Celtic survived a big test of their mettle on Tuesday night.
Celtic survived a serious scare to reach the group stages of the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Bhoys made the trip to Israeli champions Hapoel Beer Sheva with a 5-2 first-leg win on their backs.
But Hapoel made it a very nervy night for anybody affiliated with Celtic as goals from Ben Sahar and Ovidiu Hoban put the hosts 2-0 ahead on the night after 48 minutes.
Winning 3-0 would have seen them advance into the group stages on away goals, but Brendan Rodgers’s side held firm for the final 45 minutes or so to qualify for the Champions League proper for the first time since 2013.
Prior to last night, Celtic had netted nine times from their previous two games in all competitions, and Frank McAvennie was at a loss to explain how their attacking instincts desserted them in Israel.
The Hoops legend also criticised Saidy Janko and Callum McGregor for their performances, claiming the duo had been “passengers”.
A mightily relieved Celtic -who landed a record £22 million windfall for reaching the group stages, according to The Daily Record – host Aberdeen at Celtic Park this weekend as they resume domestic duties.
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