Celtic secured a crucial 1-1 draw against FC Astana in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie in Kazakhstan, with manager Brendan Rodgers praising his side's resilience.
Astana took the lead in the 19th minute when defender Yuri Logvinenko headed home from a corner at the noisy Astana Arena. The Kazakh champions dominated much of the first half, putting Celtic under heavy pressure.
The equaliser came in the 78th minute when Leigh Griffiths drilled a shot from the edge of the box, stunning the home side. Rodgers said: 'It was an outstanding result for us. Collectively the mentality was the most pleasing thing.'
Rodgers singled out 20-year-old Irish centre-back Eoghan O'Connell, making his European debut on an artificial surface, for praise. 'I thought he was outstanding. For a young player, he had very few mistakes in the game,' Rodgers said.
However, set-piece defending remains a concern. Rodgers acknowledged: 'I think there has been an issue there with set-pieces, long before I came in. We have lost the man too easy.'
Astana coach Stanimir Stoilov admitted his side must improve for the return leg in Glasgow. 'We will try our best when we go to Glasgow and hopefully we will have a very good spirit over there,' he said.
