.

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