Sead Haksabanovic admits Celtic need shooting practice as they bid to gun down RB Leipzig and keep their Champions League dream alive. Wasteful finishing almost cost the Hoops again in Perth yesterday, with Giorgos Giakoumakis scoring a last-gasp winner just moments after St Johnstone had levelled.
The lack of a cutting edge has also hurt them in Europe where Ange Postecoglou ’s men have collected just a point from three group games. So Haksabanovic, whose cross forced Andy Considine into a own goal yesterday, admits Celtic ’s forwards need to hit the training ground ahead of the midweek visit of Leipzig.
The Montenegro star said: “It would have been extremely frustrating if we hadn’t won because we had a lot of chances that we didn’t score from. That last goal made us feel joy and relief. After training, though, we need to stay and do extra on shooting and finishing.
“No matter who we play, we feel we are going to make chances but we should have made this game 3-0 earlier and then just played it out. You have to be really clinical at Champions League level. That is why I am saying we maybe have to stay behind in training. All of us. We need to focus on finishing and everything like that, so that when we do get chances, we are 100 per cent that we are going to score.”
Leipzig were comfortable 3-1 victors over Celtic in Germany but Haksabanovic reckons the Hoops can topple the Bundesliga giants back at Parkhead.
He said: “I’d say we can win – 100 per cent. We are playing at home, the fans are going to give us that amazing atmosphere and it is going to feel so good. If we go out and give 100 per cent and believe in ourselves, we have a chance. We made chances in Germany, so we are capable.”
Captain Callum McGregor was crocked in the first leg and will be sidelined until after the World Cup. Haksabanovic admits it’s a blow and said: “He is a big piece of the team, on and off the pitch, but I know he is going to be there for us. He will be there to cheer us but we have to show we can play without him as well.’
Gaffer Postecoglou insists the signs of success were written large in Celtic’s last-gasp win in Perth. An Andrew Considine own-goal had given the champions a half-time lead before Alex Mitchell levelled in the 92nd minute.
Greek striker Giakoumakis then saved the day and Postecoglou is adamant another game with a host of missed chances isn’t a great concern. He said: “You can win in many ways but I think winning it this way also provides us confidence in the fact that we still have that sort of resilience.
“It’s a game we probably should have put to bed a little bit earlier. At 1-0 you know that it’s always on a bit of knife-edge, particularly as they’re a team who will lump balls into the box, and you are going to have to defend sometimes pretty desperately.
“They got the goal late but there was great character and resilience by the lads. We did it a few times last year and we’re going to have to show that at times again. At the beginning of the year we were putting everything away, and now we’re going through a patch where we’re not as clinical.
“We’re going to have to show that character we showed today if we want to be successful. Credit to the players, they did it. You can go through points of a season where things just aren’t going in for you, and we’re certainly going through a period like that now.
“But the chances are still there, and my belief is that if you keep persisting with that then the goals will come, because we’ve got goalscorers in the team. We showed that last year, we showed that at the beginning of this year, it’s just about getting into those areas, maintaining our composure and not getting too anxious about it. If we keep creating the kinds of chances we are then we will get the rewards.”
Postecoglou is gutted to have lost McGregor to injury but is relieved no surgery is required on his captain’s knee. He said: “The initial reports suggest he’ll probably be out until after the break at this stage. We haven’t got the final report but it looks like he’ll miss the next three, four weeks which will put him out until after the break.
“You never know with these things. Initial reports were probably that the break helps us a little bit but he will miss 3 or 4 weeks which is a fair amount of football but with the break not so bad. The good thing is that with the break he will be raring to go when the season resumes and that will be a massive bonus for us.”
There was also a return for defender Cameron Carter-Vickers in Perth as he skipped the side and he insisted being able to recall the USA international added experience into his ranks ahead of Tuesday night’s clash with Leipzig.
He said: “It was good to get Cam back in. He is one of our more experienced players, it is crazy saying that with his age and the fact it is only his second year here but that is the kind of group we have. Having his experience was good and he felt pretty good again. Probably got a bit tired towards the end but the 90 minutes will do him good.”
The Australian also confirmed a half-time substitution of winger Jota wasn’t due to an injury concern.
READ NEXT
