Irish duo on target in Celtic’s Champions League win – Liam Scales: ‘A win like that in the Champions League doesn't come often, so we're buzzing’

• Macdara Ferris
• Wed, Sep 18 2024




Goals from Irish internationals Liam Scales and Adam Idah helped Celtic crush Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in Glasgow in their opening game of the Champions League.

It was the Bhoys' biggest winning margin in the group stage/league stage of the competition. The victory is a brilliant start for the Hoops in the new look Champions League format where nine points from the eight league stage games will most likely earn qualification to the knock-out phase.

Scales scored the opener in the 17^th minute becoming the first Irish international to score in the competition since a Darren Gibson goal for Manchester United in 2011.

Having waited 13 years for such an Irish goal, less than an hour later his Ireland teammate Adam Idah came off the bench to slot home the fifth goal for Celtic.

UEFA awarded the player of the match award to Scales who had 93% pass completion rate.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, the Wicklowman said: “It was amazing: the result, first and foremost, is brilliant. A win like that in the Champions League doesn't come often, so we're buzzing. Personally, I'm delighted to get the goal.

“Every game is tough in this competition but we want to really have a go this season. We're all more experienced now from previous wins and we want to pick up goals wherever we can.

"The (new) format gives us more games, more chances to win and play at home. The fans feel that; we felt that they were confident.” 

In Wednesday’s other matches, Manchester City were held to a scoreless draw at home by Inter Milan in a replay of the 2023 final. PSG beat Girona 1-0 thanks to a late goalkeeper own goal by Paulo Gazzaniga and Borussia Dortmund won 3-0 away to Club Brugge thanks to a brace from Jamie Gittens and a Sehrou Guirassy penalty.

Sparta Prague won 3-0 at home to Salzburg, while Bologna and Shakhtar played out a goalless stalemate.