Kuhn the hero as Celtic produce comeback win over RB Leipzig

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

The outstanding Nicolas Kuhn inspired Celtic as they came from behind against Germany's RB Leipzig to earn an exhilarating third Champions League home victory in a row at an exuberant Celtic Park.

Following their six-goal League Cup thrashing of Aberdeen on Saturday, and a hard-fought point away to Atalanta in the previous matchday, hopes were high for this game despite Leipzig's status as top seeds.

Celtic lived up to expectations with a blistering start, but Leipzig – who are still searching for their first point in the competition – punctured their positivity with Christoph Baumgartner’s neat nod from a corner.

Celtic had lost in 27 of the 28 previous Champions League games in which they had gone behind, but they picked themselves up here.

Continuing his exceptional start to the season – 17 goal contributions in 15 games before this – Kuhn cut in from the right and curled an audacious strike in off a post.

The stadium was still bouncing when German winger Kuhn stroked in from just outside the six-yard box after Daizen Maeda’s fresh air swipe allowed Greg Taylor's cutback to reach him just before the break.

Brendan Rodgers’ side maintained their high levels after the interval and were rewarded when the brilliant Reo Hatate lashed in a third and ensured Celtic's second victory of this campaign.

Celtic give Leipzig a lesson

When Celtic last met a German side in the Champions League on the back of a 6-0 domestic win, they were dismantled in Dortmund earlier in this campaign.

Though that was only just over a month ago, the Scottish champions appear to have taken their medicine and were much more streetwise in familiar surroundings.

Sprinting out the blocks, they did not allow their visitors to breathe at the back and swarmed in their numbers at every opportunity.

Key to that was Kuhn. The RB Leipzig academy product taught the German side a lesson with a sensational display. Playing with freedom and flair, the 24-year-old was, once again, tremendous on the right.

In truth, Celtic as a team taught Leipzig - a side sitting second in the Bundesliga - a lesson. They repeatedly asked questions and their visitors had no answers.

When Kuhn did depart to a rapturous round of applause, Hatate took over as the talisman of this tremendous side.

It’s been a long, long wait for three home wins in a row for Celtic in this competition. A 17-year wait. Through that spell, the tales of the fortress this cauldron used to be seemed a distant memory.

This brought them back to light. The Feyenoord win last season was a dead rubber; the Slovan Bratislava victory earlier this term was expected; but this was a statement. And a convincing one at that.

'My best European victory' - Rodgers

Leipzig lack in every department

The messages coming from the German media were this was a must-win for Leipzig.

They were dealt a daunting start to this new format, with games against Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool, so a trip to Scotland was viewed as the kick-starter.

But Marco Rose’s side never got going. They looked spooked at Celtic’s high press.

While they’ve struggled in the Champions League, this is a team at the top end of the Bundesliga, three points behind leaders Bayern.

But Leipzig couldn't contain a quick, fit and sharp Celtic. They lacked in every department.

Benjamin Sesko has been the saviour so often for them but was nowhere to be seen here.

He and his colleagues will need to show up if the top-seeded Germans are to sneak through, but with Inter Milan, Sporting and Aston Villa waiting it's an uphill task.

Match stats

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  • Celtic have won three consecutive Champions League home games for the first time since November 2007, under Gordon Strachan.

  • RB Leipzig are the first German side to lose their first four Champions League games in a single campaign since Stuttgart in 2007-08.

  • Nicolas Kuhn became the first Celtic player to score two goals in the first half of a Champions League/European Cup match since Roy Aitken in October 1979, against Partizani Tirana.

  • Celtic last netted more goals (currently nine this term) in a Champions League/European Cup campaign in 1977-78 (13).

  • Kuhn has been directly involved in 19 goals (nine goals, 10 assists) for Celtic in all competitions this season - at least seven more than any of his team-mates.

  • The 38-year-old Kasper Schmeichel became the joint-oldest player to play in a Champions League match on his birthday, along with David Seaman for Arsenal against Schalke in September 2001.

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