| Match Pictures | Matches: 1999 – 2000 | 1999-2000 Pictures |
Trivia
- Though Fergus McCann had nothing to do with the day-to-day running of the club anymore the press stated that McCann would personally fund Celtic’s case with UEFA and the French Football federation for compensation over the transfer of John Collins, over three years prior. "They cannot try and make Monaco part of France just because it suits them," said Fergus. "This is something I am doing on behalf of Celtic because it is right."
- Celtic were linked with a 23 year old Brazilian full back called Adilson dos Santos. The player had been on trial for at least a week and had impressed Barnes. The problem was that nobody seemed to know who held his registration. Celtic also took Brora Rangers defender Paul Bradshaw for a week long trial with the club.
- This away tie went ahead at Tel-Aviv’s Bloomfield stadium despite Celtic registering a protest with UEFA over the state of the pitch (rutted and bumpy), the lack of segregation of fans and the continuing building work in the stadium.
- The game was beamed back live to Celtic Park where a good crowd turned out to see the game even if it was at a distance on David ‘Big Screens’ Kells new buys – unlike those that paid for a satellite TV link which failed miserably for big chunks of the game.
- Following the previous game against Hibs, Alex McLeish the Hibs manager made an enquiry after the availability of Tosh McKinlay, who was out of the first team picture for Celtic.
- Following Barnes’ ‘resting’ of Gould in the last game the goalkeeper had a ‘frank exchange of views’ with the Head Coach.
- Gould and Burley were both restored with Kharine and Blinker dropping to the bench. Berkovic, though not fully fit, was fit enough to make a superstar appearance in his homeland.
- Jonny Gould saved a penalty.
Review
The Israelis finally won a penalty at the third attempt from the Spanish referee. Jonathon Gould saved the penalty on a pitch that looked as though it had been used for pitch-'n'-putt rather than football. Bit of a ruck with the UEFA officials who were trying to stop the training staff passing water to the players on the field. The Little Princess came on for a cameo at the end.
Teams
Hapoel Tel-Aviv: Elimelech, Cohen (Balali 79), Gershon, Ohaion, Antebi, Rupnik, Racunica, Bakhar (Elkayam 73), Pisont, Toema (Harazi 45), Cimirotic.
Non Used Subs: Rahmin, Hillel, Afek, Kbada.
Celtic: Gould, Stubbs, Tebily, Riseth, Petrov (Wieghorst 62), McNamara, Burley, Lambert, Viduka (Berkovic 74), Moravcik (Blinker 68), Larsson.
Non Used Subs: Kharine, Petta, Burchill, Mjallby.
Goals: Larsson 63.
Bookings: Bakhar (H Tel-Aviv)
Referee: J Arceo (Spain).
Attendance: 6,400
Articles
- Match Report
Football: GOULD STAR FOR CELTIC
Daily Record 01/10/1999
DAVID McCARTHY
HAPOEL TEL AVIV 0
CELTIC 1
( Celtic win 3-0 on aggregate)
IT WAS hot but ultimately it was never taut. Celtic sailed into the second round of the UEFA Cup courtesy of Henrik Larsson's third goal of this awkward tie.
But the fact that John Barnes's team was able to swagger through the last half-hour of a sweltering night in Israel was down to keeper Jonathan Gould.
How the Israelis must have cursed Barnes's decision to reinstate the Scotland squad man who was dropped for Dmitri Kharine on Saturday.
Gould wasn't chuffed and he let the world know. It also fired him with a sense of determination to prove he really is this club's No.1.
On the hour mark he proved it with a sensational penalty stop that completely doused the Israelis' fire and ignited Celtic's.
Ronen Harazi's penalty would have beaten 99 per cent of keepers but Gould not only stopped it, he held it.
Celtic chests puffed out as Hapoel's sagged and three minutes later Larsson finished in style to put Celtic 1-0 up on the night and 3-0 ahead on aggregate.
Barnes's team will no doubt face better opposition when the draw for round two is made at 11am this morning.
But if their keeper continues to keep them out at one end while Larsson is banging them in at the other, the Parkhead club can live in hope of extending their adventure.
The Celtic players emerged from the tunnel to catcalls from those locals who had turned up early.
But, in fact, the Hapoel support only half-filled the ground, which was called Bloomfield but could easily have been Broomfield.
There was little need for the Celts to warm up because as soon as they stepped on to the pitch they have worked up a sweat.
It was a sticky, oppressive heat that enveloped the ground, the kind that makes the chest feel tighter, and despite the 8.15pm kick-off time, it seemed that the temperature could present the Glasgow side with more problems than their Israeli opponents.
As predicted, John Barnes recalled Jonathan Gould in goal but slightly modified his system to protect the two-goal lead Celtic had established at home.
Craig Burley, Stilian Petrov, Paul Lambert and Jackie McNamara provided a four-man shield for the new-look back three of Vidar Riseth, Alan Stubbs and Olivier Tebily, leaving only Lubo Moravcik in the attacking midfield role.
But Tebily in particular, didn't look happy in that role and it took Barnes only 12 minutes to revert to a back four with Riseth moving out to left-back.
The Israelis had been trying to stir their crowd up before the game by accusing Celtic of acting in an arrogant manner – and the news that directors David Kells and Michael McDonald were leaving before the end to get to Geneva in time for today's second-round draw did little to endear the Parkhead club to their hosts.
Maybe that's why the chant of "Glasgow Rangers" rang round the ground – a move that the pocket of 500 Celtic fans didn't accept silently.
The menacing manner in which Hapoel started the game silenced them, however.
A long diagonal ball from Igal Antebi found the powerful Ilan Bakhar ghosting in behind Petrov. He had a free header and time to place it, but thankfully for Celtic he picked a spot a yard wide of Gould's right-hand post.
The home side then had a loud appeal for a penalty rightly turned aside when a vicious Istavan Pishont shot smashed into Riseth's midriff.
The Tel Aviv players and their crowd rose as one demanding a spot-kick but the Spanish referee stayed strong and waved play on.
But Barnes had read the danger signs and Celtic immediately looked more comfortable when they switched to their flat four at the back.
Larsson, who was being picked out for some rough treatment, won his fourth free-kick in 12 minutes and Stubbs's effort from 25 yards tested Emelelech in the home goal for the first time.
Good defensive work by McNamara at the other end kept Tel Aviv out but in 23 minutes Celtic survived a real scare when the theatrics of Bakhar worked against him.
The striker seemed to have turned Riseth 10 yards out and perhaps the Norwegian did lay a hand on him, but his swan-like dive didn't impress Senor Arceo and a yellow card was waved in the face of the Israeli.
It was a warning that Celtic could not begin thinking about the next round, but they began moving the ball well on the rutted pitch and Burley gave the keeper more work to do from long range.
Gould was called into action at full stretch 10 minutes from the break and did well to stop Cohen's shot. The keeper was kicked in the head by Bahktar, following up, but it was purely accidental.
The keeper recovered and five minutes from the break he watched his mates create and miss an excellent chance.
Lambert played a wonderfully improvised pass out left to Moravcik, whose looping cross found Larsson lurking at the back post. The Swede tried to catch the keeper out at his near post but the effort was blocked.
Right on the half-time whistle, Larsson was again denied, this time by a magnificent save. The striker met another Moravcik cross perfectly but Emelelech twisted to palm the header on to the underside of his bar and out.
Hapoel came at Celtic with all guns blazing at the start of the second half but couldn't pierce the Scottish defence.
They couldn't … but Tebily nearly did.
Pishont, looking increasingly dangerous, slung a cross to the back post where Bakhar knocked it back into the six-yard box. Tebily tried to head it over his own bar but directed it towards the top corner.
Gould sprang and touched it over the top much to the relief of the man from the Ivory Coast.
If that was good, what followed from Gould was quite brilliant.
On the hour mark a Lambert trip on Davor Rupnik was punished with a penalty. It wasn't a difficult decision for the referee to make.
Harazi, a half-time substitute, blasted his shot low and hard towards the bottom right corner.
It was a good penalty but Gould's reactions were out of this world. He plunged to his right and not only stopped the shot but held it.
He may have regretted it, however, when Stubbs planted a smacker on his head!
That was Hapoel's chance gone and they knew it. Their heads dropped and they probably didn't even notice Morten Wieghorst replacing Petrov.
The Dane made an immediate impression, however, creating the opening for Larsson that gave Celtic the lead – and the tie – in the 63rd minute.
The Swede collected the pass 25 yards out, threw a defender with a feint to his right and, from just outside the box, drilled a low foot shot into the bottom corner.
It was his third of the two games and there and then Celtic could breathe a little easier.
The Tel Aviv fans had given up the ghost to such an extent that they gave Eyal Berkovic a hero's welcome when he replaced Viduka 15 minutes from time.
But soon they began to drift away, as did the competitive edge to the match.
Gould, however, still had time to deny Pishont with his legs. It really was the keeper's night.
- Manager Interview
John Barnes, post match:
"The fans were tremendous.
"For them to have travelled all that distance is a real testament to how good the Celtic fans are and I'd like to thank each and every one for making the effort.
"I wanted to let them in to training the night before and I am disappointed that we were not able to do so.
"You just have to look at how they turn up when we play Friendlies and so called lesser teams to know how good they are and if Celtic were playing in China I'm sure they'd be there too."
"We got the goal at a good time and , had they scored from the penalty spot things would have been different – but they didn't.
"I stressed earlier on that we should be careful in and around the penalty box and fortunately Jonathon did a good job.
"I said congratulatrions to the lads after the match and while we can say that we allowed Hapoel some chances, you have to appreciate how difficult it can be for British players in these conditions."
Pictures
Stats
| Hapoel Tel-Aviv | Celtic | |
| Bookings | 1 | 0 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Fouls | 15 | 18 |
| Shots on Target | 6 | 9 |
| Corners | 11 | 3 |
| Offside | 1 | 1 |
Articles
