Ten-man AEK Athens fight back against Celtic

AEK Athens fought back from a goal down to secure a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League play-off against Celtic, despite also having a man sent off.

Celtic started very well, attacking in waves with Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor especially dangerous. And on 19 minutes the two combined for Celtic to take the lead,Tierney's deflected cross hammered home by McGregor on the turn.

But Celtic could not press home their advantage, enjoying plenty of possession but creating few chances, and in the penultimate minute of the first half they were punished, Helder Lopes chasing down a ball that looked headed for touch to dig out a cross, which Viktor Klonaridis spanked past Craig Gordon.

After the break, the anticipated Celtic onslaught did not materialise. Even when Konstantinos Galanopoulos was shown two yellow cards in six minutes, AEK were comfortable in defence, and the closest Celtic came was Olivier Ntcham's curler from outside the box; Vasilios Barkas was not called upon to make a single difficult save.

The teams will now reconvene in Athens next Tuesday, with Malmo or Vidi awaiting the winners. It would be a brave man who predicted their identity with any confidence.

Did Brendan Rodgers pick the wrong team? Obviously his thought process is beyond our comprehension, but Celtic put a lot of crosses into the box, so might've benefitted from playing two strikers, especially as AEK pretty much ceded midfield to them.

Kieran Tierney (Celtic) A fine, driving performance, his crosses were good and so was his decision-making.

Celtic: Gordon 6, Lustig 5, Hendry 6, Ajer 5, Tierney 8, Forrest 6, McGregor 6, Brown 5, Ntcham 7, Rogic 5, Edouard 4. Subs: Griffiths 6, Sinclair 6.

AEK Athens: Barkas 7, Bakakis 6, Oikonomu 7, Lampropoulos 7, Lopes 7, Galanopoulos 4, Simoes 5, Bakasetas 5, Klonaridis 7, Boye 6, Linaja 6. Subs: Alef 6, Ponce 6, Galo 6.

19’ - GOAL! A LOVELY GOAL! Celtic 1-0 AEK Athens (McGregor) Tierney crosses from the left and the ball's deflected into McGregor's stride. He turns to smack into the corner. Celtic are looking good here.

44’ - GOAL! Celtic 1-1 AEK Athens (Klonaridis) The dangerous Lopes purses a ball that looks to be going out and right on the line, swivels into a cross that rushes across the box. Ajer might clear but doesn't, so Klonaridis takes a touch before caning a rising drive into the roof. Aggravation for Celtic.

57’ - WHAT IS HE DOING! Forrest into Rogic, who backheels a return into his path, and as he accelerates towards the box, Galanopoulos trips him and that's an easy decision for the ref. He brandishes a second yellow, then a red, and AEK are down to ten. What a silly billy.

66’ - Tierney again, looking up and assessing little, so he cuts back a little pass for Ntcham who, with the keeper unsighted, lasers a low shot just past the post.

71’ - Lovely from Forest, skipping past Boye and racing to the line, clipping back a cross to the near post ... where Griffiths heads over the bar.

90+4’ - Nice from Celtic, Tierney and Ntcham working it between themselves until there's a space, Ntcham opening a shooting lane and unleashing a curler which flies just over the far top corner. It would've been a brilliant goal, and is the closest Celtic have come this half. That's not good enough.