Match Pictures | Matches 2002-2003 | Road to Seville

Celtic Games - UEFA Cup 2003

Estadio Balaidos, Vigo, Spain Third Round, 2nd Leg

Quick Review

We lost this leg, but still managed to go through. Not the most pleasant team of players we've ever played against, but we're through and that's all that matters.

Teams

Celta Vigo:
Pinto, Caceres, Berizzo, Mendez (Vagner, 60), Juanfran, Edu, Jose Ignacio, Lopez, Luccin, McCarthy, Jesuli
Unused Subs: Cavallero, Silvinho, Giovanella, Jandro, Coira, Coudet
Booked: McCarthy, Caceres

Celtic:
Douglas, Agathe, Valgaeren, Balde, Laursen,
Petrov, Lennon (Lambert, 56), Thompson,
Larsson, Sutton, Hartson (McNamara, 62)
Unused Subs: Gould, Guppy, Maloney, Fernandez, Sylla
Booked: Hartson, Valgaeren

Scorers:
Jesuli (23) - Celta 1-0
Hartson (37) - Celtic 1-1
McCarthy (55( - Celta 2-1

Attendance: 26,000

Referee: Claus Bo-Larsen (Denmark)

Match Review

To say it was nervy doesn’t nearly do it justice. At times, watching this match unfold was a physically painful experience. However, for those with hearts strong enough to withstand it all, there came a reward for enduring 90 minutes of almost uninterrupted torture. Indeed, while this UEFA Cup tie was intensely frustrating at times, Celtic were, in the main, ‘astonishingly brilliant’. They certainly advance to the fourth round of the UEFA Cup very much on merit, creating history in the process by progressing at the expense of Spanish opposition.

Few were expecting radical changes from the team that were edged out at Ibrox on Saturday, and they weren’t surprised. Rather, Martin O’Neill chose merely to tinker, including Alan Thompson at the expense of Steve Guppy in his starting XI.

And, against a Galician side weakened considerably by the absence of talismanic midfielder Alexander Mostovoi and the prolific Catanha, the Hoops began brightly, forcing a succession of half-chances inside the opening 10 minutes. The best of these arrived in the fifth minute when, having stretched his legs to stride purposefully away from Juanfran, Didier Agathe measured a cut-back for Sutton, who, from 14 yards, should perhaps have done better than merely direct his shot off the legs of the covering Berizzo.

It was to prove a minor turning point for Celta, who, after spending the opening stages camped in their own half, began to show that it’s not by fluke that they’ve risen to third in Spain’s renowned Primera Liga. Indeed, the first signal of the danger which was to follow was posted when Caceras, their captain, returned towards goal a half-clearance by Laursen only to see the ball skid little more than a foot wide of the left-hand post.
However, undeterred and backed by a boisterous home support, Miguel Angel Lotina’s side continued to jab at holes in their visitors’ armoury and, with 22 minutes gone, very nearly drew blood.

Benni McCarthy, teasing and tormenting Bobo Balde, drifted in from the right flank before teeing up Jesuli for a right-foot snapshot, which certainly brought out the best in Robert Douglas. Celtic’s defence was creaking beneath the pressure of Celta’s incessant attacks and, just two minutes later, the same McCarthy-Jesuli combination linked once again, this time to deadly effect.It all stemmed from a short throw-in on the right which, having been worked to the feet of the South African internationalist, was then flicked on to Jesuli, who, having stepped inside his marker beautifully, then enjoyed a bit of luck when his left foot drive deflected into the net off the legs of Laursen.

It was a stunning blow to Celtic and, at this stage, they looked as good as dead in this tie. However, after weathering a subsequent storm of Celta attacks, the Bhoys began to broaden their horizons and plan attacks of their own. Sure enough, when the goal did finally come, nine minutes before the break, it was solely the result of the strength and physical presence of two of the aforementioned forwards. Credit first of all must go to Sutton for rising brilliantly to apply a textbook flick-on to Alan Thompson’s flighted free-kick. From then on, however, it was all about John Hartson, who, after using his backside to barge his marker out of the way, smashed a magnificent right-foot drive beyond the reach of an incensed Pinto.

It was a tremendous finish from the burly Weshman and, with the away goal they so craved now in the bag, the fear disappeared from Celtic’s game. Indeed, Balde was unfortunate not head them in front from another pinpoint Thompson cross as the half drew to a close. However, it was Celta who emerged from the interval the more potent attacking force and, having laid siege to the Hoops’ goal in the moments immediately after the re-start, they re-established their lead in the 53rd minute.

The inventive Gustavo Lopez claimed much of the credit, although Martin O’Neill will no doubt be asking why the Argentinian was not closed down quicker before he rifled in a cross that McCarthy somehow managed to divert home with a flick of his right boot.

For the 4,000-plus Celtic support inside the Estadio Balaidos, not to mention the countless thousands on the edge of their living room seats, it was to signal the start of a forty minute spell so nervy it hurt to watch it. Celta prodded, but O’Neill’s side appeared to be holding firm. They even created the odd opportunity of their own and, with 78 minutes played, Sutton might again have done better than blaze a left foot volley high over crossbar after an indecisive clearance from Pinto. Yet so nerve-ridden was the match at this stage that neither side appeared capable of retaining their composure long enough to mount a serious attack.However, it mattered not when the referee ended the mass biting of nails and tearing of hair with a final whistle which sounded sweeter than any in recent memory.

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Articles

• Celtic edge out Celta (BBC)

• O'Neill hails history-makers (BBC)