Celtic have secured a lead in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round with a 2-1 victory over HJK Helsinki.
In a tense first half, Celtic enjoyed the majority of the possession but found it difficult to create clear opportunities for their attacking players, with the Finnish side's defence remaining stubborn.
James Forrest could have put the hosts ahead but his header was off target and Helsinki survived until the interval.
Celtic were immediately punished for a slow start to the second half as Helsinki took a surprise lead in Glasgow when Rasmus Schuller beat Fraser Forster at the second attempt.
However, Neil Lennon's side were only behind for seven minutes as Georgios Samaras produced an accurate cross for Gary Hooper, with the striker making no mistake from close range.
Celtic found the lead that their domination deserved in the 60th minute when Charlie Mulgrew took advantage of a mistake from the Helsinki goalkeeper to delight the Scottish crowd.
The Bhoys continued to look for more goals in the latter stages of the contest but were left frustrated at the final whistle and will take a slender lead to Finland.
Callum Mulvihill
