Report as Celtic beat Falkirk 5-2 to reach the League Cup semi-finals; Ross MacIver gave the Bairns a shock lead; Paulo Bernardo equalised before Finn Yeats put the Bairns back in front before half-time; Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn both scored second-half doubles
Sunday 22 September 2024 18:39, UK
Celtic survived a scare against Championship side Falkirk, coming from behind to progress to the League Cup semi-finals with a 5-2 win.
The Hoops were on a high after their impressive Champions League win in midweek but it was the Bairns, unbeaten in 43 league games, who took the lead as Ross MacIver sent an impressive strike beyond Kasper Schmeichel.
Paulo Bernardo volleyed in to equalise 10 minutes later, but Falkirk continued to impress with Finn Yeats heading them back in front before the break.
Adam Idah scored twice in two minutes to put Celtic ahead for the first time with Nicolas Kuhn also adding a double to send them into the last four of the competition.
They will play Aberdeen in the semi-finals on the weekend of November 2/3, with Rangers taking on Motherwell.
Brendan Rodgers' side impressed from the first whistle in their Champions League opener, but the Bairns were in no mood to be the next team to be steamrollered at Parkhead.
James Forrest threatened first with Nicky Hogarth turning his close-range effort past the post before Falkirk shocked them with the opener in the 11th minute. Alex Valle failed to clear the ball and MacIver sent a brilliant strike beyond Schmeichel from outside the penalty area.
Moments later Alfredo Agyeman should have made it two only to scuff his angled shot well wide.
Bernardo settled some nerves among the home fans in the 22nd minute when he volleyed in the equaliser from Valle's header
But the Bairns were not rattled and Yeats sent a looping shot just wide soon after.
Idah then looked to put Celtic ahead but Liam Henderson stood firm to allow Hogarth to smother the ball.
Calvin Miller forced Schmeichel into a save as Falkirk continued to battle, then, with the Celtic defence sleeping, Yeats headed in from close range to put them back in front as the away section erupted after a quick VAR check confirmed he was onside.
Bernardo had the chance to pull Celtic level again just after half-time when he stood over the ball just outside the box, but he sent his free-kick high over the bar.
Rodgers had seen enough from his starting XI and made four changes with record signing Arne Engels coming on alongside Greg Taylor, Hyun-Jun Yang and Nicolas Kuhn.
Falkirk lost their two goalscorers to injury with Gary Oliver and Michael McKenna coming on before 'keeper Hogarth reacted to push a fierce shot from Yang clear.
Celtic then appeared to find their groove.
Idah tapped home Kuhn's ball to level the game then, after a VAR check for offside, the pair combined again with the striker slotting in his second goal in two minutes.
With the hosts now looking far more comfortable, Kuhn sent Engels' ball into the net in the 82nd minute before drilling home their fifth soon after as they completed their turnaround for a convincing scoreline.
Brendan Rodgers was asked at full-time if that was Celtic's toughest test of the season:
"Yes, I thought Falkirk were excellent. I was expecting it, to be fair, which is why we tried to freshen the team up, because they give good energy and move the ball well, so they work you.
"It was a little bit disconnected for the first 60 minutes, and that's on me, it's not on the players. When you make eight changes like that…I wanted to get some players in and play in the stadium, get in their first minutes of the season, playing with the team.
"In some moments, we looked good, and in other moments, there was just that little bit of hesitancy. That comes from just not playing so much. But we knew we always had the bench to pull on if we needed it, especially in that last 30 minutes where Falkirk put so much into the game, and then the energy can maybe just start to get sucked a wee bit.
"We could then put some speed and tempo and rhythm into the game, and by the end, we were very good. It's a huge credit to John, his players and his staff, because I had a real joy analysing them and seeing how they play, and seeing how they commit to attacking football."
Falkirk boss John McGlynn:
"Playing against a team like Celtic, a big park out there, their legs were probably going to end up coming off a little bit and I think that's what happened.
"Celtic exposed us with the way they play and fair play to them but no criticism in any way from myself to these guys.
"They have been so good for the club and for me personally, the way they've got this record going in the league, the way they've conducted themselves here.
"It's a big step up for them to come here and play in front of a crowd like that, they're not used to doing that.
"We were playing in League One last year, so it's a huge compliment to our players today."
