Inter scored a breakaway goal from Guarin, who should have earlier received a red card for deliberately striking Stefan Johansen on the face, on the 88th minute to win this tie 4-3 on aggregate. But despite playing for the majority of the game with 10 men, after Virgil van Dijk’s 36th minute red card, Celtic looked comfortable throughout. Man of the match Nir Bitton dictated play for long periods.
The best actual chance of the game fell to Gary Mackay-Steven on the 7th minute when a cross-field pass from Emilio Izaguirre was misjudged by the Inter defence, allowing Mackay-Steven to control and nip clean through on Carrizo but the keeper spread himself to block.
Stuart Armstrong had a strong penalty claim denied on 14 minutes. As he prepared to shoot, Santon grabbed him by the shoulder but the referee gave the first notice that he would give the home team the benefit of the doubt all night.
Inter took time to get into the game but Icardi almost connected to a blasted cross ball by Santon as the home team made their first chance, on 19 minutes.
Two minutes later Celtic had their second penalty claim on the evening when John Guidetti was held but again the referee was in no mood to award a decision against the home team.
Ultimately the red card may have determined the outcome of this game but if anyone expected Celtic to collapse afterwards, they were mistaken. Inter enjoyed their best spell of the game between van Dijk’s 36th minute red and halftime, but the man advantage was not evident from the flow of play. Craig Gordon made a stunning save from a header, which was ultimately found to be offside, on 38 minutes, and two minutes before the break Gordon saved again at his near post after Jason Denayer blocked an initial shot.
Needing a goal while a man down requires a difficult tactical balance. Celtic decided to keep things tight until later in the second period. Gordon saved twice, from Hernanes and Guarin, before the latter retaliated when Stefan Johansen nutmeged him but hitting the Celtic player with a forearm smash.
Ronny Deila sent Kris Commons on for the final 13 minutes and, with Celtic struggling to test the keeper, the midfielder tried his luck from 35 yards but Carrizo was untroubled.
With Celtic pressing for what would have been a winner, Inter broke with speed. A Guarin shot from 25 yards thundered into the top corner, leaving Gordon with no chance.
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Pf Ayr. For once I agree with your observations almost without reservation.
My add on would be that, although flawed, we are making great progress as a football team under RD.
We are also seeing the most henious anti Celtic agenda for some time in the MSM. We are seeing UEFA being used by bitter men like Gilligan in their whataboutery as they seek to besmirch our clubs name. Sadly some half wits in our midst help them with flares etc.
I sincerely hope our support turns out in huge numbers on Sunday to back the team to a huge victory. Tired legs will need the support.
At least GMS and Grif ( if fit) and KC will have fairly fresh legs.
Hail Hail. Our day has come. That is what really irks them most. They know it.
My take on the ref. Was that he wouldent be happy UNTILL a celtic player was sent off, and right from the off that player was VVD.
Strangely enough one of our best players, I’d like to find the foul count on the big man before he was red carded? I counted three, which for a centre back is plain mind boggling.
And booking Gordon for wasting time? My take on that was he had a crystal Meths moment, after that his job was more or less done, to me he was working under orders, from who/where? But as sure as sheet sticks to a goats arse, there was only one team walking of that park going through to the next round, and he made dam sure it wasent the best team, the under dog from the smaller countries has no chance now.
The level plying field has gone for ever, that cup is going to Spain, Germany, or Italy almost every year, same as the champios league.
Teams like us get to the last 32, or in the CL the last 16, it’s more or less a case of, know your place, and deal with it.
Good morning friends and a Big Happy (but could have been happier) Friday from a slushy and wee bit frosty East Kilbride.
Jobo
Soz said:
“I just cannot understand why any supporter of Celtic FC would buy this rag.”
Because they are stupid?
What is , perhaps, more annoying is that the Club continue to allow the DR access. The simple-minded who buy it have their diminished cranial capacity as an excuse. The Club cannot claim that handicap and surely the money involved is just about enough to pay a flare fine?
JJ
Burnley
I always knew you’d come round to my way of thinking
Btw …I agree with your comments above without reservation ……
One or both of us should be concerned
petec
05:07 on
27 February, 2015
‘GG
Celtic are a Champions League team,
—————————————————————-
No they are not and they are many miles away from being one. We got put out of the Europa League last 32 by a team who once were great but not now. Don’t forget our performances in earlier European matches where only the heroics of Craig Gordon got us out of the EL group stage. It’s also worth noting that the teams who pissed all over us in Europe this season (Legia Warsaw and Salsburg) were soundly beaten last night and dumped out of the tournament and Maribor finished bottom of their CL group with just 3 points.
As for the collective whinging about the ref., please give me a break. We sound just like the fans of the diddy clubs in Scotland who if you look at their websites just after they play us, often make the same sort of comments we are seeing here and other forums. If the refs. were in favour of the so-called big sides (and just how big are Inter considered these days?) then how did Liverpool get knocked out?
The fact is we got knocked out of Europe’s secondary competition at the last 32 stage by a very moderate Inter side. This does not make us a Champions League team. Yes, we have made some improvements since the start of the season and the January signings have strengthened the squad but before we get to the CL qualifiers next season, we will have to re-build our back four and find a proper number 9 otherwise we will be back to Thursday and not Tuesday/Wednesday) night football.
m6bhoy
the ref was shocking last night
it was allegedly his first time refereeing an italian team, and it showed. overwhelmed by it all
and we have come on leaps and bounds since the salzburg and warsaw games, if you cant see that then you are blind, or are being deliberately blind
to suggest we arent allowed to talk about a refs performance is nonsense, they are a major part of the game, in fact they play too major a part at times as was seen last night
its a game played by professionals but refereed by amateurs
m6bhoy
Spot on. Either Celtic learn from their mistakes at European level and adapt to the style of play, or they spend the rest of the year whining about refs.
To be fair, this was Guidetti’s first outing away in Europe, and although some of his attempts at winning free kicks were amateurish, that’s what you need to do. He has strength and skill, if not pace, and should be ear-marked for the no.9 role providing another club doesn’t lure him away.
PFAyr
1st booking – he won the ball but went through the player. Yellow.
M6bhoy
Correct ..CFC are no where near being a CL team
We have made progress this season ….there is some distance still to travel
UOG
not for me
However …one a yellow VVD must be much more aware ….I hope he learns from his rashness
JJ
The clubs continuing association with the DR and Radio Clyde is a constant course of irritation to me
These outlets peddle a restless anti CFC agenda
Reading back, it really is time our Board did something about the dr …… There is no doubt the editorial agenda is to promote a negative slant on everything Celtic ….. Get them sorted out for once and for all, Celtic….!!!!
foghorn leghorn 07:56 on 27 February, 2015
—————————————————————-
Yes the ref. was shocking last night but it wasn’t him that failed to put the ball in the net when GMS was right through on goal and had his rabbit in the headlight moment. I like GMS but he definitely fluffed his lines with this chance.
We all said before the start of the game that we needed to take one of the few chances we would make to have any chances of going through. After this gilt edged chance we posed no threat to the Inter defence and our free-kick and corner-kick delivery into their box was lamentable.
The fact that we looked comfortable when we went down to ten men says more about how poor Inter were than us to be honest. A CL quality team would have nailed our heads to the floor.
Last night’s match was poor all round imo. The quality of the football (bar their goal and some CG saves) was not great and the ref’s perfromamce was abysmal. As a spectacle it was instantly forgetable.
If we are serious about improving as a team then we have to be as hard on ourselves as we are on others. Moaning about refs. isn’t going to get us into the CL group stage next season. Improvining the technical abilities of our players and/or bring better ones in might.
Incidentally
I enjoyed watching Broonie and Commons telling the jobs worth ref assistant to GTF as he tried to prevent them from going to the fans at the final whistle
HH fhriend.
Just looked in the mirror…handsome check
Face painters paid …check
Milan still in one piece….check.
Not a hun then.
Disappointed in how we went out last night. Masonic influence extends beyond Scotland. Team gave their all. This “project” is coming together.
Supporters brilliant apart from one numpty who was booed by majority where I was sitting.
Have to say the security and searching was as tight as I can remember at a European away game ( I’m counting my search as a touch). So to get a flare through that begs question how do you stop it?
Enormously proud to be a Tim
On to stuff the Sheep
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
I wasn’t in Slovakia in 2003 so that clown of a ref had nothing to do with me in that game.
Have a look at a Scottish ref refereeing a Slovak team vs an Italian one –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEx8xZd5mgE
I’d say the ref was at it because Inter are from Italy. We know that Italy hold great influence in European football. That’s the truth of what happened last night.
He was at it from the start as you said. As soon as the penalty wasn’t given I knew it was a case of here we go again. When we played AC Milan two even more clear pens were not given.
They don’t give decisions against Italian teams in Italy unless the teams are from one of the other so called big leagues.
As disappointed as I am this morning, it is tempered by the realisation that the bigger picture is going for this treble, identifying replacements for players who will be exiting and, should we win the league, preparing for the CL Qualifiers.
This exit was part of the learning experience, we go into Sunday with a lot of heart and because of this I can see us turning the Dons over big time.
….pfayr supports weeoscar
08:10 on 27 February, 2015
…..not so much bothered by ssb, since it really is just a comedy show, where the pundits jdon’t have a clue what they are talking about half the time …… they court controversy just to get a react / calls …… Pathetic, really….!!!!
The dr is a different ‘animal’……they completely ignore the corruption, creditor violation, sectarian law breaking out of ipox, in favour of openly pursuing an anti-all-things-Celtic agenda, and this really does now need to be addressed by our Board…..
Snake
A fair summation
Surprised that Legia and Salzburg go thumped at home last night …
I thought both were decent teams …..a wee reality check for us perhaps
Anyway …hump the Sheep and the leagues ours ….
On James Forrest
I think we should stick with him and help him recover his fitness and form.
I suspect he is on a relatively low wage ( vs some of our imports) and in current form any transfer fee would be minimal.
There is no great benefit in selling him – we won’t get a big fee or make a big wage saving.
If we are to do anything, maybe it is to pay for a top consultant to try and identify the root of his injuries ( remember Colin Cameron & his lop sidedness, maybe he has similar)
Playing him upfront was a calculated risk, which didn’t pay off, and only gave fuel to his critics.
I would stick with him – the prospect of an inform Forrest down one side and GMS on the other with a decent striker excites me
CCB
With you re Forrest
A strange decision to play him up front ….Johansen may have been a better bet with Henderson in midfield ….who knows
Over the two legs with Inter 2 mistakes by the best keeper in the SPL and 2 mistake from VVD cost us the tie in the SPL we probably would have got away with them.However,at the higher European level we need to learn mistakes are costly it is unfortunate instead of coming away from Italy with our heads held high we are now left with the sour taste of another half-witted numpty setting off a flare and damaging the good name of Celtic.H.H.
m6bhoy,
yes, but the difference is that we know the playing side is something that we can do something about and to a large extent is in our own hands
the reason why we get so upset about incompetent refs is that they are thrust upon us without us being able to do anything about it, and they have the ability to ruin all the preparation, tactics and abilities that a team may have purely due to their own poor standards
players miss chances, thats happens in every game, but a team missing 1 chance isnt justification for such poverty in officials
the 2 dont go hand in hand
to paraphrase a comment i have made before – if that refs decisions were human beings, they would all be standing on a street corner selling the big issue – that is how poor they were
On the Ref last night he ruined what was potentially a great game of football. Guarins elbow aside there wasn’t a single bad challenge from either side. Pretty sure VVD was the first booking of the night & from thereafter he was card happy. Neither challeng for me merited a yellow card. No question Inter had a helping hand but it’s not the first nor the last we’ll see this on Italian soil.
Some have had a go at JG for diving all over the place & usually I’d be agreeing but this is what you need to do to gain an edge. Inter players were going down easy & faining injury at the slightest touch. These histrionics caused a weak or perhaps bent ref to severely punish us. You have to be cute in Europe the slightest advantage gained could be the difference between winning & losing. Having said that JG hasn’t shown enough qualities for a long term contract. I’d hope we’d have a better option for Europe next season + a creative number 10.
Positives.
Firstly our manager showed he has finally leaned how to shut up shop in Europe. Been very critical of him playing far too open against better teams but we played the best of the lot last night and he made us solid. Even when down to 10 men this was a big improvement from Ronny D. Much Kudos!
Nit Bitton, GMS & Stuart Armstrong all look at home on the big stage & are only going to improve with age. Three great players with terrific first touches & the technique to make us consistently better. Those 3 with Scott Brown, Johansen, Gordon & a fit Mathews or Lustig gives us the nucleus of a top side. Unlikely but hopefully we can keep hold of Denayer & VVD next season as a year older will be a year wiser for a crack at CPL qualification.
Overall hugely disappointed from last night but I think we’ve got much to look forward to.
Onwards & upwards HH!
Celtic advertise matches on Clyde’s SSB.
Presume a lot of supporters still listen to the pantomime, sufficient enough numbers to warrant the spend.
Morning all
Bad mood this morning- checked my e-mails and some bad person seems to be trying to tempt me into kicking my sobriety into touch on St Patrick’s Day. Wickedness,
RE the MSM
I tend to think we overreact to the idiocies of these people especially the likes of Radio Clyde whose Super Scoreboard, complete with its ITV 1974 World Cup theme, has been synonymous with excrement for decades now, But I do think the club could actually do something and that would be to extend that station and also the Record the absolute bare minimum of reporting courtesies. No pitchside advertising accepted from them, no advertisements from Celtic placed with them, no player or manager interviews with either outlet and ex-players told that any privileges they have with Celtic as a consequence of them having played for us are withdrawn. Clyde and the Record do not like Celtic and yet try to make money from the club. We should tell them that we don’t like them either and the money we will earn from either will be minimal.
Jimbo67
Morning all.
I said yesterday that I would be disappointed but not downhearted if we were to lose against Inter. Well, I’m neither. My overarching feeling is anger at being blatantly cheated, as we have so often. Good to hear our players saying the same thing. Good to see Kris Commons anger at the end.
We have the makings of a fine football team. Those we can keep, we must. For me, that starts with our goalkeeper and Nir Bitton.
Just about all the newspapers have reported substantial circulation losses in the latest ABC figures – with one notable exception.
Sunday Herald has reversed the trend with an astonishing 34.7% increase, helped by a sell out edition on 25th January!
Just logged on and am immediately alarmed.
Burnley’s agreeing with PF Ayr.
PF Ayr’s agreeing with Burnley
Cats and dogs living together under the one roof!
Good morning CQNers,
Unfortunately last night’s game marked the end of another player’s Celtic – Nir Bitton’s commanding and skillful display will have been noted all over Europe and he’ll be on his way come the summer I’m afraid.
The corruption is staggering. Last night was the latest example but the game against Juve at Celtic Park would be exhibit A in any trial.
The game stinks to the high heavens, it’s not a sport any more, it’s a business and we are not prime product.
True-to-form performance from Scoddland’s media……………….
……boak inducing, sadly including the Herlad.
“For a’ that an’ a’ that…….a hun’s a hun…….
for a’ that!”
winning captains
08:52 on
27 February, 2015
Just about all the newspapers have reported substantial circulation losses in the latest ABC figures – with one notable exception.
Sunday Herald has reversed the trend with an astonishing 34.7% increase, helped by a sell out edition on 25th January!
=====================================
Isn’t it amazing that when you print the truth………..
m6bhoy
Your post seems to suggest that Champions League teams, or teams capable of competing in it, have to be of a certain level. For me thats not what its about. Celtic right now are CL level group 4, along with another 20 or so clubs which include Salzburg and Legia. Pot 3 level will be the likes of Inter and Fiorentina. The top level ‘closed shop’ never changes, Barca Chelsea etc. To imply that Celtic are not good enough for the CL is wrong.
If I read you correctly, by your reckoning the CL should therefore consist of the best 24 teams in Europe. In that case we’ll have 5 Spanish, 5 English, 4 German, the rest French Italian and Russian, whatever, and that’ll be the death of the richest tournament in football.
Just had a look back and I hate the fact I highlighted about keeping 11 men on the pitch!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Inter Milan v Celtic
Inter Milan have scored a goal at home in 91% of their league games this season. I think it is fair to say that we need to score at least twice to go through.
They are 4th in an offense table and 13th in a defence table.
http://www.soccerstats.com/team.asp?league=italy&teamid=28
They concede goals and this was displayed last week. They concede bad goals and I watched their game on Monday and middle to back they struggle to keep possession of the ball.
I think the only way for us to get passed Inter and qualify is to go all out attack. Playing it tight and trying to nick one plays into their hands. They will be delighted to keep the ball in the possession of their forward players. The best place to have the ball is midfield to front. We will need to be cautious of them on the break and this is where we have come unstuck in Europe at times this season.
We MUST keep possession of the football as much as possible. Bitton will be hounded when he gets the ball and he done a tidy wee turn a few times last week and got caught out the last time he tried it. Bitton needs to be a bit cuter tonight with this the Italians are great students of the game and like someone has mentioned earlier they will have learned a lot from the first leg and usually Italians are better in the 2nd leg.
For that very reason I would spring a new inclusion in the team.
As much as I have lauded Griffiths as a quality goalscorer since he signed I would go with Guidetti from the start tonight. I think the big man is an awkward customer and could cause the Italians problems. He has scored in his last two and I am a great believer of playing strikers on form. He is our form goal scorer and for me would get the nod although I thought Griffiths was excellent in the first leg I think it is a surprise inclusion and also just a wee bit more quality and experiennce in this type of match.
Craig Gordon is probably the most important player in our team tonight. If he has a night where he is pulling off brilliant saves then we have a fair chance to get through. We got a clean sheet last week in one half and Inter didn;t manage that. Gordon will have to be at his best and I think he will. The lad has a steely determination to get better and I think he will. Gordon will need to be one of the best players on the pitch tonight for Celtic to get a positive resut and I have faith that he will be.
Gordon
Matthews
VVD
Denayer
Izzy
Bitton
Brown
Armstrong
GMS
Johanssen
Guidetti
It’s going to take a huge effort and subs will be important. I would expect Griffiths to replace Guidetti 60 min mark and Commons to come in for GMS not long after. Bearing in mind we have the sheep on Sunday I expect Commons and Griffiths will be kept in reserve knowing that they are at their most potent in SPFL games and will be vital against the Sheep. For me Europe is a bonus and it makes sense to have certain horses for courses so to speak.
The only two differences from the team I have are Griffiths for Guidetti and Commons for GMS but I suspect Ronny will give GMS his chance again and Guidetti is in form.
Just my opinion.
As much as it is important that Craig Gordon plays well it is also important that everyone puts in a shift. There are no room for passengers in a game like this.
One last thing we MUST do is keep 11 men on the pitch. It’s a hard enough task without a daft red card derailing our chances.
If we can knock Inter out it will be up there with the night we knocked Barca out the UEFA cup 10 or so years ago.
I am going positive and backing 2-1 to Celtic. Hopefully the Bhoys put on a show. As long as we can find the net a couple of times we have a chance in this tie. All out attack is the key. If we sit back we are inviting the Italians to hold possession and burn the tie out.
Prepare for time wasting a plenty as well. Lets hope we can go at them early and open the tie up.
LB
snake plissken
I agree that teams like Celtic don’t get decisions in Italy , don’t think we would have got the penalty in Spain or Germany either.
Glad to see you are calmer than when you posted after Virgil got sent off :)