Celtic exacted the perfect revenge on CFR Cluj, architects of their Champions League downfall, with a victory every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests.
Neil Lennon and his players retain legitimate aspirations of progression from Group E, which they now top. Dan Petrescu, Lennon’s opposite number, missed pre-match media duties after falling ill at a Glasgow hotel. The former Chelsea defender recovered sufficiently to bark instructions from the bench, even if nothing Petrescu witnessed would have raised his spirits. Celtic were the superior team in every department.
“It was very exciting,” Lennon said. “I thought we were outstanding. My only disappointment is that we didn’t score more. I think there is more to come from this team.”
Cluj’s 4-3 win here in August triggered a wave of scepticism towards Lennon. Celtic responded with decent transfer business and a series of strong domestic performances. The 1-1 draw in Rennes in their opening group match was the least Celtic deserved. That Cluj saw off Lazio on the same night meant retribution would not be a straightforward process; in theory, anyway.
After a ragged opening, Christopher Jullien twice came close to putting Celtic in front. The towering French centre-back forced Giedrius Arlauskis into a fine save with an 11th‑minute header, with Jullien’s next attempt looping narrowly over the Cluj crossbar.
Those opportunities triggered a spell of Celtic dominance which, in turn, resulted in a deserved lead. Callum McGregor’s wonderful pass released Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo, whose chip from the left found the head of Odsonne Edouard. Celtic’s striker further enhanced his blossoming reputation by calmly nodding the ball beyond Arlauskis.
Celtic’s stranglehold on the match did loosen slightly before the interval, albeit not to any material effect. Mario Rondón had the ball in the hosts’ net, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. The Cluj striker was subsequently booked for diving, having toppled under pressure from Ryan Christie inside the Celtic penalty area.
If this competition is the poor relation of the Champions League, someone has forgotten to tell the Celtic support. A packed stadium took in this fixture and the fans were back on their feet within 15 minutes of the restart.
Mohamed Elyounoussi showed tenacity to retrieve the ball in midfield, with the Southampton loanee feeding James Forrest. Elyounoussi’s desire to maraud forward was similarly impressive; he collected Forrest’s return pass before slotting home Celtic’s second, albeit with the aid of a deflection.
“We knew to win here again would be very hard,” Petrescu said. “Celtic have better players than us.”