Celtic Player Ratings vs Rosenborg: Here’s how the Hoops fared
Leigh Griffiths grabbed a late winner against Rosenborg to get Celtic off to a winning start in the Europa League.
Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic were flat for much of this Europa League contest. It was a frustrating 90 minutes for the Scottish champions as they struggled to break down a resolute Rosenborg outfit.
However, substitute Griffiths was deadly, racing into the box and nodding home the only goal of the game in the 87th minute.
Celtic Player Ratings
Craig Gordon – 6/10
Gordon had literally nothing to do apart from catching the balls and passing to the defenders in front of him.
Mikael Lustig – 5/10
Got away with a penalty early on but to be fair, it would have been a really harsh call. He was caught out of position at times and was not adventurous going forward either.
Dedryck Boyata – 7/10
Barring a blemish in the first half, he was a pillar at the back and his header led to the goal.
Filip Benkovic – 7/10
A giant of a defender, Benkovic came out on top during the aerial duels, distributed the ball well from the back and put in a great tackle on Yann-Erik De Lanlay when he was almost through on goal. He also came close to scoring in the first half.
Kieran Tierney – 9/10
A class act from the young left-back, who constantly tried to create openings for his teammates. His pace was too much for Rosenborg and his crossing was excellent. Was solid at the back as well.
Olivier Ntcham – 4/10
Ntcham endured a poor night where he ceded possession a lot of times. There were moments of some really good play but his awful mistakes were tough to ignore.
Scott Brown – 8/10
Bossed the midfield with his passing. Kept things ticking and was never afraid to put in a tackle.
James Forrest – 5/10
Forrest kept possession well and always looked to stretch the Rosenborg left-back with his pace. However, he didn’t enjoy much joy on the right and was hooked off before the hour mark.
Tom Rogic – 5/10
Rogic was denied by the Rosenborg goalkeeper late in the first half. Looked to drive forward with the ball and showed plenty of energy. Missed a clean chance to score and was substituted before the hour mark.
Callum McGregor – 6/10
Not at his sublime best but always made himself available to receive the ball. Gave away possession at times and that disturbed the team’s organisation.
Odsonne Edouard – 4/10
Edouard looked anonymous for the entire game. His positioning sense was not up to the mark and he looked off the pace. A night to forget for the young Frenchman.
Substitutes
Scott Sinclair – 4/10
Barring a few dribbles, Sinclair failed to impact the game.
Read more: With Europa League around the corner, it’s high time Celtic’s £9m sensation steps up – opinion
Michael Johnston – 6/10
Injected pace and freshness into Celtic’s attack from the moment he came on. Almost scored from Tierney’s low pass. A fantastic cameo from the youngster.
Leigh Griffiths – 7/10
It looked as if Rodgers delayed his substitution but Griffiths proved to be the difference between the two teams as he buried the header past Rosenborg keeper with three minutes left.