Nicolas Kuhn’s brilliant brace helped Celtic stage a thrilling 3-1 comeback victory over Germany’s RB Leipzig, securing their third consecutive win in this season’s Champions League at a raucous Celtic Park.
After a dominant 6-0 win in the League Cup against Aberdeen on Saturday and a hard-fought draw away to Atalanta in their previous European outing, Celtic entered the match with high expectations – even against a Leipzig side widely considered the group’s top seeds.
Celtic got off to a fast start, but Leipzig, still searching for their first point in the competition, dealt a blow when Christoph Baumgartner headed in a well-executed corner to give the visitors the lead.
Historically, Celtic had lost 27 of the 28 Champions League games in which they trailed, but this time, they refused to be deterred.
Continuing his sensational form this season, with 17 goal contributions in 15 matches, Kuhn struck in the 39th minute.
Cutting inside from the right wing, he unleashed an audacious curling shot that struck the post and found the back of the net to level the score.
The Celtic faithful were still celebrating when Kuhn was at it again just before halftime.
A misfired shot from Daizen Maeda allowed Greg Taylor’s cutback to reach Kuhn, who calmly slotted the ball home from close range, putting Celtic ahead.
His brace saw him become 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 Partizana Tirana.
The second half saw Celtic continue to press high and dominate possession. Their efforts were rewarded when the brilliant Reo Hatate scored a thunderous strike to make it 3-1, ensuring Celtic’s second victory of the campaign and further cementing their status as group leaders.
For Leipzig, the path to qualification now looks increasingly difficult. With challenging fixtures still ahead against Inter Milan, Sporting CP, and Aston Villa, they will need to significantly improve if they hope to progress in the competition.
