Celtic impress in thrilling Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

UEFA Champions League

Group stages, Matchday Three

Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC… 2

(Kyogo 4, Palma 28)

ATLETICO MADRID… 2

(Griezmann 25, Morata 53)

Celtic earned their first point of the UEFA Champions League group stages as they impressed in a 2-2 draw at home to Atletico Madrid.

Brendan Rodgers’ team impressed as they twice took the lead against the La Liga giants, first through Kyogo after four minutes before Antonine Griezmann equalised on the 25th-minute.

Luis Palma restored the lead three minutes after the French striker’s goal with a thunderous shot in off the post to send the Celts into the break in dreamland, however a second-half header from Alvaro Morata levelled things again.

Despite Atletico going down to 10-men after a Rodrigo de Paul red card with eight minutes to play, the Hoops just couldn’t find the winner in what was a valiant effort against one of Europe’s top teams.

Celtic Park on European nights is always a special destination. But when the giants of the European game come, like Atletico Madrid, the intensity within the bowl of Paradise seems to rise.

As the players walked out of the tunnel for the traditional Champions League anthem, a few extra decibels screeched out of every supporter’s voice and there was a sense that something special was in the air.

Celtic aren’t really expected to do anything against a team battling for the league title in Spain, but still, on these occasions, every fan has that little gut feeling that tonight could be the night as the whistle goes for kick-off.

Emotion alone won’t win these games against a Diego Simeone team that has twice reached this competition’s final. Quality, patience and concentration would be required, and when the chance comes the ball must find the back of the net.

And then after four minutes, Celtic showed all of the above as belief coursed through the veins of everyone inside Celtic Park as Kyogo found the back of the net.

It was a goal of pure beauty and one that deserves its place in this competition of Europe’s best. Daizen Maeda flicked the ball onto Matt O’Riley and from there it was all the work of the Dane and his striker Kyogo, as they linked up with some incredible one and two-touch football.

The final ball from O’Riley was exquisite, finding Kyogo when no one else was looking and the striker nipped in and cushioned a shot over Jan Oblak.

The noise inside Paradise was at a new high, but it fell slightly two minutes after the goal as Reo Hatate went off injured and he was replaced by Paulo Bernardo.

Atletico Madrid is not a team to lie down and they began to show their quality after the goal, with some slick passing opening their first chance on the 15th minute for Antonie Griezmann and he forced Joe Hart into a fine save from a tight angle.

The Hoops were matching the Spanish side, but at this level, it’s the small details that make the difference and Atletico had their chance on the 23rd minute as they carved their way through the Celtic block and won a penalty for a foul by Greg Taylor.

Up stepped World Cup winner Griezmann but Hart produced a stunning save onto the post, unfortunately, the ball fell straight back to Frenchman to tap in.

How would Celtic respond? They would go straight back up the other end and retake the lead in incredible fashion.

Maeda and Palma had briefly swapped wings and the Japanese forward was played into space down the left before sending a brilliant cross into the box. It just missed the men in the middle but it did find Palma at the back post and the Honduran rifled in a bullet across goal, off the post and in.

The noise inside Paradise was at new heights as Celtic were going toe-to-toe with a superpower of European football and bloodying their noses.

And it almost got better on the 35th minute as Oblak had to fly across his goal to keep a half-volley from O’Riley out of the top corner.

There was a slight moment of worry just before the break when Axel Witsel headed into the back of the net from a free-kick, but the offside flag was raised and Celtic went into the break with the lead.

Atletico seemed shell-shocked and Diego Simeone turned to his bench at the start of the second period with a double change as they looked to turn things around.

And it was one of those changes, Marcos Llorente, who made a difference early on as he set up the equalising goal by Morata on the 53rd minute.

The midfielder nipped in ahead of the challenge from Bernardo to win the ball and set up the chance for a cross. He delivered a whipped ball into the far-post area where the Spanish international was lurking and he dug a header out across goal and into the far corner.

The score was level and so was the match action. After a first-half that had chances galore, you could sense both teams were approaching this second-half with a bit more caution knowing the next goal could be the all-important one.

Hart hadn’t been tested on too many occasions but Atletico were starting to make him work, as Morata had a snap-shot saved by the former England international on the 59th minute.

Celtic kept pushing to find the goal that would take the roof off of the stadium, but so did Atletico and Angel Correa was next to test Hart with a swivel and a shot inside the box, but again the keeper saved.

With eight minutes to go there was a renewed hope of a winner for Celtic as de Paul, already booked in the first-half, slid in for a challenge on Bernardo. Mistiming his tackle, the free-kick was awarded to the Hoops and the second yellow was out on the Argentina World Cup winner.

Then with three minutes to go James Forrest had a huge chance to win it, but he blazed Taylor's cutback over the bar from just inside the area.

As full-time blew, everyone inside was appreciative of the work of this Celtic side as they came so close to a famous win but earned a valuable point in the Champions League.