| Match Pictures | Matches: 1999 – 2000 | 1999-2000 Pictures |
Trivia
- A lecturer in Sports Science at Stirling University had just won a £800 grant to study why Celtic fans were prepared to travel so far to support the team. (The Herald, 1/11/99)
- Stephan Mahe was in contract talks with the club to extend his deal which was due to expire at the end of the season.
- A minute’s silence was observed pre kick-off for Celtic masseur Jimmy Steel who had passed away earlier in the week. God bless him.
- Berkovic came back into the side having recovered from the thigh strain that ad kept him out for four games. Petta and Brattbakk were added to the squad. Ian Wright was ineligible.
- Lyon lost 4-3 on aggregate in the next round to Werder Bremen.
Review
Described by some commentators as “an abject failure”, the team looked out-played by a technically superior French side and lacked the ability to pull themselves back into the game after going a goal down, despite the best efforts of the crowd to will them on.
Teams
Celtic: Gould, Stubbs, Tebily, McNamara, Burley, Lambert, Riseth, Berkovic, Moravcik (Blinker 82), Viduka, Burchill.
Subs Not Used: Kharine, Petta, Mjallby, Wieghorst, Petrov, Brattbakk.
Lyon: Coupet, Carteron, Laville, Bak, Violeau, Anderson (Uras 87), Dhorasoo (Malbranque 65), Vairelles, Blanc (Devaux 79), Delmotte, Linares.
Subs Not Used: Govou, Caveglia, Ouerdi, Hugues.
Goals: Vairelles 17.
Booked: McNamara (Celtic) Violeau, Vairelles (Olympique Lyonnais)
Agg (0-2).
Referee: Georg Vardenne (Germany).
Attendance: 54,291.
Articles
- Match Report
Vairelles goal is too much for sad Celtic;French technically better as Barnes' men bow tamely out of Europe
The Herald 05/11/1999
Rob Robertson
Celtic ……. 0 Olympique Lyon …… 1
(Lyon win 2-0 on aggregate)
Celtic's hopes of progressing further in the UEFA Cup were comprehensively laid to rest last night by a technically superior Lyon side.
The Parkhead team's challenge was all but over as early as 17 minutes when Tony Vairelles put the visitors 1-0 up on the night, leaving Celtic to score three goals to win the tie.
They never looked like they would manage that, with only Mark Viduka showing glimpses of the type of direct running that would have troubled the French side's defence.
Although the Celtic supporters could not be faulted for their enthusiastic backing, their team gave them precious little to cheer as what few moves they put together invariably broke down on the edge of the area.
There was the expected late flurry by Celtic, but by then it was too little, too late.
Overall, it was such a disjointed performance that coach John Barnes will have his work cut out to put the pieces back together in time for Sunday's crucial league match against Rangers at Ibrox.
Barnes had made it clear beforehand that the atmosphere created by the 50,000 crowd could have a big impact on the outcome of the game.
With that in mind, it seemed that the Celtic faithful had been reading his script as before kick off they belted out a rousing rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone that could have only inspired his men.
Such was the decibel level, it was great credit to the supporters that they managed to immaculately observe a minutes silence in memory of Celtic masseur Jimmy Steel, who died this week.
Although all the omens seemed right for Celtic, it was clearly the French side that was quicker out of the box.
Indeed, within the first 10 minutes, it took two good saves from Celtic goalkeeper Jonathan Gould to keep them in the game.
The indicators were there right from the start, however, that the visitors would keep their composure despite the white hot atmosphere in the stadium.
Within the first few minutes, Alan Stubbs had to look sharp to get in front of Sonny Anderson with the £9m signing from Barcelona poised to take advantage of any slip.
In four minutes, Gould made a marvellous stop from a Patrice Carteron header and six minutes later the goalkeeper pulled off another exquisite save from a shot from David Linares.
In between, Lubomir Moravcik slashed a good effort across the goal, which was Celtic's only real chance up until that moment.
It was always going to take a moment of inspiration to open the Lyon defence and, in 14 minutes, it nearly came through Viduka and Eyal Berkovic.
The big Australian laid a marvellous pass to the Israeli, who was just fractionally off side when he stroked the ball home.
Unfortunately for Celtic, the fine line between success and failure at this level was shown only three minutes later when the French side took the lead.
It was Vikash Dhorasoo who played the ball out wide to Vairelles, who bore down on the edge of the Celtic area.
In truth, he was probably thinking of putting in a cross, but Gould seemed to have a rush of blood to his head and ran out to the edge of the box to try and clear the danger.
The presence of the out-rushing goalkeeper made Vairelles' mind up for him and he did well to control the flight of the ball and guide it into the empty Celtic net.
You would have expected some sort of Celtic flourish to counteract them going behind, but although they had plenty of possession they never looked like they could breach the Lyon defence.
Although the drizzling rain made controlling the ball difficult, it was the home side who struggled the most on the wet surface. Only Craig Burley and Viduka seemed capable of rising above the mediocrity, but despite their promptings too many passes went astray.
In 38 minutes, Viduka could have put Celtic level. He picked up a ball from Jackie McNamara, ghosted past three defenders, but despite his marvellous lead up work was still slightly off balance when his shot from deep inside the area went just wide.
Within seconds of the restart, Anderson once again showed his mettle with a long range effort that just went over Gould's bar, while in 55 minutes Christophe Delmotte tried a copy cat effort that again just went over the top.
Although Celtic had their fair share of possession in the middle of the park, even inspirational players like Berkovic looked like they did not have the guile to unlock the Lyon defence.
Not surprisingly, as the game progressed the French side tried to take the sting out of the game, something they succeeded in doing with poise and far too much ease.
In 69 minutes they were unlucky not to increase their lead, a long range effort from Anderson being turned away by Gould for a corner and from the resultant kick the Celtic goalkeeper was called on once again to make a good save from a Carteron header.
Celtic did get in behind Lyon a few times, the best chance coming when a brave save from Gregory Coupet defied Burchill, who had a quite game.
Man-by-Man
| Jonathon Gould | 6 | Pulled off two superb early saves from Carteron and Linares but seemed to have a rush of blood to the head at Lyon's goal. |
| Alan Stubbs | 7 | Coped well with the threat of Brazilian Anderson and tried to prompt his attack with some intelligent passes. |
| Oliver Tebily | 6 | Still liable to give the support heart attacks with his eccentric style but helped subdue the early threat of Vairelles. |
| Jackie McNamara | 6 | Started shakily but was more impressive going forward and set up Viduka for what should have been a goal just before half-time. |
| Craig Burley | 6 | Gave the ball away too often early on but began to boss the midfield for spells as match went on |
| Paul Lambert | 5 | Rarely showed his usual command and seemed to find it difficult to get into a game in which Celtic were crying out for him |
| Vidar Riseth | 5 | Posted missing when Vairelles scored. Seemed panicky when under pressure – which was often |
| Eyal Berkovic | 5 | Looked lively early on but flattered to deceive and was careless with his distribution. His mobility was not helped by first half knock |
| Lubo Moravcik | 6 | Was an anonymous figure for too long in Celtic's hour of need and rarely threatened apart from an early drive across the goal |
| Mark Viduka | 6 | A willing target but his service was poor. Best chance came just before half-time following McNamara's superb run – but he shot wide |
| Mark Burchill | 5 | Ran about but was too easily knocked off the ball and had little service to work with. Became frustrated and was fortunate not to be booked |
| Regi Blinker | 3 | Replaced Moravcik late on – and proved to be just as effective. |
| Subs not used: Kharine, Petta, Mjallby, Wieghorst, Petrov, Brattbakk | ||
- Manager Interview
John Barnes post match:
“Jonathan Gould has been magnificent for us and has saved us on a few occasions. Looking back, he might think he shouldn't have come out but keepers are there to be shot at when they make mistakes.
"These things happen. It did affect the game, but I will not blame the keeper because the all-round performance was poor.
"Obviously, I am disappointed, because when we went a goal down it became very difficult for us. Lyon relaxed and played excellently. They were worthy winners.
"There was no urgency in our passing or movement and the players and the crowd went a bit flat."
Bernard Lacome, Lyon manager:
"We had identified weaknesses in defence after watching them in games against Aberdeen, Ayr, and Kilmarnock when I felt there were too big gaps between the full backs and the central defence,"
Pictures
Stats
| Celtic | Olympique Lyonnais | |
| Bookings | 1 | 2 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Fouls | 16 | 17 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 9 |
| Corners | 2 | 2 |
| Offside | 5 | 5 |