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.
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455 Comments- Pages:
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canamalar
Not really Ki`s role in our team (but I thought he “pressed ” more tonight than usual). No doubt Kayal puts in a shift but in his enthusiasm, he goes forward to press defenders and leaves more advanced midfielders free. I believe, also, that he gives the ball away too often by trying very diffiult passes ie passes beyond his ability. Wanyama is a good example of someone who mainly plays the simple ball and choses wisely when to go for the more difficult ball. Beram would improve if he emulated the blossoming Victor.
JJ
thanx st stivs dont know the link thing
HH
LOL it might be our blessed martin
Apologies, MBB, Motherwell Born Billionaire
From prev – had to repost as I was blatantly misquoted and had an important insult to slip in at the end:
Eyes Wide Open @ 21:31
Your determination to be negative about Celtic aside for just now, why on earth would you misquote me 3+ times.
I never used the experssion “grow up” once in in my post.
I never used the experssion “asset management” once in my post.
The first is to imply I patronised you.
The second, well, doesn’t even fit in the context of what I said.
Why on earth would you misrepresent me in that post to such an extent, that a tabloid hack would be proud of, when all I did was counter your negative arguments with fair responses imo???
Jury is out on you.
Are you Bouncyboy?
hamiltontim
i believe Kayal was trying to head the ball….not shirking it ….that`s just not him
sandman
Forster is not for me ..a decent shot stopper most of the time
imo he should have saved their goal …as for his appalling command of his penalty area..just not good enough
perhaps a work in progress…CFC shouldn`t be used for an apprenticeship
canamalar @ 21:50
Apols for dragging you into the gutter with my misquoting. It seems that’s where I’m headed now as a victim of similar type attacks on my parlé.
Diddy misquote me, or diddy no?
If Celtic had won tonight, the likelyhood is that they would have to get score draw at udinese in the last game to qualify. (I’m assuming Madrid would beat rennes at home in the last game).
Celtic now need to win, no question nor dubiety.
no hanging onto a draw.
I actually think celtic are better prepared for playing a game for a win than setting up to play for a draw.
I’ll go for 0-1 Celtic. 81st minute winner from Mohammed (praise be his name) Bangura.
Chaplin
That was very much my feeling whilst at the game. I realised I am more committed during SPL games and derive more pleasure from victories in those games. Europa League , for me, just gives the opportunity for bragging rights with Huns.
JJ
Jungle Jim
Completely agree with your summation of Kayal mate. He has lots to offer but must improve his passing which is frequently of the hospital variety and he needs to develop greater discipline with regards holding his position.
Jungle Jim,
eh ?
no really his game ?
so the rest should carry him ?
Kayal carried ki all night.
Maybe when he gets good enough to carry ki we can bring in another lump a wid and judge Kayal on how he performs carrying 2, ffs man pay attention.
Excellent first half hour tonight.
The remainder of the match was an even contest, which overall wasn’t good enough, but by no means a disaster. We were playing a very good side, not SPL fodder, and we sometimes need to learn a different type of football. It’s all experience for a very young group of players.
Forster 6
Matthews 7
Big Dan 6
Glenda 7
Ledley 7 (we really do miss him when he’s not around – remember Ibrox?)
Forrest 6
Ki 5
Kayal 6
Wanyama 7
Samaras 7
Stokes 7
Spurs lose to PAOK and in trouble in their group despite their gazillions.
Man Utd lose to Crystal Palace despite their gazillions.
We lost to a much better team than both of these two EPL giants.
Kayal fought tooth and nail for the ball, every other time, often extremely effectively, which makes the idea that he ducked a misnomer.
Only he knows, but he earned the benefit of the doubt tonight.
Sammy did a beautiful Midfield Maestro slide in and walk away with the ball tackle tonight and then battered forward with it :))
WilsonWard3 says:
30 November, 2011 at 22:00
Sounds like a dodgy “security” firm dont’it
brave effort from Charlie tonight given recent events
well done, lad !
Sabre67
7 for Loovens …..he nearly sold the jersys twice with his appalling defending
6 for Kayal
you drinking ????
from last post, too drunk to catch up with everyone else:
Eyes Wide Open says:
30 November, 2011 at 20:02
As ah seem tae remember we were still getting our arses handed tae us back then by such illustrious teams as rosenborg.
if ye know yir history an all that but don’t let me take away from you slagging the team and me.
disgraceful you are!!!!!!!
didnt we also get beat by ajax in those halcyon days at CP ?????
Ah really love this, people have short fecking memories. We were nowhere in the late 80′s and all the 90′s in europe. We get a good run and all of a sudden we feel we should be entitled to something.
That crap sounds like the same they spout across the city and ahve had enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That team tried tonight and STILL there are some feckers not happy.
You want glory hunting then ‘support’ an epl team!
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
30 November, 2011 at 22:17
Simply using inverted commas like you did – when you werent quoting me.
Oh dear – looks like someone got a dose of their own medicine and it tasted bitter…..
lol
go to bed ya princess
TopCorner @ 22:22
Well said amigo.
Charlie never lets the team down.
Luv the big mhan.
top corner
i`ll second that
PFayr
Thought he had a great game the goal aside. I’ll have to reserve judgement til I see it on TV again.
great work again by the GB
courtesy of Vagelis
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vagelisgeo/
3 of the 4 teams in the semi finals of the league cup in England are managed by Scottish managers.
(even 2 of the 4 defeated quarter final teams are managed by scottish managers).
I have no idea what this proves but, there you go.
Pleased with the performance from our youthful team against an expensively assembled La Liga outfit. Thought the ebb and flow of the game was 50-50 and we could have taken it, with a couple of breaks.
The league remains the priority and contests such as this will improve the team as a whole. Have we made any recent inroads into that unassailable point deficit recently btw?
The Comfortable Collective says:
30 November, 2011 at 22:26
And yet they say there is a severe shortage of Scottish managers up here. Hmmmmm wonder why…..
Everyone in pub really happy as played well.
Gary Speed tribute, well done the fellow bhoys out there, I am Neil Lennon!
HH
Good performance from Celtic despite the obvious gulf in class, and riches of both clubs.
Our best period was just before the goal which I’m still not convinced Beram Kayal ducked out of the way of. ( I hear Craig Burley says
he did, so I’m immediately sceptical, given his embarrassing bias against any good Celtic midfielders )
Kayal was Celtic’s best player by some distance, our best spell was just prior to the goal with one out and out striker in Stokes, and Samaras marauding, we attacked better than with a duo, and could have taken the lead.
However the loss of the goal meant an inevitable switch to introduce Hooper, and with Wanyama gone from the middle so were Celtic’s chances of reversing the scoreline, as Ki and Kayal became overworked, and were reduced to stopping Madrid from breaking. We gave it a good go, and the referee seemed quick with the whistle for an unknown reason, with Hoopers effort.
Sammi played well, but against higher class opposition there was no end product, now for the more important Tannadice where the major concern now is injury.
I like to see Celtic against better opposition, but the major contention now with this game in a tournament we surely can’t win with the players we have, is the loss of key players, which we could well have done without.
canamalar
James Forrest does not win high balls in the middle of the back four. That is not his job. Nobody is “carrying him ” because he fails to fulfill that particular role. Ki`s role is more subtle than that and does involve some pressing (which he does) . Kayal is carrying no one but causes others to cover for him by his running out of position. Incidentally, I do pay attention but my conclusion differs from yours. That, my friend, is football,
JJ
Eyes Wide Open @ 22:24
WHIT??
What are you on about ya walloper??
You totally misquoted me and then come out with even more baffling nonsense like that?
Agenda at play methinks.
You’re well outed now.
You are clearly a Bouncyboy team player.
Odious stuff.
Good luck with that DR backpage writer ambition.
By the time you get there, that rag will be long gone, and it’s online site will be nowt more than links to Tartan Army forums and questionable adult sites.
firstly i rate kayal (i wish i could morph him and ki)
kayal may or may not have ducked BUT he is a rank defender, especially in europe
diving in and getting shrugged off the ball v utrecht
jumping up and turning his back v sion
and then tonight
every week in the spl he is prone to diving in and chasing the ball (if only broonie was given the same slack)
Tonight we were beaten by a better team, not much better but a team who could retain possession and who’s movement off the ball was a joy to watch (must be a Spanish thing).
No one can fault Celtic’s effort and the fact we gave a good team like Athletico a game is a credit to our team. There were some who didn’t perform at their best, others who played very well and Sammi, someone who I have critisised for his frustrating inconsistency, who for 30 minutes looked like someone who could play for any top team in Europe. His next 60 minutes weren’t too shaby either.
Losing Big Vic at half time was the game turner for me, with him we competed well in midfield, without him they ran through us.
I dont think Beram Kayal ducked.
IMO opinion he tried to header it clear , albeit that he failed miserably.
If he was trying to dodge the impact why wouldn’t he just have turned his back?
I don’t believe a guy who flys into 50/50’s as he does would even think to duck.
Disappointing score but overall performance was pretty decent.
Once again big Sammi looked like a different player.
Kayal for me is fast becoming the new Scott Brown, high on energy and running around, low on quality and being able to pass the ball to a team-mate.
Guys
Eyes Wide Open is one to avoid.
Surprised he takes time off coaching Barca to share his thoughts on total football with ourselves.
Kayal33
I agree with both your posts,
JJ
if we won tonight we would have needed a draw in the last game to go through now we need to win the last game, it’s not that bad a situation. it means we have to go there and atack, if we only needed a draw we would try and sit behind the ball and probably lose anyway. now we can go there with two up front and play like we have nothing to lose and have a real go at them. i have enjoyed the europa league games this year, it’s been like every game has been a bonus that i did not think we were going to have after sion… i hope we get a good performace and three point on sunday
Jungle Jim,
“Ki`s role is more subtle”
enough said eh
Kayal tried to header the ball, remember folks it was severely windy and with a wet pitch that ball would have have a wicked spin on it.
We were beat by an unlucky goal. Everything else was a positive (except for 50% of Ki’s play)