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Dedryck Boyata grabbed his second goal since signing for Celtic with a late header

Boyata with late goal for Celtic

Second leg in Azerbaijan next Wednesday

Dedryck Boyata kept Celtic's Champions League hopes on track with a late winner against Qarabag.

Celtic had a frustrating night in the third qualifying round first leg with Gary Mackay-Steven's fumbled shot the only one on target in the first half.

The Azerbaijani champions were no easier to contend with in the second half, though goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic's stunning save denied Virgil van Dijk.

However, Kris Commons' cross found Boyata, who headed in from six yards.

A fractious night at Celtic Park but a precious victory, and a clean sheet, for Ronny Deila's team in this Champions League third qualifying round tie, ahead of next Wednesday's second leg.

In the days before this match, Celtic made big play of the respect they had for the visitors, citing their impressive results in the Europa League last season and reminding their supporters that this tie could be an almighty grind.

And a grind it was. Qarabag created little or nothing but in their pursuit of a cushion, Celtic toiled in the opening half.

There was a lack of accuracy in their play, a lack of wit to cut open a visiting defence that was cool for the most part. Save for a tame Mackay-Steven shot and a snappy Richard Almeida free-kick that rebounded off Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon to safety, there was precious little to excite.

Qarabag looked comfortable at the back. Fearless, even. More than once they played intricate passing in their own penalty area where others might have panicked. Their ease was a polar opposite to the anxiety of the home support - big in number and big in angst.

It was another frustrating night in front of goal for Nadir Ciftci

That mood was only added to in the minutes before Boyata freed them from their footballing purgatory.

Celtic carved out decent openings early in the second half, two of them falling to Nadir Ciftci and both of them missed.

The first a header that flashed wide of Ibrahim Sehic's goal and the second thumped straight down the goalkeeper's throat.

Midway through the half, Van Dijk thumped a magnificent header on Qarabag's goal only to see Sehic make a save from the Gods. Soon after, the Dutchman lashed a shot over Sehic's crossbar.

Deila emptied his bench in search of inspiration. James Forrest came on for the hushed Stuart Armstrong. In a statement of intent, Leigh Griffiths, a striker, replaced Nir Biton, a holding midfielder. Then Commons appeared in place of Ciftci.

And it was Commons' delivery that finally unlocked Qarabag. When Boyata stole in ahead of Sehic to score it released a pressure valve inside Celtic Park.

In the process, it gave his team a vital lead on the tortuous journey to the white heat of Baku next week.

A crowd of 43,011 descended on Celtic Park for the third qualifying round tie

Celtic's Stefan Johansen (right) tackles Gara Garayev

Sehic denied Van Dijk with a fine save

Boyata (left) headed Celtic into the lead late on