Celtic secured a place in the Scottish League Cup semifinal after a 5-2 comeback victory over Championship side Falkirk, but it wasn’t without a scare. Twice trailing to the underdogs, Brendan Rodgers’ men were struuggling before the quality of their bench finally tipped the scales in their favor. Goals from Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn in the final 30 minutes proved decisive, setting up a meeting with Aberdeen in the next round.
A Game of Two Halves
Rodgers, looking to rotate his squad after a Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava, made several changes to the starting eleven, which led to a disjointed first-half performance. Falkirk, brimming with confidence after a dominant start to their Championship campaign, capitalized on Celtic’s frailties. The visitors opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Ross MacIver lashed a low drive past Kasper Schmeichel, following a defensive mishap.
Despite the early blow, Celtic responded through Paulo Bernardo, who hammered in a volley from a well-crafted team move. But the Hoops were soon behind again just before half-time, as Finn Yeats nodded home a cross from Alfredo Agyeman, who had a great game, after a lapse in Celtic’s marking. It was a deserved lead for Falkirk, who looked fearless, pressing high and exploiting gaps in Celtic’s reshuffled defense.
Rodgers' Substitutes Shine
The introduction of Kuhn, Idah, and Greg Taylor on the hour mark was a turning point. Falkirk, who had pressed energetically, began to tire, and Celtic’s substitutes injected pace and creativity into their play. Nicolas Kuhn, the standout performer, set up both of Idah’s quickfire goals. The first came after a pinpoint cross from Kuhn found the Irish striker unmarked in the box, leveling the score at 2-2.
Moments later, Celtic pressed high up the pitch from Falkirk’s restart, with Kuhn winning the ball back and feeding Idah, who held off two defenders to fire Celtic into the lead for the first time. From that moment on, Falkirk struggled to contain the relentless pressure.
Kuhn, now brimming with confidence, got his own brace, first lifting the ball over Falkirk keeper Nicky Hogarth after a brilliant pass from Arne Engels and then sealing the win with a driven strike from the edge of the box.
Lessons from the Win
Despite the flattering scoreline, Celtic’s performance in the opening stages left plenty to be desired. Defensive lapses and lackluster efforts from several fringe players will have raised questions for Rodgers, especially with tougher challenges ahead in both domestic and European competitions. Barcelona loanee Alex Valle, making his debut at left-back, struggled to cope with Agyeman’s pace and was culpable in the buildup to both of Falkirk’s goals.
However, the match highlighted the depth of Celtic’s squad. Players like Kuhn, who have impressed in recent games, continue to make strong cases for starting positions. Meanwhile, Idah’s clinical finishing and Engels’ creativity were vital in turning the game around. Rodgers will undoubtedly take heart from the resilience shown by his side when the game looked to be slipping away.
For Falkirk, this match will be remembered as a “what could have been” moment. John McGlynn’s side showed tremendous heart, pressing Celtic high and executing their game plan to near perfection in the first half. It's not at all unfair to say that this was the best performance by an opposition team at Celtic Park this season, and that includes Rangers. While they were ultimately undone by Celtic’s quality and depth, their performance will provide a major confidence boost as they push for promotion to the Premiership.
Looking ahead
Celtic’s victory sets up a semi-final clash with Aberdeen, another side in fine form. While Rodgers will be pleased with his team’s fighting spirit, there are still concerns to address, especially in defense. With tougher challenges on the horizon, including Champions League fixtures, Celtic will need to sharpen up at the back if they are to maintain their strong start to the season.
For now, though, the Hoops can celebrate a hard-fought victory, but the warning signs are clear: improvements are needed if they are to avoid future slip-ups against higher-level opposition. Too many changes exposes the team, even against lower level opposition.
