Celtic vs Rosenborg. UEFA Champions League Qualifying Second Round.
Celtic ParkAttendance51,184.
Return leg takes place in Norway next week
Thursday 26 July 2018 08:27, UK
Odsonne Edouard scored twice as Celtic came from behind to beat Rosenborg 3-1 in the first leg of their Champions League second-round qualifying clash on Wednesday.
The Norwegian champions, who sacked manager Kare Ingebrigsten last week and replaced him with academy director Rini Coolen as interim boss, took the lead in the 15th minute through defender Birger Meling.
However, Brendan Rodgers' side showed their mettle and goals from striker Edouard and fellow Frenchman Olivier Ntcham either side of half-time put the home side in front.
Edouard stretched that lead with another well-taken goal in the 75th minute to give the Hoops a decent advantage to take to Norway next week as they look to set up a third qualifying round meeting with Greek side AEK Athens.
Costa Rica's World Cup right-back Cristian Gamboa returned for Celtic as a replacement for suspended Jozo Simunovic while Scott Sinclair replaced Moussa Dembele, who was ruled out of both legs with another hamstring complaint.
But it was the visitors who started better and took the lead in the 15th minute when Rosenborg capitalised on a mistake by Jack Hendry.
The centre-back advanced up the park only to see his square pass intercepted by skipper Mike Jensen who set Helland away and when he moved it on to Nicklas Bendtner his perfectly-weighted pass was guided past Gordon by the incoming Meling from 14 yards.
Celtic responded quickly and impressively.
Norwegian defender Kristoffer Ajer skimmed a header from a corner past the far post before Andre Hansen made a decent save from Callum McGregor's drive from 16 yards.
In the 34th minute, amid growing Celtic anxiety, a penalty claim when right-back Vegar Hedenstad clashed with Ntcham in the box was ignored by Belgian referee Bert Vertenten.
However, in the 43rd minute the mood inside Parkhead changed when Edouard controlled a Sinclair cut-back and stroked it past Hansen from eight yards.
Within a minute of the restart Ntcham took a pass from McGregor and curled the ball high into the net from outside the box to have the Hoops fans back on their feet.
A curling shot from McGregor then caught out Hansen but rebounded off the post before Edouard came close with a free-kick from 20 yards.
The visitors were under siege as Celtic piled forward to increase their lead.
Hansen saved at his near post from Sinclair then tipped a long-distance effort from Ntcham on to the bar before it was cleared for a corner which was gathered by the Rosenborg keeper.
A third goal seemed inevitable and it came when Forrest sent Edouard racing through the middle and with supreme confidence he chipped Hansen to give the home side a deserved two-goal cushion, although it could have been three as Hendry's header from a McGregor free-kick clipped the bar before going over.
