Matt O’Riley feels Celtic can make further strides in the Champions League with better game management.

Brendan Rodgers’ side produced a blistering first-half display against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and deservedly led 2-1 at the interval.

Midfielder O’Riley was at the heart of the action with an excellent exchange of one-touch passes to set up Kyogo Furuhashi’s opener and Celtic attacked with pace and purpose throughout the opening 45 minutes.

They were pegged back eight minutes into the second half by Alvara Morata’s header and could not quite replicate the tempo of their attacking play, which Atletico boss Diego Simeone admitted his side had struggled to deal with in the opening period.

A 2-2 draw gave Celtic their first point of the Group E campaign and fuelled belief within the squad.

O’Riley said: “Lots of positives, a very good performance for the most part. We lost a bit of control at times, especially at the start of the second half, but overall it was a good performance and very good goals against a defensive team.

“We were a bit disappointed not to get three points but a point on the board is a step in the right direction, so I think there is a lot to look forward to.”

The Denmark Under-21 international felt they could have calmed the game down themselves after the break to deny Atletico a way back in.

“It’s not necessarily sustaining that level, it’s managing the game in different ways,” he said.

“There were times, especially at the start of the second half, where we could have managed it a lot better in terms of slowing the game down, pulling a few guys under the ball and just keeping the ball for a bit.

“I know, naturally, you are at home and the crowd wants you to play quickly all the time but there are times when you’ve just got to slow it down and I think that’s something we will get better at.”

Feyenoord’s win over Lazio sent them top of the group on six points and Celtic will need to take points from away games in Rome and the Spanish capital to keep their hopes of qualification alive before the Dutch champions visit Glasgow in December.

Captain Callum McGregor said: “That’s the challenge now. We’ve got our point on the board, we obviously need more to get out the group but this should give us the belief that, if you look after the ball and play together as 11, there’s no reason why you can’t go there and get something out the game.

“If we want to qualify then the next two games are vital.

“Now we have played the three teams, there’s nothing to suggest we can’t have a strong second half to the campaign.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed his side’s “terrific performance” after a 2-2 Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid.

Celtic twice took the lead in the first half through Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma, who netted shortly after Antoine Griezmann had netted the rebound from his own penalty.

Celtic played with pace, purpose and confidence in the first half and both goals came after excellent moves, but they could not keep up the tempo after the break and Alvaro Morata levelled eight minutes into the second half.

Rodgers said: “I thought it was a terrific performance, especially the first 45 minutes – the quality of our football, the speed in our pressing and in our game, everything we would want.

“We were unfortunate with the penalty. One, it was very harsh, and, two, they got the good fortune after the save hits the post and comes straight to the player.

“But our reaction was superb, everything I wanted in terms of playing together, pressing and the intensity and a really aggressive mentality and then having the courage to play.

“We expected them second half to have a spell in the game but they didn’t create so much. Their equaliser was fantastic, the early cross and great finish.

“But we kept fighting and showed we can compete with a top-level team.

“It will give us confidence to know we can create opportunities and play the football we want to play. The team pressed the game well and passed it for a lot of the game.”

Rodgers, who revealed Reo Hatate had suffered a hamstring injury, which forced him off for Paulo Bernardo inside seven minutes, admitted it was difficult to maintain the intensity for 90 minutes.

Celtic never looked like taking the lead for a third time, despite Atletico going down to 10 men in the 82nd minute.

He added: “There’s a wee bit of tiredness that comes in the last 20 minutes because we are not used to playing at that tempo and against that level of opponent, so naturally a wee bit of fatigue kicks in. We also had to make an early sub with Reo’s injury.

“It was a really big performance but we couldn’t quite get the result we were looking for.”

Celtic are bottom of the group with one point from three games ahead of trips to Madrid and Lazio, the latter of whom have four points.

Rodgers said: “We wanted to get three points but if you can’t get the win then don’t lose it, and I don’t think we looked like losing. I can see development for sure.

“We have shown we can perform and we go into the other three trying to get as many points as we can and see where it takes us.”

Atletico manager Diego Simeone admitted his side had struggled to deal with Celtic in the first half.

“As expected, they started really well, as they did in their first two games,” he said.

“We really struggled to contain them early on and they scored with their first attack. We managed to respond but they quickly scored a fantastic goal.

“The first half didn’t go as we would have liked but I was really pleased with the second half, it was a real Champions League performance. We showed a lot of personality and responsibility.”

Simeone, who brought on Marcos Llorente and Rodrigo Riquelme at half-time, added: “In the first half we didn’t have the speed the game required, we weren’t up to scratch and they combined well in our half.

“But the subs had a big impact and we had better solutions in our passing game.”

Celtic twice lost a lead as they gained their first Champions League point in a 2-2 home draw with 10-man Atletico Madrid.

Kyogo Furuhashi got Celtic off to a flying start with his second goal in two Champions League games and Luis Palma quickly restored Celtic’s lead after Antoine Griezmann scored following his own saved penalty.

Celtic were deservedly on course for a first Champions League group-stage home win in 10 years following a first-half display full of pace and purpose but they started slowly after the break and Alvaro Morata levelled inside eight minutes of the restart.

The Scottish champions never rediscovered their spark – even after Atletico went down to 10 men in the 82nd minute – and their run without a home win at this level is now at 12 games.

Feyenoord’s win over Lazio left Celtic three points adrift of the Italians at the bottom of Group E, halfway through the campaign with trips to Spain and Rome to follow.

The build-up to the game had been dominated by internal and external strife.

Thousands of Celtic fans defied the club before kick-off by displaying Palestine flags, an act which will inevitably lead to UEFA sanctions.

Atletico’s decision to dispense with their striped shirts and wear an all-red top based on the one worn by the team that beat Celtic in the 1974 European Cup semi-finals also opened old wounds.

Two of the team that gained a goalless first-leg draw at Parkhead had travelled with the current side but the tribute did not go down well among the Celtic support given Atletico had three men sent off and seven others booked in that brutal encounter.

Furuhashi ignited the highly-charged atmosphere inside four minutes following a one-touch move. The Japan international twice exchanged passes with Matt O’Riley before taking a touch and slotting home from six yards.

There was a blow for Brendan Rodgers moments later when Reo Hatate went off injured. The Celtic manager brought on 21-year-old midfielder Paulo Bernardo, who is yet to start a game since his loan move from Benfica.

The home side remained positive, roared on by the crowd as they pressed Atletico high up the park, but the visitors levelled in the 25th minute after Greg Taylor was penalised for a trip on Nahuel Molina.

Joe Hart saved Griezmann’s penalty at full stretch but the France international dispatched the rebound.

Taylor atoned three minutes later when he played a searching ball beyond right-back Molina which sent Daizen Maeda in behind. The resulting cross found fellow winger Palma and the Honduran took a touch and rifled a shot in off the post.

Palma had been denied a late goal against Lazio three weeks ago by a marginal VAR ruling and an offside decision soon went Celtic’s way after Axel Witsel headed home from a set-piece.

O’Riley had earlier threatened with a first-time strike which was met with a diving save as Celtic continued to attack with verve.

Diego Simeone made two half-time changes and substitute Marcos Llorente vindicated his introduction within eight minutes as he crossed for Morata to equalise with a diving header.

Morata and Llorente both threatened and Rodgers responded by bringing on centre-back Nat Phillips for Palma and changing formation.

Atletico continued to boss possession and Celtic were contributing to their difficulties with some slack passing. Hart saved well from Morata after the Spain international turned Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Celtic got a lifeline when Argentinian midfielder Rodrigo de Paul received a second yellow card following a sliding tackle on Bernardo.

Substitute James Forrest shot not far over but Celtic could not seriously trouble the 10 men.

Thousands of Celtic supporters defied the club and displayed Palestine flags ahead of their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.

A tifo display in the colours of the Palestine flag was evident in the lower half of the standing section well before kick-off and about two dozen sizeable flags were flown in the adjacent section before the teams emerged.

Thousands of smaller flags were evident around the ground when the teams came out.

The displays will inevitably lead to UEFA disciplinary action against Celtic, given the European governing body has already fined the club for fans flying Palestine flags on previous occasions.

The club issued a plea to supporters earlier on Wednesday after the Green Brigade fans’ group encouraged supporters to “courageously fly the flag for Palestine” amid the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East that has claimed thousands of lives.

“We have witnessed death, violence and destruction in the Holy Land in recent weeks, with thousands of people – men, women and children – killed, injured and displaced,” read Celtic’s statement.

“We are witnessing a tragedy of horrendous scale. As it continues, everyone at Celtic prays for all who have been affected.

“We also hope and pray for peace and for humanitarian support to reach those who are in need and in fear.

“Many of our colleagues, supporters, friends and families have been affected by these events.

“Against this backdrop of conflict and pain, sport can promote peace and demonstrate humanity and empathy for all who continue to suffer.”

Celtic added that players and coaches would wear black armbands as a “show of respect and support for all those affected by the conflict” and the club would make a contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross to “support people affected by the humanitarian crisis in the region”.

The statement added: “The club recognises that our supporters hold personal views to which everyone is entitled. As a club open to all, we all belong at Celtic Park.

“Celtic Park is where we come to support our football club. Recognising this, respecting the gravity of the tragedy unfolding and its impact on communities in Scotland and across the world, and in line with other clubs, leagues and associations, we ask that banners, flags and symbols relating to the conflict and those countries involved in it are not displayed at Celtic Park at this time.”

The Green Brigade, which is currently suspended from getting away tickets by the club, in the wake of incidents at Motherwell and Feyenoord, had earlier announced plans to distribute thousands of flags outside the stadium.

“While it would be easier to distribute flags inside, we are prohibited from bringing the flags into the stadium,” a statement read.

“We respect the right of all fans who wish not to participate in such an action, however equally we ask that the same respect and freedom is afforded to all fans who do.”

In 2016, the Green Brigade raised more than £130,000 in an online fundraising campaign after Celtic were fined nearly £9,000 by UEFA due to fans flying Palestine flags during their 5-2 Champions League victory against Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Glasgow.

The money went to medical aid for Palestinians and projects in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, where a football academy was set up bearing the name of Celtic.

Celtic have urged their supporters not to bring flags and banners relating to the conflict between Israel and Palestine to Wednesday evening’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.

The club issued the plea on the day of the meeting with the Spaniards after the Green Brigade fans’ group encouraged supporters to “courageously fly the flag for Palestine” amid a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.

“We have witnessed death, violence and destruction in the Holy Land in recent weeks, with thousands of people – men, women and children – killed, injured and displaced,” read Celtic’s statement.

“We are witnessing a tragedy of horrendous scale. As it continues, everyone at Celtic prays for all who have been affected.

“We also hope and pray for peace and for humanitarian support to reach those who are in need and in fear.

“Many of our colleagues, supporters, friends and families have been affected by these events.

“Against this backdrop of conflict and pain, sport can promote peace and demonstrate humanity and empathy for all who continue to suffer.

“For the club’s UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid this evening, Celtic and Atletico Madrid players and coaching staff will wear black armbands, as a show of respect and support for all those affected by the conflict.

“The club is also making a contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross to support people affected by the humanitarian crisis in the region.

“The club recognises that our supporters hold personal views to which everyone is entitled. As a club open to all, we all belong at Celtic Park.

“Celtic Park is where we come to support our football club. Recognising this, respecting the gravity of the tragedy unfolding and its impact on communities in Scotland and across the world, and in line with other clubs, leagues and associations, we ask that banners, flags and symbols relating to the conflict and those countries involved in it are not displayed at Celtic Park at this time.

“As we approach this crucial fixture, as ever, we sincerely thank our fans for their positive support of the players and the team.

“We thank you very much for your continued support of Celtic Football Club.”

A section of Celtic’s support has long held an affiliation with the Palestinian cause, with the club having previously been sanctioned by UEFA for banners or flags showing support for Palestine.

Large numbers of Hoops fans held up the Palestine flag before Sunday’s match away to Hearts and the Green Brigade is intent on ensuring there is a repeat at the Atletico match, setting it on a collision course with the club’s hierarchy.

“For those unable to obtain a flag, the Green Brigade will distribute thousands of flags outside the stadium,” the group said in a statement released on Tuesday.

“While it would be easier to distribute flags inside, we are prohibited from bringing the flags into the stadium. We respect the right of all fans who wish not to participate in such an action, however equally we ask that the same respect and freedom is afforded to all fans who do.”

Atletico Madrid captain Koke defended the club’s “great gesture” in using their return to Parkhead to pay tribute to the side that beat Celtic in controversial circumstances in 1974.

Atletico will wear a retro strip which matches the style worn by the team that beat Celtic in the European Cup semi-finals.

The side are heroes for the Spanish club, having gone on to win the Intercontinental Cup against Argentina’s Independiente despite losing the European Cup final against Bayern Munich.

But they are viewed as villains by Celtic fans and former players. Atletico had three players sent off and seven others booked as they battled their way to a goalless first-leg draw in Glasgow with Jimmy Johnstone in particular subjected to some vicious fouls.

Police intervened in some post-match clashes between players and Celtic advised fans not to travel to Spain for the second leg, which they lost 2-0, amid reports of death threats for Johnstone and manager Jock Stein.

Two of the players from that team, Ramon Heredia and Francisco Melo, travelled on the club flight to Glasgow for Wednesday’s Champions League game. Both were booked on their previous trip to Celtic Park.

When asked about the controversy the choice of strip had sparked, Koke said: “It’s an important thing for the club, but that was 50 years ago, so while it is good to have those people with us and memories are a big part of football, it is a completely different game now.

“We are just focused on the game. It doesn’t really matter what colour of shirts we are wearing, they could be red or they could be red and white.

“It’s not so important for what happens in the game what jersey we wear, the most important thing is what happens on the pitch.

“But it’s a great gesture from the club and it’s an important part of the club’s history, what happened 50 years ago.”

Manager Diego Simeone brushed off suggestions, from the Spanish media, that the tribute might be seen as an inflammatory move.

“People can interpret things any way they want,” he said. “Wednesday is just about the opposition. Celtic is a tough rival, with some really strong players. I really admire the way they play football and it is going to be a tough game.

“In their games against Lazio and Feyenoord, especially in the first 60-70 minutes, they played at a really high tempo. They are good in transition and have a strong system that they stuck to.

“They will press you in your own half and playing here, it is a really historic stadium.

“As well as the history of 1974, my father told me about 1967 when they played Racing Club (in the Intercontinental Cup). It’s a huge club. One of the most famous in the world.”

Simeone was also asked by a Spanish journalist about a headline over their strip choice in the Scottish press which read ‘Pathetico Madrid’.

“Newspapers will have their headlines but what matters to me is the stadium, the history and the crowd,” he said.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admits they need to take something from the visit of Atletico Madrid to progress in Europe.

But Rodgers is well aware of the European experience of Diego Simeone and his team and the need to be “intelligent” with their pressure.

Celtic have produced largely encouraging performances in their opening two Champions League games but they sit on zero points, three behind Feyenoord and four behind Atletico and Lazio.

Atletico were seconds away from winning in Rome and have a strong recent pedigree in Europe, which includes reaching two Champions League finals and winning the Europa League three times since 2010.

Rodgers said: “We play every game to win but your pressure always has to be educated. We want to be intense but we have to press the game with an intelligence as well, because they have top-level players.

“It’s important for us, if we are going to progress at any point in any of the competitions, we have to take something from the game, otherwise it’s a hugely difficult challenge for us.

“But we are excited about the challenge and I am really looking forward to seeing how we take that challenge on.

“This is a team that knows their way around European football, they are fighting for the Spanish title.

“But we just have to go and play our game and look to be brave and play with that courage we have been playing with, and see if we can pose them some problems.”

The former Liverpool and Leicester manager added: “I actually think we will have a lot of the ball. In terms of how Atletico play, they will press us in certain sectors of the game.

“But Diego always sets his teams up to play in a lower block in the main, which means it’s very, very difficult to break through.

“I think we will still have a good amount of possession but we have obviously devised a plan that will help us give them things to think about.”

Celtic’s chances in Rotterdam were undone by losing a soft goal from a free-kick on the stroke of half-time before getting two players sent off.

They took the lead against Lazio and looked to have won the game late on only to be denied by a marginal offside decision, before conceding deep into stoppage time. Rodgers will aim to use the frustration of that finale to drive his players on.

“The Lazio game was a real indication of the level,” he said. “We played very well but one moment at the end of the game costs you the points.

“That’s a reminder of the level but it doesn’t stop you being persistent and looking to fight. The fans expect us to fight and run in order to play quality football. That’s the style of this team and we will continue to do that.

“It’s life, isn’t it? Adversity is some of the best learning that you have. The pain was numbing at the end because we didn’t feel we deserved that, but I don’t want to be taking condolences after losing games of football. I respect the level we are at and it’s up to us to see if we can be more progressive in our results.

“One of the biggest things at this level is concentration. If you drop your guard for a second, you can get punished.

“We have shown, especially in the Lazio game, we can create opportunities and our goal was fantastic.

“I always say concentration at this level is huge and finishing your opportunities when you get them.

“We have to have that collective mentality, a green and white block moving up the pitch, everyone together and pressing and passing how we want to.

“If we can do that and keep that concentration, we have a great chance against any team, especially at home.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers wants his team to show they can take on the best in the world when they host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

The Hoops are looking for their first points of the Champions League campaign after going down against Feyenoord with nine men and losing to a last-gasp goal against Lazio after being denied the lead for a second time by a marginal offside decision.

Rodgers said: “We are playing one of the top clubs in the world and one of the best teams.

“We want to be able to take on the best teams in the world. We don’t have to be the best in the world but we certainly want to be able to take them on.”

Celtic warmed up with a dominant display in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Hearts.

“The players will go into it with great confidence,” Rodgers said.

“It will be an amazing atmosphere, we will try to start with energy and quality and devise a plan.

“The players have been unfortunate they haven’t picked up something. In the two games the performance level has been good, considering we had nine men against Feyenoord and the last game was hugely frustrating.

“But a great chance to play against a really good team and see if we can get our first points on the board.”

In-form midfielder Matt O’Riley will go into the game with a positive mindset after hitting his sixth goal of the season in style at Tynecastle.

The 22-year-old said: “If we play well and take our chances, and we believe we can do it, then anything is possible.

“We have seen that before in previous Champions League games in the past, I think performance is definitely there, it’s just a matter of being ruthless in both boxes to be honest.”

England and Scotland’s Champions League representatives return to action this week with some looking to maintain momentum and others determined to kick-start their campaigns.

Holders Manchester City and Newcastle currently top their respective groups while Arsenal are well placed after two games, but Manchester United and Celtic are yet to open their accounts.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the teams the British contenders face in the latest round of fixtures.

Manchester United v Copenhagen (Tuesday)

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by F.C. København (@fc_kobenhavn)

 

Danish champions Copenhagen began their campaign in the second qualifying round, easing past Iceland’s Breidablik 8-3 on aggregate, but were extended much further to secure their place in the play-offs as they drew 0-0 with Sparta Prague at the Parken Stadium before progressing 4-2 on penalties after an eventful 3-3 draw in the Czech capital.

Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa provided the opposition as they fought for a place in the group stage and a 1-0 away win in the first leg proved decisive as the sides drew 1-1 in Denmark in the return.

Copenhagen are currently a point clear of Silkeborg and Brondby at the top of the Danish Superliga, but have won only once in their last four games in all competitions – Saturday’s 2-1 home victory over lowly Vejle BK.

They launched their Group A campaign with a 2-2 draw at Galatasaray, where they led 2-0 before defender Elias Jelert was sent off and were beaten 2-1 at home by Bayern Munich last time out, having gone ahead once again.

The game could prove something of a family affair for United striker Rasmus Hojlund, 20, who could come up against 18-year-old twin brothers Oscar and Emil, both part of former club Copenhagen’s squad for the competition.

Sevilla v Arsenal (Tuesday)

Sevilla are making their ninth appearance in the group stage and qualified as a result of extending their record as UEFA Cup or Europa League winners to seven with a penalty shoot-out victory over Roma in last season’s final in Budapest.

They have not made it to the last 16 in their last two attempts and welcome the Gunners to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, having drawn both their Group B fixtures to date.

The Spaniards led French side Lens 1-0 at home in their opener courtesy of Lucas Ocampos’ early strike, but had to settle for a point after Angelo Fulgini levelled and they were pegged back once again in a dramatic conclusion to their trip to PSV Eindhoven, where they were 1-0 up and 2-1 ahead before Jordan Teze snatched a 2-2 draw deep into stoppage time.

Sevilla, who lost to Manchester City on penalties in August’s European Super Cup clash in Athens, finished 11th in last season’s LaLiga table, 39 points adrift of champions Barcelona and again find themselves in mid-table.

They have won only two of their 12 games in all competitions to date this season, but drew a second-successive league game on Saturday, when visitors Real Madrid needed a Daniel Carvajal equaliser to emerge with a point.

Celtic v Atletico Madrid (Wednesday)

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Atlético de Madrid (@atleticodemadrid)

 

Twice runners-up – on both occasions to derby rivals Real Madrid – Atletico have genuine Champions League pedigree, although they failed to make the last 16 for the first time in five seasons in 2022-23.

The sides have met on six previous occasions in European competition with the Spaniards having come out on top four times, the last of them a 1-0 Europa League victory at Celtic Park in November 2011, with the Scottish champions’ only reward two draws.

Atleti currently top Group E on goals scored ahead of Lazio with both sides on four points and Feyenoord a point behind.

They drew 1-1 in Rome – where the Serie A side were indebted to goalkeeper Ivan Provedel’s last-gasp equaliser – and twice came from behind at the Estadio Metropolitano, where Alvaro Morata’s double either side of an Antoine Griezmann strike secured a 3-2 victory over the Dutchmen.

Diego Simeone’s men head into the game on the back of a six-match winning run culminating in Saturday’s 3-0 league victory at Celta Vigo.

Newcastle v Borussia Dortmund (Wednesday)

Last season’s Bundesliga runners-up, Dortmund were European champions in 1997 and went down 2-1 to compatriots Bayern Munich in the 2013 final.

They have made it to the knockout stage of the Champions League in eight of their 10 most recent campaigns, but went out to Chelsea in the round of 16 last season.

Their record in England, however, does not augur well with seven of their last eight visits having ended in defeat – both the Blues and Manchester City got the better of them last season.

Dortmund have collected just a single point from their two Group F outings to date, but are yet to find the back of the net following a 2-0 defeat at Paris St Germain and a 0-0 home draw with AC Milan.

However, the reverse in Paris remains the only one they have suffered in 11 games in all competitions and they have won their last five league games – the most recent of them a 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Friday – to sit two points adrift of early leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Young Boys v Manchester City (Wednesday)

The Swiss champions are playing in the Champions League for the 10th time having missed out on a place in last season’s Europa League after a play-off defeat by Anderlecht.

They collected five points from their six games on their last appearance in 2021-22 and finished bottom of their group as a result.

Young Boys won their first home Champions League game against an English club – Tottenham in a 2010-11 play-off – but eventually went down 6-3 on aggregate and their last, a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in September 2021 on a night when Cristiano Ronaldo scored but Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent off.

They went down 3-1 at home to Leipzig in their opening fixture, but were denied victory at Red Star Belgrade when Osman Bukari’s late goal ensured it ended 2-2.

They are unbeaten in four games in all competitions, but were held to a goalless home draw by FC Zurich on Saturday.

Both Celtic and Rangers enjoyed comfortable wins in a cinch Premiership fixture card hit by Storm Babet.

The Hoops completed a Glasgow double over Edinburgh after three matches were called off for safety reasons.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five things we learned from the reduced schedule.

Happy honeymoon for Philippe Clement

Rangers fans wanted to see something different under Belgian manager Philippe Clement and they certainly did in a 4-0 Ibrox win against Hibernian. Michael Beale had been criticised for the ponderous style of his Gers side but Clement’s version played at high tempo and got the ball forward quicker. The manager himself declared himself “happy” but not yet impressed. “Impressed is a big word,” he said. “I still saw a lot of details we can make better but I saw a team who stayed well in the structure and made the runs and the tempo we played at. It is like the honeymoon. Everything is new. They need to confirm this the next week, the next month.”

Nick Montgomery felt Clement was too keen

Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery felt Clement’s debut should have been largely watched from the stand after accusing the Rangers boss of stepping on the pitch and controlling the ball before it went out. Referencing a red card for Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes against Dundee in similar circumstances, Montgomery was surprised to see the Gers manager get away with it. He told BBC Scotland: “I think everyone can see the ball had not gone out. When that happens, you probably think it’s not going to be your day because at that point they have 12 men on the pitch. The worst thing about it was they got the throw-in. Away at Ibrox you don’t expect any favours, but that’s not within the laws of the game.”

Celtic hitting top gear

The Hoops restored their seven-point lead with a 4-1 win over Hearts at Tynecastle. Normally a tricky venue, the champions took the sting out the game inside four minutes when Matt O’Riley met Luis Palma’s lofted pass on the volley. Brendan Rodgers’ side dominated the bulk of the game to take their winning league run to six matches. If they come through another trip to Edinburgh next weekend when they face Hibs, there is a strong chance they will go on to extend their seven-point lead before hosting Rangers on December 30.

Tynecastle tickets decision has mixed results

Hearts more than halved Celtic’s usual allocation of tickets to 576 but the Tynecastle atmosphere was not at its usual level after O’Riley’s early opener. The crowd of 17,608 was the lowest league attendance at Tynecastle this season and some Celtic fans watching on television would no doubt have been frustrated at the sight of a virtually-empty section right next to the away support in the Roseburn Stand.

Kyle Vassell shows his worth for Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock captain Kyle Vassell’s double proved the difference in a 3-1 win over Livingston which ended a seven-game run without victory and lifted them into fifth place following a weather-hit fixture card. Vassell came into the league campaign still finding his fitness following a knee injury but he now has three goals in the Premiership.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed his players for meeting their Tynecastle challenge with some “wonderful football” in a 4-1 win over Hearts.

The cinch Premiership leaders restored their seven-point lead with a largely dominant display in front of 576 of their own fans in a reduced allocation and more than 17,000 Hearts supporters.

Matt O’Riley volleyed his sixth goal of the season inside four minutes and Celtic remained in control. Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi netted before the 51st minute and Reo Hatate hit the post with a penalty.

Lawrence Shankland pulled one back in the 64th minute but substitute Tomoki Iwata fired his first goal for Celtic to kill off any slim hopes of a comeback.

Rodgers said: “It was important that we started the game well, and try to bring an energy and speed to the game which would make it difficult for Hearts, because I have been here enough times to know that if you don’t make a good start here it can be a challenge.

“But the players played some wonderful football and worked ever so hard.”

Celtic have now won six consecutive league matches and appear to be finding more fluidity in their play.

Rodgers said: “It’s a constant evolution, there’s not a destination to where we want to go, it’s just continual improvement and finding levels and the big thing is consistency.

“It’s obviously a very difficult ground to come to but I love challenges like this, coming to really hostile environments because it’s an opportunity for you to show your value as a team, dealing with difficult circumstances, and the players dealt with it ever so well.

“The only criticism is we could have scored more goals and managed the ball a bit better after we scored the fourth goal, so we didn’t have to run so much.

“But overall, after an international break, where a lot of these guys were a wee bit heavy-legged towards the end, a lot of travel, what they gave the game was absolutely brilliant.”

Hearts manager Steven Naismith bemoaned his side’s start and the way they allowed Celtic chances.

Naismith started with a positive line-up with Kenneth Vargas told to run beyond Shankland and Alan Forrest and Alex Lowry supporting the front players. But their chances when undermined when O’Riley ran away from marker Calem Nieuwenhof and volleyed home Luis Palma’s lofted pass.

“We gave up really sloppy goals,” said Naismith, whose team let slip a two-goal lead against Hibernian in their previous match.

“That’s the last two games that the goals we conceded are not at the level where we should be at and want to be at. How sloppy they were and when we concede them is mental.

“It doesn’t give you a chance to get into the game when you lose a goal after three minutes. And that was the theme throughout the game, the goals are avoidable.

“Our intensity when we are pressing and closing down wasn’t good enough and in the game there are split-seconds when players are making decisions and ultimately they are going to decide if it’s a good action or bad action. Every goal we picked the wrong action.”

Matt O’Riley scored his sixth cinch Premiership goal of the season to send Celtic on their way to a comfortable 4-1 win over Hearts.

O’Riley volleyed home brilliantly early on and Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi added further goals as Celtic thoroughly dominated for the first hour at Tynecastle.

Lawrence Shankland pulled a goal back but substitute Tomoki Iwata hit his first goal for Celtic to finish the hosts off in the 81st minute.

Reo Hatate missed a penalty in what was otherwise an impressive performance from the Celtic midfielder.

Hearts were looking to build on two wins and a draw in their previous three games. But an unchanged Celtic side restored their seven-point lead at the top of the table 24 hours after Philippe Clement enjoyed a 4-0 win over Hibernian in his first match as Rangers manager.

Hearts had more than halved Celtic’s usual allocation to 576 fans, many of whom displayed Palestine flags before kick-off, to allow more home supporters to attend. However, the section nearest the visiting support in the Roseburn Stand was virtually empty and the 17,608 crowd was comfortably Hearts’ lowest in the league this season.

The atmosphere was punctured inside four minutes as O’Riley ran off marker Calem Nieuwenhof and watched Luis Palma’s lofted pass drop over his shoulder before volleying into the far corner.

Hearts rallied briefly. Joe Hart pushed a Kenneth Vargas strike past his near post and Alex Cochrane sent a dangerous ball across the face of the Celtic goal.

Celtic were largely in control and Zander Clark saved well from Maeda before the Japan attacker doubled the lead midway through the half. Nieuwenhof was again at fault, gifting possession to Celtic not long before Hatate played a one-two with O’Riley to get beyond the home defence and drill a cross which Maeda bundled home from close range.

Celtic remained well on top and Hatate hit the post from the spot in the first minute of the second half after Cochrane had been harshly penalised by Nick Walsh when Furuhashi got his body in front of the left-back and went down.

Hatate atoned for his miss in the 51st minute with a wonderful flick which sent Palma racing down the left flank. Celtic players were queuing up to meet the Honduran winger’s low cross and Furuhashi swept the ball high into the net.

Hatate soon came close himself but Hearts improved after Beni Baningime and Yutaro Oda replaced Nieuwenhof and Alex Lowry, who had both struggled.

Shankland forced a decent parry from Hart just before curling in off the post in the 64th minute after Maeda had gifted him possession 20 yards from goal.

Shankland and Alan Forrest threatened as Hearts continued to respond but Iwata sparked a mass exodus of Hearts fans when he fired in off the bar from 18 yards after Clark had denied another Hoops substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Clark made an excellent stop from Oh to spare the home fans further pain and the Celtic support saluted manager Brendan Rodgers in song in stoppage time.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called for a minimum percentage of away supporters to be enshrined in league rules as he prepares to take his team to what will be an even more hostile atmosphere inside Tynecastle.

Celtic will have 576 fans in attendance for Sunday’s game against Hearts with the home club keen to get more of their own supporters inside the ground following rising demand for tickets in recent years.

The allocation is less than half of what Celtic received in their previous visit and a continuation of a trend.

Rodgers was used to seeing the Roseburn Stand half full of Celtic supporters in his first spell in charge, which included his first domestic game as manager and the game where his side clinched his first title. But previously Celtic fans occupied the whole of the stand behind the goal.

The likes of Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibernian previously took bigger supports to Glasgow too but they have long been restricted to less than two per cent of Celtic Park and Ibrox in allocations measured in hundreds.

The Tynecastle allocation has continued debate over away allocations which has been most starkly felt when Celtic face Rangers in recent seasons.

The tradition of handing about 7,500 tickets to the away team was abandoned by Rangers and fears over the safety of an away following in the hundreds have meant the fixture has been home fans only in recent matches.

The likes of Aberdeen, St Mirren and Kilmarnock have also cut the allocations for Celtic and Rangers fans in recent seasons.

The issue will likely be revisited ahead of Celtic’s New Year derby with Rangers likely to be rebuffed in their request for tickets after the Hoops won at Ibrox earlier this season with no fans present.

Scottish Professional Football League rules are currently vague, stating that a home club must provide tickets for a “reasonable number of visiting supporters…. as may be agreed in advance with the visiting club”. The SPFL board will determine the number if no agreement is reached but that situation has never occurred.

Rodgers accepted Hearts’ right to cut the allocation but he hopes the rules can be made clearer for everyone’s benefit, echoing similar calls from his Hearts counterpart Steven Naismith.

“Every club has got every right at this moment in time, to issue what they want to give to away supporters,” the Celtic manager said.

“Until there is something standardised, Hearts are more than willing to do that.

“Of course as a Celtic manager I love to see more supporters in there of course because they come from all over the place to follow their team.

“But hopefully we can standardise a certain percentage for away supporters and that allows all the supporters of all the teams to be able to go and watch their teams.

“Around some of the grounds, in my first time here and even now…the idea is, of course, if there is more away allocation it allows the ground to be filled, and obviously to give money and resources to the away team, then of course we would like to be able to do that.

“But I also understand it from a football perspective why maybe you wouldn’t want so many away supporters in.

“But hopefully the federation can standardise a number and then we all know where we stand.”

Rodgers backed his team to handle the atmosphere.

“Any team playing away, it’s always nice to have a fairly large group of your supporters there to give you that backing but if they are not there, then we can’t use that as an excuse,” he said.

“We have shown already with no supporters that we can get big results. We will be very much together and the 500-odd supporters that will be there, hopefully we can give them a good day.”

A row between the Celtic board and a section of supporters over the Middle East conflict looks set to run after a fan group hit back at the club.

Celtic earlier condemned banners which were displayed in the standing section at their stadium during Saturday’s win over Kilmarnock.

But the Green Brigade have now called on supporters to display Palestine flags during their upcoming Champions League game against Atletico Madrid as Israel continues its airstrikes and blockade of Gaza.

Celtic’s Israel international, Liel Abada, meanwhile, issued thanks to those who had sent messages of support in the wake of the Hamas attack on his country.

Abada’s Israel and former Celtic team-mate Nir Bitton had hit out at supporters on Saturday after they flew flags and displayed banners which read “Free Palestine” and “Victory to the Resistance”.

The club issued a statement on Monday which condemned and disassociated themselves from the banners.

A statement added: “Celtic is a football club and not a political organisation. One of our core values from inception is to be open to all regardless of race, colour, politics or creed.

“That is why the club has always made clear that political messages and banners are not welcome at Celtic Park, or any match involving Celtic.

“At a time of loss and suffering for many, it is entirely inappropriate for any group of individuals to use Celtic Park as a vehicle for such messages.

“We call on all supporters, regardless of their personal views, to unite in backing our players and the club while respecting the rights and beliefs of others; particularly those whose lives are affected by violence and hatred.”

Abada, 22, who is currently sidelined by a thigh injury, wrote on Instagram on Tuesday: “It is difficult to explain the range of emotions I feel at the moment we woke up to one of the darkest days in the history of my country.

“I would like to thank everybody sending me supportive messages on social media over the last couple of days. It is not taken for granted. My heart goes out to all the families who lost their loved ones. Praying for more peaceful days. Love you all.”

However, the Green Brigade have reiterated their “unshakeable belief” that football supporters have the right to express political beliefs and accused the Celtic board of being disingenuous and hypocritical over their claim that the club was apolitical, citing issues over the club’s history and the war in Ukraine.

The lengthy statement finished by calling on Celtic fans on October 25 against Atletico to “raise the Palestine flag on the European stage and show the world that Celtic Football Club stands with the oppressed, not the oppressor”.

The club have been fined by UEFA on several occasions because supporters have flown Palestine flags.

In 2016, the Green Brigade raised more than £130,000 in an online fundraising campaign after Celtic were fined nearly £9,000 by UEFA due to fans flying Palestine flags during their 5-2 Champions League victory against Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Glasgow.

The money went to medical aid for Palestinians and projects in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, where a football academy was set up bearing the name of Celtic.

Brendan Rodgers believes Luis Palma is gradually becoming more accustomed to the demands of playing for Celtic.

The Honduran scored his team’s second goal in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock in what was his first Premiership start since arriving from Aris Thessaloniki in August.

Rodgers felt it was unrealistic to expect new signings to be “perfect right away” and revealed he was looking only for incremental improvement.

The Celtic manager said: “The players at the top end of the pitch have to create and score goals, that’s their contribution.

“But Luis is settling in very well. These guys are coming from different climates and cultures.

“People feel the need for them to be perfect right away. I don’t, it’s all about adaptability.

“If they feed into the club’s winning mentality, they’ll improve here.

“You see with Palma, he’s getting better game by game. He was excellent today and scored a very good goal.

“He was dangerous. He played his part in a very good collective performance.”

Kilmarnock got a goal back through David Watson with the score at 2-0, but Rodgers believed a foul should have been awarded in the build-up.

He added: “We had the ball on the edge of the box, Greg Taylor was manhandled by their guy to the ground and we didn’t get a foul.

“The VAR only started when the play went forward. They scored from the position Greg would have been in.

“I don’t like talking about referees, but we’ve now got a whole team of people looking at it. The ref doesn’t see it, he had his back to the play. By the time he turned around, the foul was committed.

“But a guy on the line can see it, like me. On top of that, there’s a VAR team watching it with a cup of tea and no drama. They still didn’t see it.”

Celtic had a penalty award overturned by the VAR following a coming-together between Reo Hatate and Watson.

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes – who would not address speculation linking him with the Rangers managerial vacancy – felt the Japanese midfielder had embellished any contact.

He said: “My first thought was that Hatate has gone down far too easily. For me, he’s waiting for contact. But I don’t think there was any contact. If I’m wrong then I’ll apologise.

“But for me, it’s trying to buy a penalty and the referee has bought it as I thought he would. I thought, ‘he’s going to give a penalty here’ and he did.

“My heart sank and then VAR overturned it. But that’s far too easy to go down, far too easy from Hatate. That’s poor.”