Celtic had the better of the opening 30 minutes against an accomplished Atletico Madrid team in this evening’s Europa League clash but after losing what will be considered a bad goal from a defensive perspective, were corralled by the visitors, who were content to tighten the game and play on the break.
Arda Turan’s blistering shot from outside the box should have been blocked, but Beram Kayal won this season’s Regi Blinker European Endeavour award and ducked out of the way, only a few yards in front of the helpless Fraser Forster, who did well to get a hand on the ball but could not stop it.
Celtic were a goal behind after 3 minutes in the corresponding fixture in Madrid and should have been behind inside 60 seconds when Eduardo Salvio was gifted a free header from 6 yards but he failed to hit the target.
Celtic soon settled with Georgios Samaras again proving effective in a wide-left midfield role. Daniel Majstorovic headed a corner into the six yard box which Samaras knocked goal-wards but keeper Courtois blocked on the line.
Next Anthony Stokes found space on the left to cross for Samaras but he couldn’t keep his first-time shot from the edge of the area down as Celtic had Atletico on the back foot, however, the goal would settle the visitors and clearly spread some dissonance among the home team.
Neil Lennon lost Joe Ledley to a twisted ankle seven minutes from half time and changed tactics at half time when Victor Wanyama went off with a dead leg, sacrificing five in the middle for a 4-4-2 but chances were few in the second half as Atletico defended effectively.
Georgios Samaras, who ran tirelessly and threw himself into challenges with no shortage of bravery while playing with space to exploit on the left, looked uncomfortable in the latter part of the game when playing with Gary Hooper as a front pair.
Hooper had the ball in the net but was judged offside after Stokes knocked the ball onto him. Ki fired a 25-yard free-kick on target midway through the half forcing a fine save from Courtius before Fraser Forster made two excellent saves, one from a remarkable Diego free kick from a tight angle that was heading for the top corner and another when he stopped Juanfran.
Celtic laid siege to the Atletico goal for the final five minutes but could not find an opening.
Read CQN Magazine for free online here. Subscriptions to the online copy are discretionary but you can contribute here. Old-school hard copies are available here from Magcloud.
[calameo code=000390171e35a62410844 lang=en page=30 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
455 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- »
Hard luck bhoys
port glasgows green and white.
COME ON YOU BHOYS IN GREEN
coorslad is Neil Lennon says:
30 November, 2011 at 21:53
Hard luck bhoys
——-
ya bandit ye.
Too hard on an iphone
Back to the real business at the weekend..
phils gonna be ragin!!
….PFayr says:
30 November, 2011 at 21:51
I dont believe this, I think the key pads on my laptop have jumped around the keyboard because I have had to look for the following words together
PF Ayr, I agree with you 100%….!
That took me 10 minutes to type : )
Hail Hail
BTW PAOK have given an absolute master class of how you defend as a team.
Absolute master class – who goes, who stays, who covers when one goes – putting your body on the line, team 1st, it has had everything.
This is where Uefa and me now disagree (as a former defender) I think defensive units like that display today is as good an art as the best pass and move teams.
Thrilling to watch them work in sync without having to check over shoulders, shout at each other etc
Sammy was immense
as was Kayal
genuine class both
Should huv logged in earlier :-(
Laddy,first from a ipod sitting on the throne..
St Stivs,were im sitting now,you could say ‘bumbandit’
Hope the stadium manager asked the Police match commander if he had any complaints to make to the UEFA officials tonight?!!
St Stivs – I think you’ll find that Port Tesco is actually blue and white! ;-)
TTTT
Paul67
Pretty good summation. And about time Fraser forster got some credit for the very good season he’s having so far, he’s one of very few players who have performed consistently well
Night Bhoys. A joy as always. Lets do them at Mc dougie’s graveyard!! HaiL HaiL
Who are the vanguard bears?
Do they look after rangers players vehicles?
We couldn’t make clear chances in the final period as they defended well. James Forrest on the edge of the box was forced right across without being able to get a shot off in one attack.
Not sure if the Hooper flick was ruled out for offside or handball? The ref appeared to be signalling for the latter.
Coorslad
Masterful skill lol
Trying to do this and watch grand designs and pretend to listen to the other half at the same time
PWOUD.
VEWWY PWOUD.
VEWWY, VEWWY PWOUD.
Can’t ask for any more effort.
We ARE getting there.
coorslad is Neil Lennon says:
30 November, 2011 at 21:57
St Stivs,were im sitting now,you could say ‘bumbandit’
tommytwiststommyturns says:
30 November, 2011 at 21:58
St Stivs – I think you’ll find that Port Tesco is actually blue and white! ;-)
TTTT
—————————————————————
thanks for sharing coorslad, your all heart.
I dont know if the Port Tesco is blue and white, the waters havnt receded yet.
Just back from the game. My honest assessment. Atletico were too good for us but we worked hard. Players who are good enough:
Forster
Matthews
Loovens (honest!)
Ledley,
Mulgrew,
Forrest (but not quite yet)
Ki
Wanyama (as Forrest )
Sammi (sometimes)
Not good enough:
Majstorovic ( even when playing ” well” he inspires no confidence whatsoever)
Kayal (runs out of position too often)
Stokes ( feel a bit bad about this because he has improved greatly of late but does not have the finesse at this level).
All in all, therefore, we are in pretty good shape for the SPL but need real quality in three important positions. Maybe it is already at the club at centre back and midfield but a real quality striker is still amiss.
JJ (Who is prepared for some stick).
Well done the Greeks…
Hi if any inverclyde boys want a chuckle or indeed any fellow tims
catch “a greenock man beats the floods ” on you tube
and name the mystery shopper lol
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire says:
30 November, 2011 at 21:26
The point of my game-changer argument is that the midfield losing a man and the attack gaining a man unbalanced the team and proved, yet again, we rarely compete when we’ve a four-man midfield.
oops dont know how to do the link thingumy
Jungle Jim,
you know why Kayal was out of position ???
running past ki, pressing the ball cause ki doesnt press the ball.
….am I right in thinking that this result is not that important? ie , if we beat Udinese we still go through?
JJ
Aye, a right good performance against no mugs.
If we’d scored first we’d have won. They didn’t fancy the momentum we established in the first half hour and that goal was a real tonic.
Losing Big Vic was a killer – 4 in the midfield, with Ki floating in and out like Casper the friendly but ineffective ghost gave total control to them.
Samaras continues to show true quality and a good example of how a player can flourish without a thousand neuvo-Tim intolerant, ill-informed muppets screaming at his every appearance in the Hoops.
Broon – nope. Paddy McCourt – yes.
Kayal – he ‘ducked’ whilst trying to HEAD the ball away – arguably a BRAVER attempt than standing and taking it. The movement of the ball/windy conditions meant he was a fraction out in his estimation and went under it.
In any case I still think a mentally-sharp keeper would have kept it out. What exactly did Lucas Zaluska do so criminally wrong to sacrifice his place to the lumbering indecisive Forster? Who is exactly how I imagine big Jaws from Bond’s ‘The spy Who Loved Me’ might be if neutered.
Anyway, at the draw (or our insertion) I said three home draws against this quality of opposition would be progress.
And here we are going into the last game in a winner-takes-all scenario. Decent job Lhads.
Sorry Paul67, you’ve won the ‘Listening to Burley’s Bullshit’ Award. Looked to me like Beram was trying to head the ball.
Shortbread news just reported that the Huns have admitted that MMB was disqualified as a director and that it should have been reported to the stock exchange
Pfayr
Agreed Kayal had lots of endeavour but he had a great deal of making up to do.
Murdochbhoy
Can’t believe you described this team as ‘losers’ in the last thread. Get a grip on reality. Our barometer is Tannadice on Sunday not against teams who can afford to spend £35m on one player.
mystery shopper ………
is it greenlion 2 ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJqkFSw3L5w
Drambowiecelt – that is indeed Port Tesco and going by the figure it could be our very own St Stivs….he’s got the moves like Jagger!!!
TTTT
its actually Terry O’Neill, he has his name on the front of the diving suit.
Jungle Jim- Yes
Jungle Jim
The result is not that important to me either.
We won’t win the EC but we have to win the league.
hahhaha,
laters bhoys.
i am away for a swim.
night all.
JimmyQuinnsBits @ 21:26
:)) (Don’t worry about the misnomer or whatever it be called. Very strange that several fholks address me with the same initials?!? But I usually recognise it in the context. Must be the double BB in mibbes, which we all wish were double D. :) My man boobs aren’t quite that big though.
Who is mmb?