SOCCER: Celtic 2 FC Utrecht 0 :GOALS FROM Efrain Juarez and Georgios Samaras allowed Celtic take a step closer to the group stages of the Europa League at Celtic Park last night.

With the disappointment of their Champions League qualifying defeat to Braga still fresh in the memory, the home side were well aware a positive reaction was required against the Dutch side.

Juarez, who also netted against Braga at Parkhead, is clearly enjoying the European nights and bagged the opener, before Samaras added a second to put Celtic in the driving seat.

Celtic could have claimed an early advantage when Marc-Antoine Fortune raced past Mihai Nesu on the right flank before whipping a cross to the feet of Scott Brown only for the captain to rifle wide.

The breakthrough came after 19 minutes when the impressive Beram Kayal supplied a lovely deep pass, which Samaras dummied and allowed to run on for Juarez, who fired high into the back of the Utrecht net.

Celtic were celebrating again when they doubled their advantage with 34 minutes gone. Cha Du-Ri was the supplier, picking out Samaras and the striker gratefully fired home.

The visitors knew an away goal would help keep the tie alive and they almost pulled one back on the hour when a looping header from substitute Edouard Duplan was touched over the crossbar by Lukasz Zaluska.

CELTIC:Zaluska, Cha, Majstorovic, Loovens, Ledley, Kayal (Forrest 69 mins), Brown, Juarez, Fortune, Samaras, Maloney. Subs Not Used: Cervi, Ki, McCourt, Murphy, Towell, Conroy. Booked: Samaras, Maloney.

UTRECHT:Vorm, Cornelisse, Asare, Nesu, Schut, Silberbauer, Wuytens, Lensky (Nijholt 82 mins), Mertens, Mulenga (Duplan 17 mins), van Wolfswinkel. Subs Not Used: Sinouh, Oar, Van Der Maarel, Maguire, Keller. Booked: Lensky, Nijholt.

Referee:S Moen (Norway).