A MALMO side which spent the build-up to the second leg of their Champions League play-off against Celtic bad-mouthing their opponents proved they could play as well as talk a good game.

The Swedish champions progressed to the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition for the second year in a row after producing a solid team performance and comfortably seeing off their Scottish counterparts.

Ronny Deila and his charges were rightly aggrieved to have a legitimate first-half goal dis- allowed by Serbian referee Milorad Mazic after the Malmo defender Kari Arnason had clearly handled inside his own penalty area.

If a spot kick had been awarded, as it should have been, or if the subsequent Nir Bitton strike had been allowed to stand, the final outcome of the game could have been different. But it was highly unlikely.

Age Hareide’s side, trailing 3-2 after the first leg six days earlier, dominated the 90 minutes. A first-half effort from their captain Markus Rosenberg and a second-half Felipe Carvalho strike – later given by Uefa as an own goal by Dedryck Boyata – turned the tie around and saw them win 4-3 on aggregate.

It was the third time a side managed by Deila has exited the Champions League before the group stage in his eventful 14-month tenure. It was, given the lead they had held and the high hopes they had harboured going into the game, by far the most painful.

A triumph would have banked Celtic in the region of £20m and seen them pitted against the cream of the continent. Instead they will have to contend with the Europa League once again. But it was all their display deserved.

Deila had some big calls to make in his team selection before kick-off.

Did he field Emilio Izaguirre given his propensity for getting caught out of position at this level?

Or did he bring in the more defensively sound Charlie Mulgrew at left back?

With Mikael Lustig ruled out due to a hamstring injury sustained in the first leg, who did he put his faith in on the other side of the defence?

The young and inexperienced Saidy Janko? Or the erratic Efe Ambrose? Probably correctly, he opted for both Mulgrew and Janko.

Virgil van Dijk took his place alongside Dedryck Boyata in the centre of the backline, as his manager had promised he would, despite his longed-for move to Barclays Premier League club Southampton being in the offing.

With so much at stake, there will have been no great need for Deila to fire up his Celtic players with a rousing team talk prior to kick-off.

The derogatory comments made by several of the Malmo players, though, added a definite edge to this encounter. They had been described as “childish” and even “pigs” in the aftermath of the first leg.

Leigh Griffiths was described as a “brat” by goalkeeper Johan Wiland. Even Hareide had waded into the phoney war with a jibe about the fitness levels of the Celtic players after they conceded an injury-time goal in Glasgow.

The Malmo Ultras had packed out one end of the 24,000-capacity arena long before kick-off and gave the visitors a hostile reception as they took to the field to warm-up. One banner read “Fear The Berget”.

Having conceded two goals to Jo Inge Berget, who spent the first half of last season on loan at Celtic Park, the visitors needed no reminding.

Yet, once again the Norwegian caused his former club problems. He was given freedom to roam by his manager and tried his luck early on.

His shot on goal in the third minute was reminiscent of his first strike six days earlier and was the first of many attempts his side would have during the course of the game.

Janko fared better than many of his more seasoned team-mates and set up a decent chance for Griffiths after 13 minutes after shelling a high ball down the right flank.

His team-mate managed to outsprint his markers and claim possession before getting a shot away which ended up in the side netting.

The opening goal after 23 minutes, though, was very much with the run of play.

The Celtic players will wince when they watch the replays back.

Markus Rosenberg was allowed to ghost into the six yard box completely unchallenged and turn a Yoshimar Yotun corner into the goal.

Tensions were soon running high. Van Dijk was booked by the match official for stupidly kicking the ball away at a Malmo goal-kick before Griffiths was also cautioned for shoving Anton Tinnnerholm in a needless challenge.

The goal they had chalked off further incensed the Celtic players. James Forrest whipped a corner in and former Aberdeen defender Arnason clearly handled with an outstretched arm as he jumped with Bitton.

One of the officials should have spotted the infringement and awarded a penalty.

However, no decision was forthcoming and Bitton bundled the ball into the net from close range through a melee of bodies only for his effort to be chalked off with the distraught Celtic players and their supporters mystified.

Gordon had perhaps been culpable at the Rosenberg goal. But he then he atoned for it shortly before half-time by producing an outstanding reaction save. He palmed a Nikola Djuurdjic attempt over with an instinctive one-handed effort.

Celtic, who replaced Stuart Armstrong with Kris Commons at half-time, had the Scotland No.1 to thank for preventing them from falling further behind when he produced a double save in the 54th minute, denying Rodic and Rosenberg in rapid succession.

But Malmo forged further in front from the corner Gordon conceded. Carvalho turned the ball into the net, although it had already ricocheted off Boyata and behind the line after Celtic failed to clear their lines.

Deila brought on Nadir Ciftci and played with two up front. But the changes made no difference.