Lewis Morgan knows the effects of Celtic’s Europa League defeat to RB Leipzig cannot linger as they prepare for a keenly-awaited Betfred Cup semi-final against Hearts on Sunday.
The 22-year-old former St Mirren attacker made his first start for the Parkhead club in the Red Bull Arena on Thursday night.
First-half goals from Matheus Cunha and fellow attacker Bruma gave the home side a 2-0 win which dented the Hoops’ hopes of getting out of Group B.
The Scottish champions, whose boss Brendan Rodgers had to field a makeshift side due to injuries and suspension, were left on three points from nine to sit behind leaders Salzburg and the Bundesliga side.
Ahead of the trip to Murrayfield, the Scotland international said: “Sunday is obviously something that we are all looking forward to now.
“We will learn from the RB Leipzig game, we will analyse it and will look forward to the weekend now.
“The games come thick and fast so you can’t dwell on a defeat too long.
“Obviously the end result was disappointing. I think we probably had control of the game in the first 30 minutes
“We’ve done exactly as the manager had asked and took the game to them and they changed formation.
“But it was that 15-minute period at the end of the first half which obviously cost us.
“The goal took the sting out of us a little bit, maybe we should have seen that out a bit better until half-time.
“We created a big chance early on and if that goes in obviously it is a different game.
“We had a couple of chances on the night and we need to take one of them at this level. You see that you will get punished by teams.”
Morgan, who arrived at the Parkhead club in the summer after a loan spell back at his former club, spoke confidently when asked if Celtic could beat the Bundesliga outfit in the return game in Glasgow next month.
“Oh yeah, of course,” he said.
“Of course we respect the fact that they are a big club and are doing well and they have got some top players.
“But we showed enough, in that first-half especially, that we need to believe that we can get a result at home. We had chances.
“They are going to be a strong team at home but a European night at Celtic Park – I am sure we can get a positive result.
“It is always going to be difficult away from home in Europe and when we create those chances, they are ones that we do really need to take.
“It could have been a different game but by the same token there are positives we can take from it.”
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