Highlights: Celtic reach the Women's Champions League group stage

Cam Wanstall
BBC Sport Scotland

Celtic are the first Scottish side to qualify for the Women’s Champions League group stage since it was introduced in 2020-21.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg, headers from Emma Lawton and Shannon McGregor completed the job against Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava.

Neither side roused the Albert Bartlett Stadium crowd in the first half, though wing-back Lawton stood out following her introduction to Elena Sadiku's starting XI.

A wayward shot on the rebound from Lucy Ashworth-Clifford squandered the home side's finest chance before the interval.

Amy Gallacher spun her marker with ease before curling wide as Celtic piled on the pressure immediately after the restart.

Then Lawton marked a memorable first European start with her first Celtic goal on 52 minutes, the wing-back meeting a cross from Ashworth-Clifford with a towering finish.

A second powerful header would double the hosts' lead on the night as summer signing McGregor nodded in from a Murphy Agnew delivery.

Celtic's historic night was capped off by a clean sheet - despite late threats from Vorskla forward Viktoriia Radionova. The 19-year-old was denied by a Maria McAneny block before firing just over as time wound down in Airdrie.

Celtic will find out their group opponents in Friday's lunchtime draw.

While they are the first Scottish team to enter this phase of the competition, Glasgow City twice reached the quarter-finals in the previous knockout format.

'Great for Scottish football'

Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku: "I told the girls that I am living my dream together with them. I don't think there is a better achievement than that. It sums up what we have been doing so far.

"We are the in the top 16 teams [in Europe]. We done it for the first time ever. I'm already thinking about our game on Sunday and Rangers next Thursday. I'll think about it when the draw happens tomorrow.

"I don't think I can explain the excitement that is in that locker room right now. For me, we need to be confident because we achieved something that nobody in Scotland has been doing before.

"I am so happy. They are living their dream and will play with the top players in Europe and that is what we want to do."

Celtic wing-back Emma Lawton: "It's really good for Scottish football to have a team in the group stage of the Champions League, and I'm delighted it is us who have managed to do it.

"I think they changed their formation a wee bit [at half-time], which we were not expecting. It was about adapting to that. Second half, we were really, really good."

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