Celtic will take a 3-1 lead to Trondheim next week as they seek to see off Rosenborg and move into the third qualification round of the UEFA Champions League.

A brace from Odsonne Edouard with an impressive effort from Olivier Ntcham sandwiched in between enabled Brendan Rodgers' side to recover from a bracing start that saw them lose a 15th minute goal to Rosenborg's Birger Meling.

The two-goal advantage ought to be regarded as giving Celtic enough of a cushion to take into the second leg although there were indications again in the opening 45 minutes of this tie of the defensive fragility that can undermine the Parkhead side on these nights.

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Rodgers was forced to shuffle his favoured starting line up and in that opening period the performance looked out of kilter with the traditionally aggressive displays that Celtic have looked to produce under the helm of the 45-year-old.

If the Parkhead side thought they had their troubles going into this game, it was nothing to the dark thoughts they flirted with for a rocky spell in the opening 20 minutes or so. 

As Rosenborg took the lead with a swift and punishing counter-attack after Jack Hendry showed his inexperience by gifting possession deep inside Rosenbrog's half, there was a point when Celtic looked uneasy and tentative.

That defensive malaise seemed to seep through the team and create a fragility which Rosenborg, mired in a crisis of their own, looked capable of exploiting. And yet, from the moment the whistle went on the second period there was an immediate sense that Celtic had rolled up the sleeves and focused on getting to work.

As they focused on what they do best - attacking with pace and menace - they looked to tap into their strength as a way of negating their weakness at the back. It proved a successful strategy and they ought to have done enough now to have teed up a meeting with AEK Athens in the third qualifying stage.

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Given the injury issues at the club, it was Cristian Gamboa was drafted into right-back withHendry and Kristoffer Ajer forming a central defensive pairing and Kieran Tierney in his usual place on the left-hand side.

With no Moussa Dembele, it was Edouard who started up front on his own with support coming from the advancing Callum McGregor and Scott Sinclair.

Hendry looked uncomfortable against the cunning and experience of Nicklas Bendtner.

The game was still in its infancy when Hendry's  mistake allowed the Norwegians to exploit on the counter attack. Hendry looked as though he had done enough to get back and recover the situation but the pace with which the Norwegians moved the ball left Celtic’s patchwork defence vulnerable.

Mike Jensen fed the ball to Nicklas Bedntner and by the time he had played in Meling, there was a hush of anxiety within the stadium seconds before the low shot nestled in Craig Gordon’s goal.

If the response from the crowd was swift, Celtic’s answer almost came hard on its heels.

A McGregor corner was met by the head of Ajer but the defender couldn’t get enough power behind his effort to unnerve the visitors.

McGregor too had a low raking effort on goal as he tried to drag Celtic back into it but the best chance of all seemed to come when James Forrest, as he dodged a kick or two along the way, threaded an inviting ball to Ntcham inside the box.

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As the French midfielder turned to take the pass, he seemed be hauled back but Belgian referee Bert Vertenten waved all way all appeals from the Celtic players.

As Celtic struggled to find their fluency, they got the leveller they badly craved just before the break.

Scott Sinclair, back in the starting line-up and looking much more like the Sinclair from his first season at the club, set up Edouard who prodded a low effort into the net just before the break.

It gave Celtic a lift they badly needed as they headed into the dressing room. It was still evident as they re-emerged with Ntcham putting the Parkhead side in front for the first time in the game within a minute of the restart.

The French midfielder’s dragback on the edge of the box left Marius Lundemo on his backside before he unleashed a beautiful curling effort that found its way into the postage stamp top corner.

Having established a lead for the first time in the tie, Celtic started to play with more urgency and belief.

There was greater impetus than the opening half with the hosts looking far more menacing every time they went forward.

Having got their noses on front, Celtic went for more. McGregor clipped the post from distance after seeing Rosenborg goalkeeper Andre Hansen off his line while the stopper then had to get a hand to a Sinclair effort and claw the ball out of danger.

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Rosenborg brought on Alexander Soderlund whose first involvement was to go straight through Scott Brown and earn himself a booking. In another game he could quiet justifiably have been on the end of a red.

Ntcham tried a similar effort to the move which gave Celtic their second goal only to be denied when Hansen touched the ball onto the crossbar as the Rodgers’ side went all out to stretch their lead.

Inevitably, though, it came.

Forrest supplied Edouard who raced forward and as Hansen came off his line, he netted with an impudent chip that seemed to sum up the swagger he has brought to his game in these opening weeks of the season. 

Celtic will look to replicate that assurance next week in Trondheim.