Celtic showed resilience to come from behind and secure a crucial 3-1 victory over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, keeping their title hopes alive.
After a lacklustre first half that saw them trail by a goal, the Hoops turned the game around with an inspired second-half performance at Fir Park.
The first 45 minutes highlighted Celtic’s recent struggles for form, playing pedestrian football and a lack of cutting edge in the final third.
However, the introduction of Adam Idah at the break proved to be a smart tweak by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. The forward headed in an equaliser shortly after the restart, injecting much-needed momentum into the Celtic side. Idah wasn’t finished there, doubling his tally in stoppage time before Luis Palma added a third to seal a comprehensive comeback win.
Speaking after the match to Sky Sports, Brendan Rodgers gave his instant reaction, saying:
“We played much better second half, for sure. I think the first half there was a wee bit of anxiety at the beginning. We weren’t connecting the game well enough. The passes were just too long and too easy to cut out. We weren’t in the flow. We obviously concede a poor goal from a throw-in.
“I said to the players at half time ‘just relax, we have to play our game, shorten the passes and connect the game’. And I thought the second half so much credit to the guys. They were brilliant. They scored three and they could’ve had one or two more. ”
The win keeps Celtic breathing down Rangers’ neck, but the performance, particularly in the first half, can not get ignored.
