Celtic beat Lincoln Red Imps to put Champions League slip-up behind them

Lincoln Red Imps will prove nothing more than a footnote to the tenure of Brendan Rodgers at Celtic.

There should never have been any real doubt about that, the obvious raising of eyebrows after the Northern Irishman’s first competitive game in charge of the Scottish champions resulting in defeat in Gibraltar aside. Celtic were the overwhelming favourites to turn this Champions League qualifying tie around on their own turn and duly did – emphatically. In front of a close-to-capacity crowd, Rodgers presided over a summer stroll that was over as a contest within half an hour.

Even Celtic’s manager, in time, may raise a smile when the topic of Gibraltar is raised. Scottish football has not yet sunk to depths where glaringly limited sides such as the Red Imps can prevail over two legs. The next round, where Astana of Kazakhstan lie in wait, will provide Rodgers and his men with a different test entirely. Yet, Rodgers has visibly raised levels of optimism during his early weeks in post.

“I was delighted with the attitude of the players,” Rodgers said. “I was delighted with the way we took to the game right from kick-off. We scored three but I think their goalkeeper stopped it being double figures.

“I am pleased to qualify. That was the objective here. The intensity from the start was outstanding.”

By round three, Celtic hope to have added necessary depth of talent to a lopsided squad. Rodgers has targeted a centre-back and a winger as matters of priority. “We have another difficult tie, on a plastic pitch, but we will be ready for it,” Rodgers said of Astana.

Rodgers had not so much been taken aback by the scale of reaction to last week’s loss in Gibraltar as refused to cow to it. The former Liverpool manager played down any sense of first-leg shock and, in doing so, staunchly refused to castigate his players. That approach was notable and perhaps admission of shortcomings of his own, the deployment of two holding midfielders among them. Within one Glasgow half, Rodgers’ sense of calm had been fully endorsed.

Celtic’s set-up was altered here. A three-man defence was used, with Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembélé afforded opportunity to stake their case as a forward pairing.

The hosts swarmed around the Red Imps from kick-off. Celtic believed they had a 10th-minute penalty, only for the referee to alter his decision and award a free-kick instead. Griffiths blazed that over.

Within seconds, Callum McGregor had crashed a shot off the crossbar.

Already, there was inevitability attached to Celtic squaring the tie. McGregor was denied again with 18 minutes played, this time by a terrific low save from Raúl Navas. Mikael Lustig was to provide the opening goal, the Swedish defender swivelling before turning the ball home. Red Imps had earlier failed to clear a Stuart Armstrong free-kick from Celtic’s right flank.

Griffiths soon doubled the Celtic advantage. The striker, so prolific last season, continued this theme with a fierce drive from 18 yards. Only 25 minutes into the game, it was already a matter of how many Celtic would choose to score. Red Imps were chasing shadows.

Patrick Roberts notched the third – and one worthy of praise, despite the lowly level of opposition. The Manchester City loanee danced through the visiting defence, playing a neat one-two with McGregor before supplying an equally composed finish. Roberts was the standout performer of the opening period and a constant menace to a bamboozled Red Imps defence.

Celtic’s superiority meant the second half was always likely be an exercise in going through the motions. It duly transpired as such. Red Imps had brief flirtations with the edge of the Celtic penalty area but never looked to have the belief – or talent – to make that presence count. At the other end, Navas saved brilliantly when Griffiths bore down on goal.