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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Graeme Young

5 talking points as Celtic cuffed by Bodo Glimt 5-1 on aggregate after Euro voyage goes awry in Arctic Circle

Sloppy Celtic were dealt another harsh European lesson as Norwegian upstarts Bodo/Glimt proved ice cold en-route to the last 16 of the Europa Conference League.

The 2-0 triumph secured a 5-1 aggregate win for Kjetil Knutsen's men who had Ola Solbakken and Hugo Vetlesen to thank for another triumph over the Premiership leaders.

Ange Postecoglou preaches a "never stop" mantra, but even the Australian must concede his much-changed starting XI strongly hindered his side's hopes of a comeback as he prioritised the league.

For an unlikely Celtic U-turn to become reality, it was a non-negotiable to start fast and that looked a long shot amid some shaky moments across the backline.

Celtic's Carl Starfelt (R) and Nir Bitton after their side go 2-0 down to Bodo (SNS Group)

Tony Ralston and Joe Hart got away with one each but it was clear the Norwegian champions possessed the same killer instinct from the first leg when Liam Scales showed Solbakken onto his favoured left foot before he showed no mercy with his left foot.

Nir Bitton was convinced he was fouled in the build-up but the referee disagreed and waved away his complaints.

The visitors proved susceptible defensively at a level where errors are seized upon.

Bodo were landing blows but they were at their best when playing rope-a-dope in this tie, and many of their most stinging moments came when they lulled the sloppy Premiership into mistakes.

And if it wasn't for Joe Hart, it would have been out of hand by the break, that's how good the former England No.1 was.

A pair of stunning stops denied Amahl Pellegrino on two occasions, with both the type of upper echelon saves that the former Manchester City keeper specialises in.

Anonymous attacking midfielders Tom Rogic and Matt O'Riley were hooked at the break as skipper Callum McGregor and Liel Abada entered the fray.

And it had an immediate impact.

The Israeli winger brought a fresh impetus and and he was convinced Brede Moe handled it as he fired it goal.

That near miss was among several moments to cheer with Abada among all the good things in the final third, as he added to his already burgeoning reputation.

Carl Starfelt was left cursing his luck over a missed half chance but the real head-scratching was left for Daizen Maeda after he blazed over the bar from 10 yards out.

And those near misses proved critical when Vetlesen contorted his body to glide an effort past Hart and secure a definitive win.

Abada, of course, was the man to carry the fight and he needed peeled off the carpet by Maeda as he couldn't believe his guided effort cleared the crossbar.

Here are 5 talking points...

Ange's halfway house

The Celtic boss isn't one to dwell but there's no doubt he'll have plenty to reflect on after two chastening legs against Bodo. And perhaps the biggest bone of contention will be his starting XI for the second leg. It felt like it was a halfway house selection, weighing up the trip to Hibs along with progression in Europe. Yes, things improved briefly after the break when Abada and McGregor came on but the tie was lost by that point.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou during a UEFA Conference League Play Off second leg match against Bodo/Glimt (SNS Group)

Celtic have imposed their will on teams domestically but that barely happened over 180 minutes against a side who engaged them high up the pitch. Plenty to ponder ahead of next season's continental adventures.

Forrest fire burns out

A lot was rightly made about the Scotland winger's career resurgence under Brendan Rodgers. Yes, the slaloming runs and a glut of goals were great, however, it was his ability to stay fit season after season that got the best out of Forrest. His early career was blighted by injuries and now the 30-year-old appears a pale imitation of the player who ran roughshod under the Irishman's stewardship after being slowed by a series of knocks.

The not so magic carpet

Plastic pitches aren't great but this one one fitted in the frozen tundra had a 90s retro feel about it, it looked more like a five-a-sides classic than the modern 4G style. There were a few quirks on the surface that the home team appeared to know all about them.

(SNS Group)

It appeared as if the visitors were on skates from the first minute as they were pushed around by their opponents who made it look easy. They settled into it but another reminder of the perils of plastic ahead of a return to the Tony Macaroni Arena in a couple of weeks.

'Oh, he looks good'

The envy over some slick-looking Norwegians would have been greater if Celtic hadn't landed so many good players since Postecoglou arrived. But there's no doubt the likes of Solbakken, Wembamgomo and Hagen will go onto to play at bigger European sides.

Ola Solbakken (R)celebrates making it 1-0 with teammates during a UEFA Conference League Play Off s (SNS Group)

But the beauty of this Bodo team is they are greater than their sum of their parts. Knutsen is a proper operator and his team are drilled brilliantly. It's easy to suffer some signing FOMO but the goal for Celtic moving forward is turning their domestic improvements into tangible success in Europe.

A message of unity

There are those who think politics should be left out of football but the beautiful game has often been a place for supporters to make a statement. Ukrainian flag placards were raised aloft among the home supporters before kick-off and this won't be the last time this season when football and politics overlap.

Bodo/Glimt fans holding up Ukraine flags during a UEFA Conference League Play Off second leg match with Celtic (SNS Group)

In many ways, the small show of unity is likely a precursor for much fiercer statements against Russia in the near future. Well played.

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