| Match Pictures | Champions League | Matches: 2006 – 2007 | 2006-2007 Pictures |
Trivia
- Two Ex Celts, Roy Keane and Tommy Docherty, both tipped United to win this this match.
- "Old Trafford on Champions League night is no place for Nakamura, and his blend of tippy-tappy football."
Cue ………. 47 minutes later Naka flights a sublime free kick over £100 Million pounds worth of defensive wall! Derek Johnstone
Review
Saha instantly emerged as a threat to Celtic, with a header from Gary Neville's cross that drifted inches wide and a stunning left-foot volley that was narrowly over the top.
But Celtic broke the shackles to take the lead after 21 minutes. Boruc's long kick saw Venegoor of Hesselink brush aside Lee Ferdinand and score with a finish from 18 yards.
United equalised seven minutes later when Boruc was wrongly adjudged to have fouled Giggs as he raced out of goal.
Saha tucked away the spot-kick, but the downside for United saw Giggs limp off with what appeared to be a hamstring strain, to be replaced by Solskjaer.
Venegoor of Hesselink wasted a perfect opportunity to restore Celtic's lead after 36 minutes when he met Nakamura's free-kick but headed tamely at Edwin van der Sar.
United made Celtic pay for their generosity shortly after when they went ahead through Saha.
Gravesen lost possession to Scholes, and he delivered an inviting pass for Saha to steer home.
But Celtic restored equality three minutes before the break when Nakamura curled a perfect 25-yard free-kick beyond Van der Sar.
Gravesen – who was struggling to make an impact – then wasted all Celtic's good work with another awful error to present United with a third seconds after the re-start. He carelessly passed straight to Scholes, who once again played in Saha, and when his effort was scrambled clear by Boruc, Solskjaer lashed the loose ball into the roof of the net.
Gravesen almost made amends for his part in two of United's goals with a trademark run and shot, but Van der Sar was equal to the task.
Boruc was in magnificent form, and he produced his best save of a busy evening from his own defender Paul Telfer with seven minutes left. He somehow changed direction to claw Telfer's header on to an upright when he inadvertantly directed Darren Fletcher's cross towards his own goal.
Teams
Man Utd:-
Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre, Fletcher, Scholes (O'Shea 79), Carrick, Giggs (Solskjaer 32), Rooney (Richardson 86), Saha.
Subs Not Used:- Kuszczak, Evra, Smith, Vidic.
Booked:- Silvestre.
Goals: Saha 30 pen, 40, Solskjaer 47.
Celtic (4-1-4-1 formation):-
Boruc, Wilson (Telfer 51), Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Lennon, Nakamura, Gravesen, Jarosik (Miller 55), McGeady (Maloney 69), Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Subs Not Used:- Marshall, Balde, Zurawski, Sno.
Booked:- Boruc, Miller.
Goals:- Vennegoor of Hesselink 21, Nakamura 43.
Att:- 74,031
Ref:- Lubos Michel (Slovakia).
KStreet
- Match Thread
- MOTM Voting
- MOTM Winner – Artur Boruc – (Link to MOTM Winners 2006-07)
STATS
| Man. United | Celtic | |
| 3 | Goals scored | 2 |
| 1 | Yellow card | 2 |
| 0 | Red card | 0 |
| 6 | Shots on goal | 4 |
| 7 | Shots wide | 0 |
| 16 | Fouls committed | 11 |
| 4 | Corners | 4 |
| 0 | Offsides | 1 |
| 32' 19'' | Ball. Poss. (time) | 25' 58'' |
| 56% | Ball. Poss. (%) | 44% |
Articles
- Match Report (BBC)
- "The spirit of the game was created by the Celtic fans and I wish every club would bring 6,000 supporters." – Alex Ferguson
- Fan's View – Dubcelt
Statistics
Pictures
Man Utd 3-2 Celtic
By Phil McNulty
BBC
Louis Saha scored twice to give Manchester United victory in the Champions League clash with Celtic.
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink put Celtic ahead with a low shot after 21 minutes.
United equalised when Saha scored from the spot after Celtic keeper Artur Boruc fouled Ryan Giggs, then the French striker swept home a second.
Shunsuke Nakamura's free-kick put Celtic level, but Thomas Gravesen's mistake gifted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer United's third seconds after the break.
News conference: Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson
News conference: Celtic boss Gordon Strachan
Saha instantly emerged as a threat to Celtic, with a header from Gary Neville's cross that drifted inches wide and a stunning left-foot volley that was narrowly over the top.
But Celtic broke the shackles to take the lead after 21 minutes – and it was a goal Rio Ferdinand will want to forget.
Boruc's long kick saw Venegoor of Hesselink brush aside a feeble Ferdinand challenge and score with a finish from 18 yards.
United equalised seven minutes later when Boruc was very harshly adjudged to have fouled Giggs as he raced out of goal.
Saha tucked away the spot-kick, but the downside for United saw Giggs limp off with what appeared to be a hamstring strain, to be replaced by Solskjaer.
Venegoor of Hesselink wasted a perfect opportunity to restore Celtic's lead after 36 minutes when he met Nakamura's free-kick but headed tamely at Edwin van der Sar.
United made Celtic pay for their generosity shortly after when they went ahead through Saha.
Gravesen lost possession to Scholes, and he delivered an inviting pass for Saha to steer home.
But Celtic were adopting a bold approach and restored equality three minutes before the break when Nakamura curled a perfect 25-yard free-kick beyond Van der Sar.
Gravesen – who was struggling to make an impact – then wasted all Celtic's good work with another awful error to present United with a third seconds after the re-start.
He carelessly passed straight to Scholes, who once again played in Saha, and when his effort was scrambled clear by Boruc, Solskjaer lashed the loose ball into the roof of the net.
Saha could have had at least a hat-trick, and he was narrowly off target with another header from Darren Fletcher's cross in the 63rd minute.
United were now in the ascendancy and Rooney somehow contrived to miss from six yards after a surging run from Ferdinand, and was then denied by the excellent Boruc after he wrong-footed the Celtic defence.
Gravesen almost made amends for his part in two of United's goals with a trademark run and shot, but Van der Sar was equal to the task.
Boruc was in magnificent form, and he produced his best save of a busy evening from his own defender Paul Telfer with seven minutes left.
He somehow changed direction to claw Telfer's header on to an upright when he inadvertantly directed Darren Fletcher's cross towards his own goal.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre, Fletcher, Scholes (O'Shea 79), Carrick, Giggs (Solskjaer 32), Rooney (Richardson 86), Saha.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Evra, Smith, Vidic.
Booked: Silvestre.
Goals: Saha 30 pen, 40, Solskjaer 47.
Celtic: Boruc, Wilson (Telfer 51), Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Lennon, Nakamura, Gravesen, Jarosik (Miller 55), McGeady (Maloney 69), Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Balde, Zurawski, Sno.
Booked: Boruc, Miller.
Goals: Vennegoor of Hesselink 21, Nakamura 43.
Att: 74,031
Ref: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).
'We could have scored 10' Ferguson praises his attack as well as Celtic for 'having a go', writes Tim Rich
HAVING played for and supported Rangers and grown up in the shadow of Ibrox's floodlights, it might be thought praising Celtic would hardly come easily to Sir Alex Ferguson.
"We have a lot of teams that come to Old Trafford, put five across the middle and hope to nick a goal,'' Ferguson said. "The spirit of the game was created by the Celtic fans and I wish every club would bring 6,000 supporters. Sometimes they come to Old Trafford half asleep, waiting to be entertained.
"Last year Lille came here and put 10 men behind the ball and had not one bloody shot at goal. That kind of football really depresses me. But Celtic went out and had a right go.
"When we go to Glasgow to face Celtic the atmosphere will be fantastic. But we have had a good start to the campaign and we go to Benfica now. It will be bloody different to the last time we played there [when United lost 2-1], I can tell you.''
Ferguson may have been pleased by the openness and grit of the side Gordon Strachan sent out but he was withering in his assessment of Celtic's ability to resist his team's attack.
"We could have scored 10 to be honest with you. Artur Boruc made three fantastic saves. Louis Saha could have beaten the European goalscoring record on his own. Saha has got everything a striker should have but he has to stay fit because he has had a terrible record with injury.''
Ferguson, however, thought Paul Scholes, returning after a three-match suspension, was his man of the match. The only real negatives was that Ryan Giggs, whose form has propelled Manchester United to the summit of the Premiership, will miss Sunday's encounter with Arsenal and his most obvious replacement, Ji-Sung Park, will be absent for three months after he undergoes an ankle operation today.
For the Celtic manager, Gordon Strachan, what might have been a wonderfully romantic evening turned on the penalty Giggs won that levelled the scores after Jan Venegoor of Hesselink's opener.
"It was no penalty but I can live with that,'' he said. "I am not slamming or blasting the referee, you can see that from the tone I am taking. The referee has made one mistake, we have made numerous ones.''
(c) 2006 Telegraph Group Limited, London
The Daily Telegraph