Celtic cruised into the Champions League third qualifying round after a comfortable 4-0 win over Linfield at Celtic Park. A double from Scott Sinclair and further goals from Tom Rogic and substitute Stuart Armstrong saw the Bhoys set up a tie with Norwegian side Rosenberg.
Celtic were out of the blocks much quicker and took the lead inside only four minutes as after some nice play from the home side debutant Oliver Ntcham tried his luck before his effort deflected off a Blues defender to find its way to the potent Sinclair and he made no mistake in firing the ball past Roy Carroll.
On twenty minutes the next chance of note came about as Celtic were close to doubling their lead when Sinclair played in Moussa Dembele but his rasping effort was well kept out by Carroll as he pushed the ball away to safety.
Four minutes later more Sinclair wizardry down the wing saw him cross for Dembele but he flicked his header just wide of the target when he really should have done much better.
On a rain soaked pitch the ball was moving so quick and to the Scottish champions advantage as Tom Rogic a key figure in last season’s unbeaten domestic treble team tried his luck from range the ball sliding of the greasy surface and just wide of Carroll’s goal.
Sinclair should have added his second on thirty-three minutes as he skipped past Chris Casement like he wasn’t there before he dinked a shot just wide at the far post with Carroll beaten all ends up.
Three minutes later Dembele who scored 17 goals last season should have had his name on the scoresheet when he latched on to a Kieran Tierney through ball but was denied by a superb last-ditch tackle from Mark Stafford.
Linfield’s first chance arrived on forty-one minutes from a Stephen Lowry freekick as his whipped in cross caused havoc in the Celtic area the ball nearly finding its way to Andrew Waterworth before eventually it was swept clear by Dembele.
On the stroke of half-time Celtic could have doubled their advantage as Rogic hit a low effort just wide after he Tierney had beaten two Linfield challenges.
The second half was only two minutes old before Celtic doubled their lead through their very own wizard of Oz Rogic as he found the back of the Irish League sides net with a trademark right foot shot from the edge of the area.
It was to be three only a matter of minutes later as Sinclair grabbed his second as he made his way into the penalty area before firing into the top corner out of Carroll’s reach as the Blues failed to clear their lines the ball deflecting of captain Jamie Mulgrew into the path of the Englishman.
Sinclair was running the show and he could have had the match ball secured on sixty-four minutes as he was denied by what can only be described as a world class save from Carroll as the former Manchester United stopper pushed his effort onto the crossbar.
Celtic were close to their fourth on seventy-three minutes as Johnny Hayes hit a sweet strike from twenty yards out before Carroll had to be alert once again to tip the ball over the top to deny the Irishman a home debut goal.
Rogic could have doubled his goal tally with ten minutes remaining when Dembele pulled the ball back to the midfielder before he lashed his shot at goal resulting in yet another fine Carroll save.
David Healy’s side nearly pulled back a late consolation goal as Mark Stafford who had a terrific evening connected well with an overhead kick but the ball just looped over Craig Gordons goal.
The scoring was complete however in the final minute of the game as Stuart Armstrong fired in after Rogic had danced around the static Linfield defence.