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Bericht Celtic HP
Birthday Bhoys beat the best team in the world
November 7, 2012
UEFA Champions League
Celtic Park
CELTIC 2
(Wanyama 21, Watt 83)
BARCELONA 1
(Messi 90+1)
THE day after Celtic celebrated their 125th anniversary, Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt wrote another page into the club´s history books, scoring the goals which beat Barcelona 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League.
After an outstanding performance for 94 minutes, the Hoops kept the greatest team in the world at bay, and even an injury-time strike by Lionel Messi wasn’t enough to stop them taking all three points.
It was one of the most incredible European nights ever seen at Paradise, and one of the most stunning results in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
Neil Lennon made four changes to the side which drew with Dundee United at the weekend. Scott Brown missed out through illness while Thomas Rogne and Emilio Izaguirre were ruled out because of injury. Watt dropped to the bench as Mikael Lustig, Efe Ambrose, Georgios Samaras and Miku came into the starting XI.
And after a magnificent stadium display celebrating the 125th anniversary, Barcelona got the game underway amid an electric atmosphere. It took a while for the game to settle, with play sweeping frantically from end to end, but neither side troubled the goalkeeper in the opening stages.
Celtic put Barcelona under pressure on 20 minutes when Wanyama made a break through the centre of the pitch and even though possession was lost, he won it back excellently just seconds later.
Teaming up with Ambrose, the defender won the Hoops a corner and from it they took the lead. Charlie Mulgrew swung it to the back post, and jumping above everyone, Wanyama, the stand-out performer of the opening period, headed it into the back of the net.
And as if the atmosphere wasn´t thunderous enough, Paradise erupted, and continued to be a cauldron of noise as the match got back underway.
Celtic continued to push forward, and came within inches of doubling their advantage six minutes later. From the left flank Adam Matthews played the ball through to Samaras, who had beat the offside trap, but Victor Valdes intercepted the cross before the Greek could slot it into the net.
Barcelona were keen to respond quickly and looked confident moving forward. Lionel Messi cracked an effort off the bar on the half-hour mark, but Fraser Forster looked to have got his fingertips to it, and did well to save the shot.
With the visitors continuing to put pressure on Celtic, they hit the woodwork again, this time through Alexis when he met Dani Alves´ ball, and sent it crashing off the far post. It was the last real chance on target inside the first-half, though, and the Hoops went into the break enjoying the one goal lead.
Barcelona came out strong in the second period and won a string of corners, but good defending, especially from Matthews, kept them at bay. And on the hour mark Forster continued the good work with a double save, keeping Alexis out with hands and then his legs.
Celtic had the chance to extend their advantage on 64 minutes when Mulgrew took advantage of a defensive mix-up and found himself in space, but he couldn’t get the final touch and bundle the ball past Valdes.
Forster continued excel at the opposite end of the pitch, and pulled off a series of world-class saves to deny the Catalan giants. They responded by bringing on World Cup winners David Villa, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique but they still couldn’t break Celtic down.
And it was another Forster´s outstanding block, and clearance, which set up Celtic´s second. The ball forward deceived Xavi and with a blistering run into the box, substitute Watt became a hero as coolly slotted the ball past Valdes to make it 2-0.
There was only seven minutes left to play but Celtic Park was already in party mode, raising the roof with their celebrations.
Four minutes of stoppage were added, and in typical Barca style they weaved their way through Celtic and completed a sublime passing display with a goal. Messi latched on to the loose ball after another great Forster save, and made it a nervy end for the home support.
But it was too little too late for Barcelona and a momentous victory was sealed for Neil Lennon´s side. The whole of football will have been impressed.
CELTIC (4-4-1-1): Forster; Lustig (Watt 70), Ambrose, Wilson, Matthews; Commons, Wanyama, Ledley, Mulgrew; Miku; Samaras (Kayal 78)
Subs not used: Zaluska, McCourt, Herron, Fraser
BARCELONA (4-1-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Bartra (Pique 70), Mascherano, Alba; Song (Fabregas 70); Xavi, Iniesta; Pedro (Villa 65), Messi, Alexis
Subs not used: pinto, Montoya, Dos Santos, Tello
Men of the Match:
The Celtic team