CELTIC overcame the shock of losing an early goal to hammer FC Stjarnan and clinch a place against Qarabag of Azerbaijan in the Champions League third qualifying round.

Ronny Deila's side – 2-0 up from last week's first leg at Parkhead – were stunned when Olafur Karl Finsen fired a seventh-minute opener past Craig Gordon.

The Scottish champions thought they were back on level terms in the 22nd minute, but Dedryck Boyata was ruled offside after goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen spilled a Stefan Johansen effort.

However, after concerted pressure from the Hoops, Nir Bitton levelled when he headed home a Johansen corner in the 34th minute to give his side a 3-1 aggregate lead.

It remained 1-1 at the interval, but just four minutes into the second half, Charlie Mulgrew drove a low shot into the net, and that brought a huge sign of relief to the Celtic bench as, at 4-1 ahead on aggregate, they were out of reach of the Icelanders.

Substitute Leigh Griffiths fired home a late goal to make it 3-1 on the night and Johansen completed the scoring in stoppage time.

The first leg against Qarabag – who won 1-0 at Rudar Pljevlja – will go ahead at Parkhead next Wednesday night.

Stjarnan: Nielsen, Aegisson, Daniel Laxdal, Gudjonsson,Arnason, Thorri Runarsson (Gunnarson 58), Praest, Punyed, Bjorgvinsson (Halldor Bjornsson 46), Hansen (Barddal 80), Finsen. Subs Not Used: Svinn Johannesson ,Johann Laxdal, Atli Palsson, Knutsson.
Booked: Gudjonsson.


Celtic: Gordon, Lustig (Ambrose 52), Van Dijk, Boyata, Mulgrew, Bitton, Brown, Armstrong (Griffiths 62), Johansen, Mackay-Steven, Ciftci (Rogic 81). Subs Not Used: Bailly, Izaguirre, Stokes, Forrest.

Att: 1,000
Ref: Jonathan Lardot (Belgium).