Celtic recorded a crucial and highly deserved first win of the Champions League group stage to move above Ajax.

A finely balanced first half ended with James Forrest showing great composure to score from the penalty spot.

Beram Kayal got what proved to be the winner with a deflected shot in a second half controlled by the hosts.

There was a late wobble from Neil Lennon's side after substitute Nir Biton was sent off and Lasse Schone fired in an injury-time goal.

But Schone's impressive drive was virtually the last kick of the ball and Celtic got the victory that keeps them well in contention for a place in the last 16 for a second successive season.

Interview - Celtic manager Neil Lennon

They now head to Amsterdam in a fortnight's time in third place and surely full of confidence they can take something from that game, especially having won this one without the influential trio of Scott Brown, Kris Commons and Adam Matthews.

Perhaps the match's pivotal moment came in the closing moments of the first half.

Anthony Stokes, a hitherto unseen presence on the night, was brought crashing to the deck by a clumsy Stefano Denswil challenge, giving the referee an easy decision.

Following a lengthy delay, Forrest swept the resultant penalty confidently past Jasper Cillessen.

If that was the ideal way to end the half, there was an early and decisive breakthrough in the second period.

Georgios Samaras's ball into the box from the left was cleared as far as Kayal, whose placed effort from 20 yards deflected off the unfortunate Denswil to beat Cillessen.

Ajax may have wondered at that stage quite how they found themselves two goals down and yet had they been more clinical either just before or just after that Kayal goal, their predicament would not have been as dire.

Beram Kayal scores for Celtic against Ajax

Kayal's shot took a deflection en route to goal

Thulani Serero and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson carved out a glorious chance only for Serero to shoot tamely at Fraser Forster.

And Sigthorsson himself should have done better than to shoot narrowly wide with only the keeper to beat.

When they did eventually get past Forster, it was with just seconds remaining - Schone's powerful swerving effort from just outside the box a fine effort nonetheless.

In truth, Ajax might have found themselves in front long before Forrest's strike, as Christian Poulsen volleyed against the post from a Viktor Fischer free-kick.

But Celtic had also been wasteful in the early stages, with Teemu Pukki failing to connect with a perfect Mikael Lustig cross, which was begging to be converted.

Other than the late goal, Forster's only other tests in the second half came from distance, with Schone having another effort pushed away and Daley Blind also going close.

But given the way they controlled the second half, anything other than a Celtic win would have felt unjust, though there was nothing unjust about Biton's red card - Celtic's second in two Champions League games following Scott Brown's dismissal against Barcelona - as the Israeli slid in dangerously on Serero.

The game was also marred somewhat by crowd trouble among the visiting support following Celtic's opening goal, but nothing could take away from another fine Champions League achievement by Celtic.

Lineup, Bookings (4) & Substitutions (6)

Celtic

  • 01 Forster
  • 23 Lustig (Biton - 77' Dismissed )
  • 03 Izaguirre
  • 21 Mulgrew
  • 04 Ambrose
  • 05 van Dijk Booked
  • 49 Forrest
  • 33 Kayal (Ledley - 71' )
  • 10 Stokes
  • 20 Pukki (Baldé - 91' )
  • 09 Samaras

Substitutes

  • 06 Biton
  • 16 Ledley
  • 17 Baldé
  • 18 Rogic
  • 24 Zaluska
  • 37 Atajic
  • 41 Fisher

Ajax

  • 22 Cillessen
  • 02 van Rhijn (Schöne - 80' )
  • 17 Blind
  • 05 Poulsen Booked (Boilesen - 67' )
  • 12 Veltman Booked
  • 24 Denswil
  • 10 S. de Jong
  • 25 Serero
  • 09 Sigthorsson
  • 16 Andersen
  • 07 Fischer (de Sa - 72' )

Substitutes

  • 01 Vermeer
  • 06 van der Hoorn
  • 15 Boilesen
  • 18 Klaassen
  • 20 Schöne
  • 23 Hoesen
  • 34 de Sa
Ref: Ivan Bebek

Match Stats

Shots

10 15

On target

4 4

Corners

9 9

Fouls

15 3

Live Text Commentary

Full time

Full Time Match ends, Celtic 2, Ajax 1.

90:00 +4:22 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Celtic 2, Ajax 1.

90:00 +3:31 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Celtic 2, Ajax 1. Lasse Schöne (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Thulani Serero.

90:00 +1:09

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by James Forrest.

90:00 +0:40

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Efe Ambrose.

90:00 +0:15 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Amido Baldé replaces Teemu Pukki.

89:47

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Charlie Mulgrew.

89:43

Attempt saved. Lasse Schöne (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Thulani Serero.

88:19

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

88:02

Delay in match Thulani Serero (Ajax) because of an injury.

87:14 Dismissal

Dismissal Nir Biton (Celtic) is shown the red card for a bad foul.

87:09

Thulani Serero (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

87:09

Foul by Nir Biton (Celtic).

85:35

Attempt saved. Daley Blind (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lucas Andersen.

85:07

Lesley de Sa (Ajax) wins a free kick on the right wing.

85:07

Foul by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).

83:29

Offside, Ajax. Nicolai Boilesen tries a through ball, but Kolbeinn Sigthorsson is caught offside.

83:05

Siem de Jong (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

83:05

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).

82:37

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Siem de Jong.

81:54

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Joël Veltman.

80:46

Nicolai Boilesen (Ajax) wins a free kick on the left wing.

80:46

Foul by James Forrest (Celtic).

79:56 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Ajax. Lasse Schöne replaces Ricardo van Rhijn.

78:27

Attempt missed. Thulani Serero (Ajax) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.

77:53

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

77:28

Delay in match Georgios Samaras (Celtic) because of an injury.

77:04

Attempt blocked. Siem de Jong (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

76:49 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Nir Biton replaces Mikael Lustig.

75:34

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

75:34

Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).

74:33

Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

74:33

Foul by Georgios Samaras (Celtic).

71:14 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Ajax. Lesley de Sa replaces Viktor Fischer.

70:23

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Stefano Denswil.

70:19

Attempt blocked. Efe Ambrose (Celtic) header from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Charlie Mulgrew with a cross.

70:03 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Joe Ledley replaces Beram Kayal.

69:18

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Nicolai Boilesen.

68:39

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Nicolai Boilesen.

67:27

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.

66:58 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Ajax. Nicolai Boilesen replaces Christian Poulsen.

66:44

Attempt missed. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Siem de Jong.

66:25

Attempt saved. Beram Kayal (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Virgil van Dijk.

65:22

Attempt missed. Siem de Jong (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Daley Blind.

64:34

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

64:34

Foul by Beram Kayal (Celtic).

63:05

Attempt blocked. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Siem de Jong.

61:21

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Georgios Samaras.

60:06

Stefano Denswil (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

60:06

Foul by Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic).

59:02

Attempt saved. Beram Kayal (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Emilio Izaguirre.

55:51

Attempt missed. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.

55:48

Attempt missed. Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.

55:30

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Beram Kayal.

55:01

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Beram Kayal.

54:58

Attempt blocked. Viktor Fischer (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

53:00 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Celtic 2, Ajax 0. Beram Kayal (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.

52:58

Attempt blocked. Georgios Samaras (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Beram Kayal.

52:08

Attempt saved. Thulani Serero (Ajax) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.

50:11

Attempt missed. Anthony Stokes (Celtic) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Charlie Mulgrew with a cross following a set piece situation.

49:20

Foul by Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax).

49:20

Georgios Samaras (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.

45:21

Joël Veltman (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

45:21

Foul by Teemu Pukki (Celtic).

45:00

Second Half begins Celtic 1, Ajax 0.

45:00 +1:00 Half time

Half Time First Half ends, Celtic 1, Ajax 0.

44:10 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Celtic 1, Ajax 0. James Forrest (Celtic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.

43:54 Booking

Booking Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.

43:25 Booking

Booking Christian Poulsen (Ajax) is shown the yellow card.

42:35 Booking

Booking Joël Veltman (Ajax) is shown the yellow card.

42:11

Penalty conceded by Stefano Denswil (Ajax) after a foul in the penalty area.

42:11

Penalty Celtic. Anthony Stokes draws a foul in the penalty area.

41:31

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jasper Cillessen.

40:46

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Joël Veltman.

38:21

Attempt missed. Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the right. Assisted by Charlie Mulgrew.

35:19

Jasper Cillessen (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

35:19

Foul by Anthony Stokes (Celtic).

34:23

Lucas Andersen (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

34:23

Foul by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).

32:33

Attempt blocked. James Forrest (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Virgil van Dijk.

31:46

Foul by Christian Poulsen (Ajax).

31:46

Teemu Pukki (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.

29:44

Offside, Ajax. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson tries a through ball, but Siem de Jong is caught offside.

28:58

Christian Poulsen (Ajax) hits the left post with a left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left following a set piece situation.

28:12

Siem de Jong (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

28:12

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).

26:34

Attempt blocked. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Viktor Fischer.

25:51

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Mikael Lustig.

24:17

Lucas Andersen (Ajax) wins a free kick on the right wing.

24:17

Foul by Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic).

22:42

Offside, Celtic. Anthony Stokes tries a through ball, but Teemu Pukki is caught offside.

19:26

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.

18:08

Attempt missed. Viktor Fischer (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Lucas Andersen.

17:02

Viktor Fischer (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

17:02

Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).

15:48

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ricardo van Rhijn.

12:31

Attempt missed. Teemu Pukki (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mikael Lustig with a cross.

8:22

Joël Veltman (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

8:22

Foul by Teemu Pukki (Celtic).

3:48

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Joël Veltman.

0:00

First Half begins.

0:00

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

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