| Match Pictures | Matches: 1998 – 1999 | 1998-1999 Pictures |
Trivia
- A bonus row blew up after the Friendly against Liverpool to mark the official opening of the Jock Stein Stand. The senior players disputed the win bonus offered for the Croatia Zagreb game and withdrew their support for extraneous functions. As such 3 players, Marc Rieper, Jackie McNamara and Regi Blinker, failed to show for the launch of the new strip and the launch was delayed with red faces all round. McCann condemned the players’ actions and stated that instead of the bonus, £50,000 would be donated to Yorkhill Hospital. The players retaliated by saying they were prepared for the complete £280,000 player pool bonus to be donated to the hospital. The cheque was duly presented to the Schiehallion unit for terminally ill children.
- The dispute continued after this game when not one Celtic player was prepared to comment on the game for the press.
- There was a mix-up over seat bookings for the game with over 500 seats in the east stand double booked. The unlucky punters were made to stand at the back until alternative seats were found
- The referee for this game had also been the referee for Scotland's first game of the France Wold Cup in the summer just past, against Brazil.
Review
A very quiet night when 600 of the Croatians managed more noise than 50,000 Celts, probably reflecting the concern felt by the support over what was happening both on and off the pitch. The referee was fussy and the Bhoys pretty ineffectual, particularly in a weak first half, despite their griping over bonuses. Everyone hoped (but doubted) that it was enough – both the bonus situation and the performance of the team.
Teams
Celtic:
Gould, Boyd , McNamara, Rieper, Stubbs , Larsson, Burley , Brattbakk (Jackson ,45), Donnelly, Lambert, Blinker
Subs not used: O'Donnell, Hannah, Annoni, McKinlay, MacKay, Kerr
Scorer: Jackson (50)
Bookings: Boyd, Burley (Celtic) J
Croatia Zagreb:
Ladic, Tokic, Maric (Josip Simic ,81), Juric, Prosinecki, Viduka, Rukavina, Dario Simic, Cvitanovic, Jelicic (Mujcin ,77), Jurcic
Subs not used Mladinic, Sabic, Butina, Mikic, Saric,
Bookings: Jurcic, Tokic (Zagreb)
Referee: J M Garcia Aranda (Spain).
Attendance: 51,397
Articles
Pictures
Stats
| Celtic | Croatia Zagreb | |
| Bookings | 2 | 2 |
| Fouls | 17 | 10 |
| Shots on Target | 2 | 4 |
| Corners | 6 | 4 |
| Offside | 2 | 2 |
Jackson's win bonus as Celtic show no charity
The Scotsman 13/08/1998
Celtic1 Jackson (50)
Croatia Zagreb 0
CROATIA Zagreb confirmed that charity does indeed begin at Parkhead when their defensive dithering allowed Darren Jackson to score a priceless Champions League goal.
That 50th minute strike took the pressure off the Scottish champions after the intolerable bad publicity of the two days before kick-off.
But you couldn't buy a word of wisdom from the victorious players afterwards. The non co-operation protest continued with not one comment on the match offered to written and broadcast media.
Perhaps the Croats believed the Parkhead troubles would swing the tie in their favour, but the visitors' killer touch that had created the boast of one of Europe's best away records was nowhere to be seen.
However, their eye-catching skills were on show – Robert Prosinecki almost destroyed Celtic efforts when he smacked the crossbar with a free kick in the final minutes and the second leg remains a daunting task.
Celtic proved that there may be divisions in the club, but there are none in the dressing room, where this victory was hatched. And for Jackson, this might be the most important goal of his career. Only last month he was publicly doubting whether he had proven himself to be Celtic class.
Last night, as a substitute for Harald Brattbakk, he clinically struck a goal which over the next three months could be worth millions – to the club, the players, hospitals or whoever.
Coach Jozef Venglos said: "I never had any doubt that the players would work hard in this game. They are very committed and showed very good spirit."
His opposite number, Zlatko Kranjcar, believes that both clubs deserve to qualify for the group stages. He said: "I see a place for both teams in the Champions League. But only one can go and I think the chances now are 50-50. But we created some chances to score and perhaps they will go in next time."
Celtic's side boasted eight members of Scotland's World Cup squad, while the visitors were at their strongest, too, with six of the bronze medallists from France 98.
One such star, Prosinecki, had originally attempted to ease the game down to his favourite pace – walking – as early as the first minute and was singled out for the Celtic boos. But he was central to the Croatian game-plan of a quick kill, one almost achieved within five minutes.
Regi Blinker lost possession deep in his own territory after a weak challenge and Mario Cvitanovic made ground and shaped for a dangerous cross.
His inswinging ball into the box found Krunoslav Jurcic sharper in the air than Alan Stubbs and Marc Rieper and his header beat Jonathan Gould to glance the top of the crossbar.
Yet there was to be no follow-up to that chance, allowing Celtic to find their feet. Soon after, Craig Burley drove a yard wide from the edge of the box, and Jackie McNamara had a diagonal crack pin-balled away off two defenders.
Venglos had clearly earmarked the left wing as a lucrative furrow for Celtic, with Paul Lambert's feeds to the rejuvenated Blinker a feature of their first-half attacks.
But Brattbakk had that familiar blunt look up front. A couple of poorish runs in the wrong direction were followed by his being caught offside after a Simon Donnelly through ball.
That was the cue for Zagreb to be reborn in attack for the final ten minutes of the half.
Jelicic clipped a ball in-between the careless Celtic markers which gave Marko Viduka time to chest down and send a shot zipping across Gould's goal, inducing weak knees all around the stadium.
Celtic escaped again minutes later. Prosinecki was allotted a criminal amount of space 25 yards out and he forced Gould to scramble the ball wide. Soon after, Prosinecki again lashed a free-kick only a couple of yards wide as Zagreb sought a killer away goal in injury time.
Instead of carving out the genuine attempts, Celtic were forced to claim in vain for a penalty as Henrik Larsson appeared to be tugged in the box by Cvitanovic. But the Swede was guilty of being theatrical in his fall and, with the ball already out of play, referee Jose Encinar from Spain, was never going to award a spot-kick.
It came as no surprise that Brattbakk failed to appear for the second half. Jackson added bite to the Celtic attack and a lot of bother to the Croat defence after their comfortable first period. And within five minutes, it was Jackson himself who opened the scoring.
Lambert and Donnelly played a delightful one-two midway inside the opposition half and former Feyenoord duo Larsson and Blinker were next to knit the passes together.
The final ball left Blinker in a match with Ladic and the goalkeeper unconvincingly parried the Dutchman's weak attempt. Take two was a Blinker cross which Burley met powerfully only to see Ladic clear off the line. But Jackson was the quickest man in a crowded box and swept home the rebound before a Croatian muscle had moved.
Blinker should have added a second soon after. Perhaps all his confidence has yet to return, because having watched the blue sea open up in front of him, he shot tamely wide.
PA Sport Match Report from Sportinglife.com
- Manager Interview
Dr Jo Venglos, post match
"I thought our players showed great composure, passion, and discipline which is very important in these European ties.
"They were up against a team of great quality but my feeling is that both teams deserve to be in the Champions' League.
"After we scored I thought we might get another goal and for 15 to 20 minutes we had control when we showed good movement and our players worked very hard.
"I think it is a 50-50 situation in the second leg because we are talking about two top-quality teams who played in a good spirit throughout.
"It will be as difficult for us as it will be for them."
"I had no reason to think the players would not give their all and they did not let me down."
Zlatko Krancjar, Croatia Zagreb coach
"These are two teams who deserve to be in the Champions' League and I think it is still 50-50 what happens in the end. We would still think we have a good chance with only one goal to make up.
"I've seen Celtic before tonight and I think they're a very good team."
Celtic 1 Croatia Zagreb 0
By Simon Buckland, PA Sport
Celtic's players may have given up their win bonuses, but they held on grimly for a hard-earned victory over Croatia Zagreb at Parkhead tonight.
Substitute Darren Jackson's 51st minute goal proved decisive as Celtic struggled throughout the opening half and were pinned back late in the second 45 minutes, but won regardless.
The result was harsh on a Zagreb side who on this showing have the greater European Champions' League credentials, yet Celtic's graft proved a match for the visitors' art.
Jozef Venglos' men must take credit for putting the events of the past 48 hours behind them and completing, albeit only to the halfway point of two legs, a valuable success.
The clean sheet must be considered the key ahead of the return in a fortnight and for that Celtic have a combination of keeper Jonathan Gould and the woodwork, twice, to thank.
Their overall resilience was a credit to the spirit of teamwork that was evident in well-documented less praiseworthy circumstances ahead of tonight's qualifier.
Craig Burley (knee) and Marc Rieper (back) each passed late fitness tests for Celtic, but there was no place for Jackson with Harald Brattbakk preferred up front from the start.
After the soap opera of the protracted dispute over win bonuses finally resolved by a £280,000 payment to a local children's hospital the countdown to the real drama had been overshadowed.
But Celtic's sights were quickly brought into focus after just five minutes when Mario Cvitanovic's precise cross picked out Josko Jelicic whose glancing header clipped the top of the bar.
That scare signalled the pattern of the opening half, with Burley's frustration at a lack of Celtic possession embodied in a 20th minute lunge at Jelicic which secured him a booking.
Regi Blinker and Simon Donnelly combined to set up Jackie McNamara after 25 minutes, but his shot was unable to find a way through a crowded defence.
The Celtic faithful were stirred a minute later when Cvitanovic appeared to take a retaliatory kick at Larsson, but the incident passed unpunished.
After 33 minutes a brave touch-on by Simon Donnelly released Brattbakk, but, badly lacking composure, the Norwegian snatched at the opening firing well wide.
Marko Viduka delivered a fine shot on the turn after 36 minutes evading the attentions of Rieper and Gould was pleased to see the strike flash across the face of his goal.
He needed to be alert to make a save in Zagreb's next attack, Robert Prosinecki creating time and space for himself with ease before a 25-yard drive that needed to be pushed wide by Gould.
Moments later, Gould was again a vital last barrier for Celtic this time denying Silvio Maric from close range to deny the Croatians an away goal.
Celtic were now struggling to contain a dangerous Croatia Zagreb team as they found themselves on the back foot on home territory beaten by sheer quality.
In the closing minute of the half, Larsson had a penalty appeal rejected despite claims from crowd and players alike Krunoslav Jurcic had pulled his shirt as the Swede went for a header.
Brattbakk was replaced by Jackson at the interval and the change was to pay almost instant dividends as Celtic gained a vital lead after 51 minutes.
Blinker instigated the original move exchanging passes with Larsson before his attempted chip was clawed away by keeper Drazen Ladic.
But the Dutch winger persisted and crossed for Burley to fire a powerful half-volley blocked on the line, but not to safety – Jackson converting the loose ball in style.
Bearing in mind the first 45 minutes it was against the run of play, but with the goal the balance of power shifted in Celtic's favour as they gained attacking momentum.
Blinker squared for Burley to drive just wide after 59 minutes and the Scotland midfielder sent another effort narrowly off-target from distance four minutes later.
Prosinecki's influence on proceedings was waning and his ambitious goal attempt blazed over on 66 minutes typified his apparent loss of interest.
McNamara was becoming a key figure for Celtic and after 73 minutes his 20-yard shot was pushed away by Ladic in the Zagreb goal to keep it 1-0.
After 78 minutes, the visitors proved they were far from finished when Prosinecki proved his value with a superb free kick that struck the upright with Gould rooted to the spot.
In the final minute two decisive moments, another Prosinecki free kick well saved by Gould, then at the other end Larsson being denied by Ladic when aiming to round him.
That 60 seconds of action alone shows this contest is far from over, but at the finish Celtic Park was at least able to ring with the loudest cheer a half-time lead has received in years.
Teams
Celtic: Gould, Boyd, McNamara, Rieper, Stubbs, Larsson, Burley, Brattbakk (Jackson 45), Donnelly, Lambert, Blinker.
Subs Not Used: O'Donnell, Hannah, Annoni, McKinlay, MacKay, Kerr.
Booked: Burley, Boyd.
Goals: Jackson 50.
NK Croatia Zagreb: Ladic, Tokic, Maric (J. Simic 81), Juric, Prosinecki, Viduka, Rukavina, D. Simic, Cvitanovic, Jelicic (Mujcin 77), Jurcic.
Subs Not Used: Maldinic, Savic, Butina, Mikic, Saric.
Booked: Tokic, Jurcic.
Att: 51,500
Ref: J M Garcia Aranda (Spain).