| Match Pictures | Matches: 1997 – 1998 | 1997-1998 Pictures | Forum |
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Trivia
- Tom Boyd was suspended and Marc Rieper was ineligible. Phil O’Donnell was out with a calf strain and Andreas Thom missing with a muscle injury. Wieghorst was carrying a knee injury and Stephane Mahe, who had been rested in the previous game against Dundee Utd, was recovering from a calf injury. Stewart Kerr returned as backup keeper and Marshall dropped out of the squad and ‘Rico Annoni was recalled.
- For Liverpool Harkness was carrying an injury and Matteo and Wright were both out. Fowler came back into the Liverpool side.
- Elsewhere Pierre van Hooijdonk was causing trouble at Nottingham Forest by publicly criticising his team mates’ performance. He had been told that he would not be allowed to leave the club.
- Billy Stark was about to take over at Morton with Frank Connor as his assistant.
- David Zitelli, in Glasgow for the tie against Rangers, broke a curfew to hold talks with Celtic about a possible transfer.
- Liverpool were knocked out in the next round by Strasbourg.
Review
The Celtic curse of the away goal came forward again. Despite a very good effort and a degree of bad luck on the night we were out of the competition. Liverpool went out in the next round to Strasbourg (who had through the agency of David Zitelli put out Rangers).
Teams
Liverpool: James, Jones, Kvarme, Babb, McManaman, Fowler (Riedle, 83), Berger, Ince, Owen, Bjornebye, Carragher.
Subs: McAteer, Nielson, Harkness, Thomas, Kennedy, Murphy.
Celtic: Gould, Mahe, McNamara, Stubbs, Larsson, Burley, Donnelly, Wieghorst, Hannah, McKinlay, Annoni.
Subs: Kerr, Gray, MacKay, McLaughlin, McBride.
Bookings: Jones (Liverpool); Stubbs, Wieghorst (Celtic)
Referee: E Steinborn (Germany)
Attendance: 38,205
Articles
- Match Report
Brave Celtic so close as Liverpool ride their luck
The Scotsman 01/10/1997
PHIL GORDON
Liverpool 0
Celtic 0 (agg 2-2, Liverpool win on away goals)
CELTIC went out of the UEFA Cup last night at Anfield when their passion and courage were not enough to prevent them losing this first-round tie to Liverpool on the away goals rule.
Wim Jansen's players wrung out every ounce of effort in an attempt to overturn the crucial advantage Steve McManaman's injury-time goal had given the English side at Parkhead a fortnight ago, but it was all in vain.
In truth, Celtic did not deserve to taste such bitter disappointment in the so-called Battle of Britain, even though Simon Donnelly cleared a late header by Liverpool substitute Karlheinz Riedle off the line. Had Donnelly been just a shade more precise with a great chance of his own in the first half, Celtic would have enjoyed the victory their adventurous play merited. That was recognised by the 3,000 Celtic supporters who stayed on long after the final whistle singing and demanding an appearance by the players.
Reports of their side's injury crisis were not exaggerated, as the starting line-up revealed to the travelling supporters who roared Celtic on to the Anfield pitch.
Of the six players who were having problems, both Andreas Thom and Phil O'Donnell had failed to pass fitness tests, which meant a recall for Enrico Annoni, who had not started a game for the club since the Scottish Cup semi-final replay defeat by Falkirk last April. Indeed, such was Celtic's poverty of resources that they only named five substitutes instead of the permissible seven. However, at least Henrik Larsson and Craig Burley had overcome fitness problems and took their places in the team.
The atmosphere on rain-drenched Merseyside had adrenaline coursing through everyone's veins, as the Kop pounded out its songs of defiance, while the half-finished Anfield Road end was awash with Celtic noise and green-and-white banners. Once again, both sets of fans sportingly joined each other for a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone.
Those Celtic fans were given an almost instant anxiety attack when Robbie Fowler got away from his shadow Annoni in the first 30 seconds to penetrate the penalty area but the opening was lost when the Liverpool striker lost control of the ball.
Not surprisingly, there were precious few scoring opportunities as both teams fought hard for every yard of space and contested every ball as though their lives depended on it.
Alan Stubbs picked up the first booking of the night for a bad tackle on Michael Owen in the 19th minute, before Celtic squandered a glorious chance a minute later to take the lead on the night and on aggregate.
They ripped open the Liverpool defence with a stunning counter-attack. Larsson started the move, switching a clever pass on the left flank to Tosh McKinlay who then fired a great ball over central defenders Phil Babb and Bjorn Kvarme. Liverpool goalkeeper David James read it and came out to collect the ball ahead of Donnelly but collided with Stig Bjornebye and dropped the ball, Donnelly quickly pounced but with the goal at his mercy the striker's lob drifted agonisingly over the bar.
Larsson then went close from McKinlay's free kick as Celtic entered a real purple patch, and in the 27th minute they came even closer to breaking the deadlock, although Jansen's players were convinced they were actually denied a penalty.
Again Liverpool's defenders seemed negligent as they allowed Stubbs to head back Burley's free kick towards Donnelly who rose with James. The ball spun away from the pair and dropped invitingly for Morten Wieghorst, who lashed a right-foot volley towards goal. It was blocked on its way by Bjornebye and the only question was whether the Norwegian used his head or his arm.
The Celtic players were convinced it was the latter and ran to referee Edgar Steinborn screaming for a penalty but the German official ignored the appeals, probably correctly.
The second half opened at the same breakneck pace and indiscipline on the part of Paul Ince in the 55th minute almost cost Liverpool dear. The former Inter Milan player delivered an elbow into the face of Burley. From the Celtic captain's free kick, Stubbs rose and directed a dangerous header which was just a foot over the target. Liverpool were now coming into their best spell of the game and McManaman tore Celtic apart on the right side. However, Stubbs rescued the situation with a great diving header to clear the winger's cross.
Patrik Berger was proving more of an influence as the Czech midfielder's pace gave Celtic another source of worry.
But it was McManaman who was the real thorn in the flesh as he proved in the 69th minute after David Hannah slipped. McManaman was on to the ball in a flash and cut it back for Ince but the Liverpool captain's low shot was just a yard wide at the post.
Celtic were tiring but it didn't stop them almost taking the lead in the 71st minute. Larsson crossed for Jackie McNamara to knock the ball back into the path of Donnelly and the Celtic striker's header looked to be heading for the top corner but somehow James and Babb kept the ball out.
- Manager Interview
Wim Jansen post match
"Tonight you saw that we can play, but the two goals Liverpool scored in Glasgow made the difference.
"We could have scored tonight and we certainly had more chances than Liverpool, particularly Simon Donnelly's in the first half and the shot from Morten Wieghorst which was blocked."
"I had to change our system from the first match but we really didn't give too many chances away.
"The players are very disappointed because they wanted to win the game. Liverpool did not find it easy against us because we were organised and they could not find space.
"We now know what we can do. We showed that here but we have to do it in every game."
Morten Wieghorst:
"Football is all about taking chances and we had them tonight. But it is unfortunate that we didn't also take the ones we had in the first leg at Parkhead. If we had hung on to a 2-1 lead up there, I think it would have been a very different game here, but that's football."
Roy Evans, Liverpool Manager:
"It's just nice to get through," said Evans. "You have to give great credit to Celtic for the way they played.
"If Celtic had got a goal, it would have been harder for us to come back. Over the two legs, there was very little in it and the only difference is that we are through and they are not.
"However, I think Celtic are a far better team than many people down here think."
Pictures
Stats
| Liverpool | Celtic | |
| Bookings | 1 | 2 |
| Fouls | 22 | 24 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 2 |
| Corners | 5 | 4 |
| Offside | 3 | 4 |