Ronny Deila believes a breakthrough goal will get Nadir Ciftci’s Celtic career up and running.
The £1.5 million summer signing from Dundee United was again preferred to last season’s top scorer Leigh Griffiths for the second-leg of the Hoops’ Champions League qualifier against Stjarnan on Wednesday night.
Ciftci was substituted in his debut at Celtic Park last week in the 2-0 win over the Icelandic part-timers.
And the 23-year-old made way for Tom Rogic at the Samsung Vollurinn stadium in the 4-1 win which took the Scottish champions into the third qualifier on a 6-1 aggregate where they meet Azerbaijan champions Qarabag, with the first game in Glasgow next week.
Griffiths, who scored a hat-trick in the weekend’s friendly win over Eibar in Spain, came off the bench to grab the third goal with two minutes remaining to remind Deila of his talents.
However, with only two competitive games played, Deila is relaxed about Ciftci who is banned for the first six games of the domestic season after being found guilty of biting Dundee’s Jim McAlister on the final day of last season and positive about his striking options.
The Parkhead boss said: “We win and lose together as a team, he (Griffiths) come on and did well and we won the game. Nadir had his chances, he needs to just put the ball into the net now.
“It is important to get the first one and then he will get more.
“It will come. He started training later than the others so he needs a little bit more time than the rest. But I have a good problem up front.”
Midfielder Nir Bitton, who levelled Olafur Karl Finsen’s shock opener before goals from Charlie Mulgrew, Griffiths and Stefan Johansen gave the visitors a comprehensive win, is looking forward to a trip into the unknown in the next round.
“I have never been there, and so it will be the first time for me,” said Bitton.
“It will be a difficult game as there are no easy games at this stage.
“We have to do our best to go through to the play-offs and that’s what we want to do. The most important thing is the Champions League and everyone at the club wants to get there.”