Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho maintained his fine form for Celtic by scoring in the Europa League on Wednesday night to earn the Hoops a vital point against Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade, Footynaija.com reports.
Iheanacho, introduced from the substitute bench after half time, wasted no time in repaying his manager’s faith. The Nigerian striker neatly received Benjamin Nygren pass right on the penalty spot before blasting the ball past Matheus into the top corner.
Red Star soon levelled matters just ten minutes later with veteran Austrian striker Marco Arnautovic’s 65th minute goal ensuring the game ended all square. Interestingly 25-year-old Nigerian defender Uchenna Franklin claimed the assist.
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Everything Brendan Rodgers said after the game
Speaking after the game, Rodgers expressed some level of satisfaction with his side’s performance. The Celtic boss also singled out his team’s goalscorer Kelechi Iheanacho for praise after the Nigerian’s impact on the game.
“We’ve come away to a difficult venue and the players really stood up to that. I thought they had a really positive attitude in the game, especially in the second half,” he said, per BBC Sport.
“First half, we weren’t aggressive enough in our play, and we were giving the ball away with loose passing and didn’t quite connect the game.
“The second half, we were much better, and Kelechi provided us with a great platform. I thought Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal was outstanding. I wanted us to be more proactive in the game, but overall, it was a nice first step for us in the competition.
“We needed someone centrally to hold the ball up. I felt we arrived in the final third, and in the first half, we were loose. One of Kele’s great strengths is that he can take the ball in and progress us up the pitch, and he gave us a better platform.
“When they levelled it and the crowd were right behind them, that’s when a team can fall, but they stood up to it and they just kept their task and got a valuable point. What is important is that you don’t lose the game, and we had a strong mentality to see that through at the end.”
Iheanacho has now registered a goal contribution (2G, 1A) in each of his first three matches for Celtic. The 28-year-old will be eager to keep this dream start alive when Celtic return to Scottish Premiership action against Hibernian on Saturday.
