Even in his self-imposed absence the shadow of Dedryck Boyata continues to loom over Celtic’s haphazard defending in Europe.
The Parkhead side’s wantaway central defender sat 1000 miles away in Glasgow nursing an injury of dubious origins as Scotland’s champions conceded another calamitous goal against a largely mediocre Lithuanian opponent here in the modest surroundings of the Marijampole Stadium.
Forging ahead through an Olivier Ntcham header after two minutes and 20 seconds Celtic crafted enough chances to kill this tie stone dead. The one away goal will surely be enough to finish the job at Parkhead next Thursday.
Olivier Ntcham got the visitors off to a perfect start in the ARVI Football Arena on Thursday
The Celtic midfielder headed in a Mikey Johnston cross in the third minute
How Celtic might fare defensively in the group stages of the Europa League is another matter, the woes of Brendan Rodgers heightened by the loss of Jozo Simunovic to an injury in 52 minutes.
This was another of those nights when the frailties in defence were impossible to miss. Another of those nights when Boyata’s lack of professionalism was almost inexcusable as the woeful defending of his replacements.
The vulnerability of Celtic’s back four was exposed after 12 minutes by the loss of an awful equaliser. Cristian Gamboa had a poor night here, a meat and drink free kick into a crowded area finding its way to the back post where the right back allowed Ovidijus Verbickas to ghost in and guide a header past Craig Gordon as the Scotland keeper stood rooted to his line.
Suduva midfielder Ovidijus Verbickas levelled in the 13th minute against Celtic
At time-up the celebrations of a small, but raucous, home support told their own story.
FK Sudova were the first opponents for Celtic when Martin O’Neill’s side reached the UEFA Cup Final in season 2002/03, losing the first leg in Glasgow 8-1 before early goals from David Fernandez and Alan Thompson finished the job in Kaunas.
This game seemed destined to follow a similar pattern when the Scottish champions scored in only the third minute.
The surprise inclusion of winger Mikey Johnston was justified by a fine performance from the 19-year-old and an early assist,
Verbickas was left unmarked to score the equaliser and frustrate Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers
Turning right back Robertas Vezevicius inside out with a superb turn Johnston picked out Olivier Ntcham with a pinpoint cross. As a downward header nestled in the net the hostility of the modest, tiny Marijampole Stadium was replaced by a piercing silence.
It didn’t last long. And the noise was entirely self inflicted.
Slavickas’ free-kick was one the Scottish champions should have dealt with. One a mentally fit and strong Boyata just might have. Yet these are edgy, nervy days for a team which looked assured just two weeks ago.
The achiilles heel running through Scotland’s champions threatens to become an open wound and for Brendan Rodgers the need for remedial surgery has become glaring. The Parkhead boss has talked down the chances of a second bid for Aberdeen’s Scott McKenna.
Ntcham showed off another neat hairstyle in Thursday’s Europa League clash
Yet, in the course of removing Celtic from the Champions League AEK Athens had four chances and converted three. And here, against a team of limited ability, the Parkhead side looked yet again like converting every time their opponents cross the halfway line, the nervousness heightened by an inability to convert the chances which should have placed the game out of reach.
The equaliser made little immediate difference to the ebb and flow of the game. Celtic could – should – have scored enough goals to render the second leg an irrelevance. That the game was still level at the interval was down to a combination of some fine goalkeeping from Ivan Kardam and rushed finishing.
James Forrest was unfortunate in 19 minutes, controlling a Callum McGregor hooked cross before firing a low left foot strike towards the bottom corner. But for Kardam’s intervention Celtic would have restored their lead. Even so it looked a question of when and not if.
Young Johnston had the measure of the home defence and should have scored his first European goal for the club in 25 minutes, a flighted Forrest cross headed straight at the goalkeeper from 12 yards.
The shadow of Dedryck Boyata continues to loom over Celtic’s haphazard defending
The unlikely figure of Kristoffer Ajer was next to have a crack, the Norwegian colliding with his own teammate Callum McGregor on the edge of the area before showing impressive dribbling skills. It would have been a fine goal. Again the final effort from 12 yards was sidefooted straight at Kardum.
The keeper would deny Celtic – playing in their luminous yellow away kit – one more time before the interval when McGregor and Dembele worked a neat one two.
The wild celebrations of the natives at half-time told its own tale. Thrashed 10-1 on aggregate when these teams met 16 years ago there was no Henrik Larsson to finish Celtic’s chances this time.
Moussa Dembele and James Forrest went close to grabbing a second goal for Celtic
Neither did the problems in defence show any sign of abating. Jozo Simunovic tumbled to the deck early in the second half, the Bosnian limping from the field to be replaced by Mikael Lustig. Defensively the Parkhead side were now stretched to breaking point. As the half wore on it showed.
Moussa Dembele should have fired his side into the lead nine minutes into the second half, providing the run for a weighted Ntcham through ball before slashing a wild angled shot high and wide.
Heartened by the wastefulness of the visitors in front of goal the home team began to advance beyond the halfway line. Alarmingly, right back Cristian Gamboa was exposed more than once, to the point where Brendan Rodgers had to remove the Costa Rican for his own good, making a tactical adjustment in the process.
Suduva might easily have scored a second goal with their second chance of the game.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will have been relieved to escape with a draw
Exposing the ropiness of Gamboa Vaidas Slavickas broke clear on the left in 57 minutes, a low centre teeing up a chance for giant striker Ruben Cicilla to sidefoot the ball towards the roof of the net. Culpable for the first goal Gordon made amends for his failure to deal with Suduva’s early goal with a fingertip save over the bar.
The danger wasn’t done yet. Celtic endured an iffy 10 minutes, Julius Kasparvicius finding time and space to fire a bouncing shot from 18 yards towards the bottom corner. Once again Gordon contorted his body to make the save.
The introduction of Emilio Izaguirre and Leigh Griffiths saw Celtic go to a 3-5-2, Lustig, Ajer and Kieran Tierney forming the three at the back. And the ship slowly began to steady.
Kristoffer Ajer had the final chance of the game, a downward header bouncing wide of the post from McGregor’s corner.