Brendan Rodgers highlighted Leigh Griffiths and Eoghan O’Connell for praise following Celtic’s 3-1 defeat by Bacrelona in Dublin.
Both players were substituted at the interval and will be key players on Wednesday as Celtic attempt to overcome Astana and book a place in the play-off phase of the Champions League.
Griffiths showed all his striking instincts to panic the Barca defence into presenting him with a 29th minute equaliser while O’Connell was composed and confident despite facing up to Luis Suarez and Leo Messi.
Asked about the importance of Griffiths Rodgers said: “He is really getting fitter and stronger now and we were saying to him to press goalkeepers; that he would get four or five goals a season through that pressure and pressing and he got his rewards for that today.
“He was good on the first press and the ball comes across and he was there to finish. He’s a terrific striker, there is no doubt about that. From the short time I’ve worked with him, you can see he has a real natural instinct.
“Whatever level he plays at, he will get goals. It was nice for him to get them in the qualifiers. He’s starting to find his feet and it was a good instinctive finish today.”
With Celtic’s defensive options stretched to breaking point O’Connell has taken his chance to impress with both hands.
Over the course of eight days he has excelled against Leicester, Astana and Barcelona to the delight of his manager.
An ankle injury to Nir Bitton was the only concern for Rodgers to take from the match as he attempts to see off Astana on Wednesday night.
On the plus side Kristoffer Ajer came through the second half unscathed despite missing the first leg in Astana due to a hand injury.
Mikael Lustig and Stefan Johansen stayed behind in Glasgow to prepare for the match with Astana and were joined at Lennoxtown by Kolo Toure who is on an intensive training programme after signing last Sunday.
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