Bayer Leverkusen qualified for the UEFA Europa League last 16 knockout stage as Group G winners, after Florian Wirtz orchestrated a topsy-turvy win over Celtic.

Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Celtic
Goals: 1-0 Andrich 16' (assist: Wirtz), 1-1 Juranovic (pen. 40'), 2-1 Jota 56' (assist: Kyogo), 2-2 Andrich 82' (assist: Amiri), 3-2 Diaby 87' (assist: Wirtz)

Celtic were outplayed in the reverse fixture, falling to a 4-0 defeat, and were on the back-foot for much of the first half at the BayArena. After Robert Andrich headed a Wirtz corner against the woodwork, the hosts were undone. The same duo combined from another set-piece to give Leverkusen a fully deserved lead, only for Celtic to hit back against the run of play through Josip Juranovic’s Panenka penalty. Bayer went desperately close to restoring their advantage on the stroke of half-time, though, with Moussa Diaby and Wirtz striking the crossbar in quick succession.

Leverkusen were desperately unlucky not to restore their lead nine minutes into the second half. Joe Hart stuck out a leg to deny Diaby’s curler, before scrambling across his line to thwart Amine Adli’s follow-up. Jota landed a sucker-punch to put Celtic in front, but Leverkusen stuck to their guns. Adli twice tested Hart, whose resistance was finally broken in the 82nd minute when Wirtz and substitute Nadiem Amiri set up Andrich for a thunderous finish. Diaby completed the comeback, the Frenchman volleying in the majestic Wirtz’s cross with three minutes of Leverkusen's penultimate Group G assignment remaining.

Match stats

• Leverkusen have never lost at home in the Europa League group stage, winning 12 of their 15 matches, including the last six, in which they have scored 23 goals.
• Only Lyon's Karl Toko Ekambi (six goals, two assists) has had a direct hand in more goals than Wirtz (three goals, three assists) in this season's Europa League.
• Andrich scored his third Europa League goal, and first brace of his senior career.
• Wirtz and Diaby head the Europa League assist charts after five rounds of fixtures.
• Jeremie Frimpong made 51 appearances in all competitions for Celtic, before moving to Leverkusen in January.
• Celtic have never won a UEFA fixture on German soil.

Line-ups

Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Frimpong, Kossounou, Tah, Hincapie (Sinkgraven 85') - Palacios, Andrich - Diaby, Wirtz, Paulinho (Amiri 75') - Adli
Unused subs: Lomb, Lunev, Retsos, Tapsoba, Gedikli
Out: Alario (calf), Aranguiz (calf), Bakker (ankle), Baumgartlinger (knee), Demirbay (unconfirmed), Fosu-Mensah (knee), Schick (ankle)
Coach: Gerardo Seoane

Celtic: Hart - Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Welsh, Juranovic - Bitton (McCarthy 76') - Turnbull, McGregor (c) - Forrest (Abada 72'), Furuhashi (Ajeti 76'), Jota (Johnston 72')
Unused subs: Bain, Oluwayemi, Scales, Soro, Urhoghide, Shaw, Murray, Montgomery
Out: Dembele (ankle), Giakoumakis (knee), Jullien (knee), Rogic (hamstring), Starfelt (hamstring), Taylor (shoulder)
Coach: Ange Postecoglou

As it happened!

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