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Maeda salvages Celtic draw against Club Brugge / Photo: © AFP
NYSE - LSE
Maeda salvages Celtic draw against Club Brugge
Daizen Maeda's superb equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw for Celtic against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday and kept them on course for the knockout phase.
A disastrous own goal from Cameron Carter-Vickers handed Brugge a first-half lead in Glasgow, but a moment of inspiration from Maeda spared Celtic from a potentially damaging defeat.
Belgian champions Brugge were chasing successive wins over British sides after ending Aston Villa's perfect start to the competition, and twice went close through Ferran Jutgla and Andreas Skov Olsen.
The visitors struck in the 26th minute when Carter-Vickers passed the ball into an unguarded net after a misunderstanding with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel as Celtic tried to play their way out under Brugge's pressing.
Celtic, after home wins over Slovan Bratislava and RB Leipzig, were seeking another to push them closer to a first appearance in the knockout rounds since 2013.
Reo Hatate drilled narrowly wide early in the second half but it was his fellow Japan international Maeda who brought Celtic level on the hour.
After turning away from his marker inside the area, Maeda whipped a curling effort in off the far post for his third goal in the competition this season.
Brugge thought they had regained the lead with 20 minutes to play but Jutgla's strike was ruled out for a tight offside, with both teams currently in position to advance from the league phase.
Celtic are 20th in the 36-team standings on eight points, while Brugge are two places and one point behind.
P. O'Kelly--BTZ
