Celtic vs Malmo FF. UEFA Champions League Qualifying Play-Offs Round.
Celtic Park.
Thursday 20 August 2015 07:22, UK
Celtic have only a slender advantage in their Champions League qualifier with Malmo FF after a 3-2 win at Celtic Park.
Jo Inge Berget's double against his former club - his second strike coming deep in stoppage-time - means Sweden's champions return for next week's second leg with two crucial away goals.
Leigh Griffiths opened the scoring for Celtic in the third-minute before Nir Bitton headed home from close range to cap a blistering opening 10 minutes for the hosts.
Celtic rallied after Berget pegged one back early in the second half and Griffiths soon restored their two-goal lead when he capitalised on a failed Malmo clearance and sent a looping header over 'keeper Johan Wiland.
Celtic manager Ronny Deila, who was looking to atone for last season's Champions League qualifying exit to Maribor, made one change ahead of kick-off, with Griffiths starting his first European game of the season.
And his decision was immediately vindicated when Griffiths gathered Stefan Johansen's first-time through-ball and slipped it ball past the on-rushing Wiland.
With Celtic Park rocking, the hosts capitalised on their early dominance and soon had a second. Again Johansen was the provider, whipping a corner into the goalmouth where Bitton made no mistake from three yards.
Malmo were limited to speculative long-range efforts in the first half, but Celtic 'keeper Craig Gordon was forced to save an effort from Vladimir Rodic on 23 minutes.
A perfect first-half display left the Hoops 45 minutes away from putting one foot in the group stages, but Malmo came out revitalised and halved the deficit seven minutes after the break.
The hosts' exuberance for a third goal proved to be their downfall as Malmo broke and scored from a Celtic corner.
Magnus Eikrem's cross from the right evaded everyone in the area expect Berget, who controlled and rifled home past Gordon.
The visitors' comeback was cut short on 61 minutes when Griffiths capitalised on Anton Tinnerholm's poor clearance to head over Wiland, restoring Celtic's two-goal advantage.
But the night turned sour again for Celtic as Griffiths, Mikael Lustig and Bitton all appeared to pick up injuries, and a key second away goal was grabbed at the death by Berget when he pounced on the Hoops' hesitancy to clear a corner and fired in.
