Celtic go top after Benjamin Nygren double act against Livingston

What had threatened to turn into a fractious afternoon for Celtic ultimately saw normal service resumed as they returned to their familiar position at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. The serenity which greeted the final whistle was in sharp contrast to the discontent all around Celtic Park after a goalless and generally lifeless first half.

On the back of Wednesday night’s stalemate at home to Kairat Almaty in the first leg of the Champions League play-off round, the Celtic support’s dismay at the lack of significant summer transfer activity by the Scottish champions was darkening.

Light came in the shape of Swedish winger Benjamin Nygren, one of the close-season recruits who does look capable of making a positive impact for Brendan Rodgers’ side. Nygren’s double put Celtic in command against a gritty and tactically disciplined Livingston team before a smart strike from substitute Jonny Kenny wrapped up the win.

Attention now turns to Celtic’s 7000-mile round trip to Kazakhstan for the second leg against Kairat and the £40 million Champions League bounty which is on the line. That assignment was the primary motivation for the eight changes Rodgers made to his side against Livingston.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, defender Liam Scales — who was handed the captain’s armband — match winner Nygren were the only players to retain their place in the starting line-up. The Celtic manager dismissed any notion that he ran a risk with a selection which included a debut for left back Hayato Inamura, not deemed good enough for his European squad, and a first start for his Japanese compatriot Shin Yamada up front.

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“I think if you are at Celtic, you have to be good enough to play, especially at home when you tend to dominate the game,” said Rodgers. “So I was pleased for those guys who came in. It was a continuation of how we have been domestically — strong defensively, controlling the game, creating opportunities and scoring good goals.” It was nonetheless a day when the home fans were never going to require much in the way of provocation to vent their fury at those running their club. It took just 15 minutes for the first chants of ‘Sack the Board’ to ring around the stadium. They began in the corner which houses the Green Brigade ultras group, by far the most strident critics of those in the directors’ box, but it was quickly taken up by a sizeable number in the other stands. A banner was also unveiled which declared ‘Zero ambition, neglect team, rinse fans’.

It looked as if the simmering tension off the pitch had been defused somewhat when Yamada had the ball in the net with a tidy finish but an offside in the build-up was confirmed by VAR as it was ruled out.

Nygren’s second goal gave Celtic some breathing space STUART WALLACE/SHUTTERSTOCK

Livingston were unapologetically set out in a rigid 5-4-1 formation and needed no encouragement to slow the game down at every opportunity. Celtic lacked invention and intensity in early efforts to find a way through. Livingston goalkeeper Jerome Prior wasn’t seriously tested until the 35th minute when he touched over a looping header from Yamada.

There was an overdue urgency in Celtic’s work as half-time approached with some of Livingston’s defending, not helped by the early loss of Shane Blaney to injury, becoming increasingly desperate.

Visiting captain Ryan McGowan did well to divert a Nygren shot wide before Yamada passed up a decent opening when he scuffed his shot with only Prior to beat.

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Kenny made sure of the points with the home side’s third PAUL BYARS / ALAMY LIVE NEWS

Celtic’s frustrations continued into first-half stoppage time when Prior denied Hyun-jun Yang with an early contender for save of the season. The South Korean winger’s powerful close-range header looked certain to find the net but Prior acrobatically turned it onto the crossbar.

Rodgers resisted the temptation to make any changes at the start of the second half and was rewarded by Nygren’s opener just two minutes after the resumption. Prior may have felt he could have done better on this occasion. Although Yang’s shot from the edge of the box carried power, the keeper could only parry it straight into the path of Nygren who made no mistake from six yards out.

Rodgers did turn to his bench just before the hour mark with the experienced trio of Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Daizen Maeda all entering the fray. The signs were ominous for Livingston as Celtic finally started to move through the gears. Yamada headed just wide from Inamura’s cross, then Prior did well to save at Nygren’s feet as the pressure intensified.

It duly told in the 71st minute when Celtic made it 2-0. Inamura and Arne Engels combined sharply down the left and the Belgian’s low cross was palmed out by Prior for the once again grateful Nygren to smash the ball home.

The home fans were pacified and they were able to enjoy a fine third goal six minutes later. Maeda burst into space on the left and his cross was stylishly volleyed home at the near post by Kenny. It left Rodgers in bullish mood ahead of what he is confident can be a successful mission to Central Asia in midweek.

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“I don’t think there’s any doubt Kairat will see a different Celtic on Tuesday,” he said. “It’s winner takes all now and everything is there for us to do it. We are going to give absolutely everything to get the result and be at the top table of European football again.”

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