Nicolas Kuhn came off the bench to inspire an emphatic comeback as Celtic beat Falkirk 5-2 in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals.
The William Hill Championship’s top side deservedly led at the break after Ross MacIver and Finn Yeats twice gave them the lead either side of Paulo Bernardo’s powerful strike for a much-changed Celtic team.
Kuhn was one of four substitutes to enter on the hour mark and he twice set up Adam Idah for a quickfire double to turn the game on its head before the German winger netted twice himself.
The scoreline was harsh on a Falkirk side who arguably posed Celtic their toughest challenge of the season before the final 20 minutes.
The game pitted Brendan Rodgers against a former member of his backroom team from his first spell at Celtic Park, John McGlynn.
The former Hearts manager has led Falkirk on a 43-game unbeaten league run which has taken them from League One to the top of the Championship following five wins from five this season. The Bairns had knocked out Hearts in the previous round.
Rodgers made eight changes following Wednesday’s 5-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava as Alex Valle made his debut and former Sheffield United centre-back Auston Trusty was handed his first start.
On-loan Barcelona left-back Valle delivered an assist but was outmuscled before both Falkirk goals.
Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers missed out through injury and the only players to retain their places were Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and former Falkirk player Kasper Schmeichel.
Bernardo was full of energy in the opening stages and he set up James Forrest for an early curling effort which drew a fingertip save from Nicky Hogarth.
The visitors were not overawed though and were playing the ball around with confidence from the back.
They took the lead in the 11th minute. Valle could only head Dylan Tait’s diagonal ball to the feet of MacIver before being knocked off balance by Alfie Agyeman. MacIver fired a powerful shot from 22 yards which beat Schmeichel.
Celtic levelled 10 minutes later when Valle headed Hatate’s lofted pass back to Bernardo, who powered a first-time volley into the roof of the net.
The hosts could not build on their goal though. Yeats volleyed wide and former Celtic midfielder Calvin Miller forced a save before the Bairns shocked Celtic Park again in stoppage time.
Valle went down in a heap as he tried to jockey Agyeman and the wide player crossed for Yeats to supply a perfect headed finish. There was a lengthy VAR check but for offside and the goal stood.
Rodgers retained faith in his starting line-up but there was little sign that Celtic could break through an organised Falkirk side and the Celtic manager brought on Kuhn, Arne Engels, Greg Taylor and Yang Hyun-jun, while the Bairns lost both goalscorers to injury.
Yang forced a save and the equaliser came in the 70th minute. Anthony Ralston played Kuhn into the left channel following a short corner and the winger drove the ball across the six-yard line for Idah to tap home.
Kuhn won the ball back within four seconds of the restart before setting up Idah, who burst between two challenges and slotted home.
Kuhn then produced a delightful finish following an Engels through ball in the 81st minute before drilling home a first-time strike from 22 yards three minutes later.
There was a further blow for Falkirk in the last minute when substitute Michael McKenna was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Ralston.