Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava LIVE: Champions League score, reaction & stats

Celtic run riot against Slovan Bratislava as James Forrest and Jota shine

An in-depth analysis of Celtic's impressive victory in the Champions League qualifiers

Celtic produced a scintillating attacking display to thrash Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie at Parkhead. James Forrest and Jota were the stars of the show, with both players scoring two goals each. Liel Abada also got on the scoresheet for the hosts, while Vladimir Weiss pulled one back for Slovan late on.

Celtic were in control from the start and took the lead in the 12th minute when Forrest fired home from close range after being set up by Jota. The Portuguese winger doubled Celtic's advantage just seven minutes later with a superb solo effort. Abada made it 3-0 just before half-time with a clinical finish after being played in by Forrest.

Celtic continued to dominate after the break and Forrest made it 4-0 in the 56th minute with a deflected effort. Jota then wrapped up the scoring in the 61st minute with a fine individual goal. Weiss pulled one back for Slovan in the 88th minute, but it was a mere consolation.

Celtic's victory gives them a commanding lead heading into the second leg in Bratislava next week. Ange Postecoglou's side will be confident of finishing the job and securing a place in the play-off round.

Match stats

• Celtic had 65% possession and completed 87% of their passes
• Slovan Bratislava had 35% possession and completed 78% of their passes
• Celtic had 22 shots on goal, with 11 on target
• Slovan Bratislava had 6 shots on goal, with 3 on target
• Celtic had 9 corners, while Slovan Bratislava had 2
• Celtic committed 12 fouls, while Slovan Bratislava committed 10
• Celtic received 2 yellow cards, while Slovan Bratislava received 1

Reaction

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou: "I'm delighted with the performance and the result. We were excellent from start to finish and we created a lot of chances. We could have scored even more goals, but overall I'm very happy with the team's performance.

Slovan Bratislava manager Vladimir Weiss: "We were outplayed today. Celtic were the better team and they deserved to win. We need to improve in the second leg, but it will be difficult to overturn this deficit."

Conclusion

Celtic's victory over Slovan Bratislava was a resounding success. The Scottish champions were in control from start to finish and they thoroughly deserved their victory. James Forrest and Jota were the stars of the show, but the whole team played well. Celtic will now be confident of finishing the job in the second leg and securing a place in the play-off round.