2001-10-23: Rosenborg 2-0 Celtic, European Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 20012002 | 2001-02 Pictures | European Cup

Trivia

  • Rab Douglas saved a penalty
  • Brattbakk becomes one of the few Celts to have played for and against Celtic in Europe.
  • Brattbakk scores twice aganst his ex team mates – how predictable.

2001 Rosenborg v Celtic

Review

Teams

Rosenborg:-
Arason, Saarinen, Hoftun, Basma, Olsen, Strand, Berg (Winsnes 73), Skammelsrud, Rushfeldt, George (Johnson 83), Brattbakk.

Substitutes:- Espen Johnsen, Frode Johnsen, Knutsen, Blixt, Stensaas.
Rosenborg scorers:- Brattbakk 19, 36.
Booked:- Basma, Saarinen.

Celtic:-
Douglas, Valgaeren, Balde, Mjallby, Thompson (Hartson 78), Petrov (Moravcik 67), Lambert, Lennon, Agathe, Larsson, Sutton.

Substitutes:- Kharine, Sylla, McNamara, Tebily, Guppy.
Booked:- Petrov, Lennon.

Ref:- Juan Antonio Fernandez Marin (Madrid).
Att:- 21,540

Articles

  • Match Report (see below)

Pictures

Stats

Rosenborg Celtic
2 Goals scored 0
2 Yellow card 2
0 Red card 0
5 Shots on goal 5
4 Shots wide 7
20 Fouls committed 15
9 Corners 2
2 Offsides 7
29' 8'' Ball. Poss. (time) 31' 17''
48% Ball. Poss. (%) 52%

SPORTING LIFE

By Chris Roberts, PA Sport, Trondheim

With Halloween looming Harald Brattbakk came back to haunt his former side to leave Celtic's Champions League dream in tatters after a nightmare evening in Norway. Brattbakk spent 18 months at Parkhead, but even though he scored the title-clinching goal in 1998 he largely had a torrid time in Glasgow which he is all too glad to forget. But the Celtic fans will not forget him and he produced a trick and treat of his own with a first-half double to almost certainly destroy Martin O'Neill's hopes of qualifying from Group E for the second group stages. Bad defeats in the Lerkendal Stadion and in Portugal last week leave them one point behind Porto and five adrift of Juventus – who come to Parkhead next week in the final must-win game. It was ironic that all talk before the game was surrounding Celtic's big striking guns Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton and whether they would recover from illnesses. They did make it, but the saga took the spotlight away from Brattbakk, who even won his side a penalty which Robert Douglas saved from Bent Skammelsrud. Celtic struggled to make an impact from the first whistle and Sutton had the chance to test Arni Gauter Arason in the sixth minute after Erik Hoftun's poor clearance, but he pulled his right-foot shot well wide of the mark. The Hoops had to do some vital defending in the ninth minute after Bobo Balde's clumsy challenge on Brattbakk. The former Parkhead striker then swung in a dangerous cross which Joos Valgaeren had to head behind for a corner. Brattbakk could have hurt his former team-mates as early as the 17th minute after Balde failed to clear, but he snatched at the chance and blazed his volley wide from close range. The Celtic fans must have felt that was typical of his career at Parkhead, but he wiped the smiles off their faces when he put the Norwegians in front in the 19th minute. Janne Saarinen's long ball was headed down by Sigurd Rushfeldt and the Norwegian striker fired low and into the bottom corner from 25 yards. Didier Agathe again got away from Saarinen in the 25th minute, but Celtic were unable to capitalise as Erik Hoftun made a vital tackle with Sutton waiting to pounce at the back post. Nothing was going right for O'Neill's men and Stilian Petrov was booked for trying to stop Rosenborg from taking a quick free-kick after Johan Mjallby fouled Rushfeldt. But it looked as though more goals would come and Robert Douglas had to save Roar Strand's stinging long-range shot at the second attempt after good work by Orjan Berg to tee him up. Celtic, however, fell further behind in the 36th minute and it was Brattbakk again who made them pay. Berg got away from Neil Lennon before passing to Rushfeldt whose shot was saved by Douglas, but the striker coolly took his time before picking his spot from 12 yards. Things could have got even worse for Celtic in the 43rd minute, but for the heroics of Douglas. Balde was adjudged to have fouled Brattbakk in the box, but the Scotland man dived to his right to brilliantly save Skammelsrud's penalty. Ole Christer Basma was booked for dissent a minute later and Larsson curled the free-kick over the bar. Larsson had a glorious opportunity to pull his side back into the game just two minutes after the restart. Arason failed to collect Petrov's free-kick and the ball fell to the Swede with his back to goal, but he screwed his effort wide with the keeper struggling to make up the ground. The Rosenborg man made amends in the 48th minute when he came out to claim Agathe's cross with Sutton lurking with intent. Lennon was booked in the 55th minute for petulantly kicking the ball away and Celtic were even more frustrated moments later with Larsson and Sutton finally linking up well. Agathe found the Swede in space and his cross was headed by the English striker, but he was denied by Arason to his left. Larsson then went agonisingly close to scoring in the 63rd minute when Agathe picked him out in the box and he headed against the upright. Sutton then squandered a glorious chance two minutes later when he headed Thompson's cross into the side netting from close range before substitute Lubo Moravcik fired wide from a free-kick. Arason saved a weak effort from Sutton in the 74th minute and O'Neill threw on Hartson for Alan Thompson. In the dying seconds the Welshman only just failed to get on the end of Sutton's drive across the face of goal. But it was not to be their night as Brattbakk's smile at the final whistle told its own story. Celtic will hope that the striker will be as fired up next week when the Norwegians travel to Porto next week – while they will have to produce the goods against Juventus to go through.

Brattbakk freezes out Celtic

Brattbakk 19, 36

Michael Walker at the Lerkendal
The Guardian, Wednesday 24 October 2001 02.22 BST

On an evening of genuinely Arctic temperatures, when any lying water was solid well before kick-off, Celtic's hopes of reaching the next phase of the Champions League were also left frozen. Martin O'Neill's side still have a chance of making it through but Celtic are now on the outside, out in the cold.

Whether they can progress via a back door depends on Celtic beating Juventus at Parkhead next Wednesday and Porto not being able to do the same against Rosenborg in Portugal. It is not the most likely combination of results but Celtic can at least be relieved that they will be in Glasgow and that their travels in the group are at an end.

They conceded eight goals in their three away games and it would have been nine – three in each – but for Robert Douglas's bold penalty save in the 43rd minute last night.

That would have made the score 3-0, Harald Brattbakk having scored the second of his brace seven minutes earlier. That Brattbakk is a former Celtic player merely emphasised Scottish pain.

His first had come in the 19th minute and, being kind to Celtic, was the jolt that ended their fluency. However, on a pitch as treacherous as an ice rink, Celtic's fluency had not been overwhelmingly convincing anyway. Too many poor first touches and too many misplaced passes meant that the Rosenborg goalkeeper Arni Arason did not make a save until the second half.

O'Neill nevertheless said afterwards that he had been happy with Celtic's "bright" opening. "They scored with their first attack," he said, "and we still felt at half-time that, with Robert Douglas's penalty save, we had a chance of turning it round."

Had Henrik Larsson converted a difficult opportunity one minute after the break, then O'Neill would have had a point but Larsson missed and, in truth, it was at the back rather than in attack where Celtic lost this match. While quite defiant here in his comments, O'Neill will surely reflect that his three-man defence was left exposed by his midfield.

Rosenborg's first was a sweet 25-yard strike from Brattbakk that surprised those who remembered no such ability during his time with Celtic. Seizing on a Sigurd Rushfeldt knockdown from Saarinen's long punt, Brattbakk's shot went through Joos Valgaeren's legs and must have left Douglas temporarily unsighted.

Soon after that Douglas made a block from Roar Strand as Rosenborg started to dominate. Berg then initiated the second with a simple pass to Brattbakk. He in turn fed Rushfeldt and, though Douglas did well to parry with a leg, the ball ran back to Brattbakk who placed it into the bottom corner.

Brattbakk was then tugged unnecessarily by Balde as the pair challenged for a cross but, when Douglas dived low to keep out Bent Skammelsrud's penalty, Celtic had been given a major reprieve.

But they were unable to take advantage of it. After Larsson's miss he then hit the crossbar with a header in the 56th minute and shortly afterwards Chris Sutton squandered a free header from six yards. John Hartson was sent on late in the game but could not get himself involved. He was probably very cold.

· Juventus qualified in style for the second phase when goals by Alessandro del Piero (32), Paolo Montero (47) and David Trezeguet (73) produced a 3-1 win over Porto, who had led through a Clayton Cruz goal on 13 minutes at Stadio delle Alpi.

Rosenborg (4-3-3): Arason; Olsen, Basma, Hoftun, Saarinen; Strand, Berg, Skammelsrud; George, Brattbakk, Rushfeldt

Celtic (3-5-2): Douglas; Balde, Mjallby, Valgaeren; Agathe, Lennon, Lambert, Petrov (Moravcik, 66min), Thompson (Hartson, 78); Sutton, Larsson.

Referee: F Marin (Spain).