Immobile fires Lazio past Celtic and to brink of Champions League knockouts

Lazio’s Italian forward #17 Ciro Immobile celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between Lazio and Celtic Glasgow at the Olympic stadium in Rome on November 28, 2023. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Ciro Immobile shot Lazio to the verge of qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League with a late brace in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over eliminated Celtic.

Italy forward Immobile struck twice in the final 10 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to move Lazio top of Group E, two points ahead of Atletico Madrid who are at third-placed Feyenoord later on Tuesday.

Lazio will be through to the next round if Feyenoord fail to beat their Spanish opposition as the Dutch outfit are four points behind the new group leaders.

Immobile’s double, which took his all-competitions tally for the season to seven, confirmed Celtic’s exit from Europe’s top club competition.

Brendan Rodgers’ side will finish bottom of Group E following the defeat which left the Scottish champions with a single point from their five group matches.

Veteran striker Immobile broke the deadlock of a tense match in the 82nd minute when Gustav Isaksen’s shot was deflected right into his path with only befuddled goalkeeper Joe Hart to beat.

And the 33-year-old made sure of the points three minutes later, taking down Isaksen’s pass and shrugging off the Celtic defence before rolling home a neat finish.

Any hope of a Celtic comeback was finished once referee Halil Umut Meler denied their appeal for a stoppage-time penalty following a review of the pitch-side monitor.

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