Forget Taylor: Celtic "wizard" who had 39 touches proved Ange got it wrong vs Bodo - opinion

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic went into Thursday’s Europa Conference League meeting with Bodo/Glimt knowing that their club had not won a knockout tie in European football after Christmas since 2004 – a record that the Hoops manager and his team would have undoubtedly been hoping to amend.

However, despite the Norwegian champions having not played a competitive fixture since mid-December, the visitors stunned the Parkhead crowd just six minutes into the match, with Runar Espejord slotting home from 12 yards after some excellent build-up play from Kjetil Knutsen’s outfit.

Celtic appeared to be rocked by Bodo/Glimt’s intensity throughout the remainder of the first half, with Tom Rogic and Matt O’Riley struggling to ever really get a foot on the ball in the middle of the park, while Daizen Maeda was also ineffective in his link-up play in the Bhoys’ attack.

After the break – following what can only be assumed was a rocket from Postecoglou during the interval – the Hoops did begin to play with a bit more impetus, with Jota, Callum McGregor and Maeda all having chances.

However, it was Bodo/Glimt who would go on to double their advantage, as Ola Solbakken left Greg Taylor for dead on Celtic’s left flank before Amahl Pellegrino poked home the visitors’ second goal.

The Bhoys did manage to pull one goal back, as Josip Juranovic’s near-post cross found Maeda, whose glancing header made its way past Nikita Haikin between the Bodo/Glimt sticks. However, the visitors almost immediately restored their two-goal lead, when Hugo Vetlesen’s speculative long-range shot cruelly deflected off of Callum McGregor and looped over a helpless Joe Hart.

As is perhaps to be expected after such a result, a number of Postecoglou’s side were far from