| Match Pictures | Champions League | Matches: 2008 – 2009 | 2008-2009 Pictures |
Trivia
- 4 games without a goal away from home in the CL, and its Man U in the next away game!
- WGS practically says in an interview we won't make it through to the KO of the CL (an honest assessment when you are playing against Man U & Villlarreal in your group).
- Villarreal & Celtic fans together raied €15k for charity! see Link
Review
Glorious failure has become a cliche for Celtic, and to be fair on this team it is quite apt. WGS has received criticism for his tactics in Europe in the past, but in this game against one of Europe's genuine top teams (top in Spain at the time of writing) WGS got his tactics quite right. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough and when a free-kick outside the box was given for an innocuous challenge by Hartley, it gave Valencia the opportunity to score which they did. Regardless, we were in the game for much of it, albeit against a far superior side, and we had our opportunities with Samaras, McManus and Skippy all having chances to score for us, but it wasn't to be.
Disappointing, but definitely in this case a good performance to be proud of.
Teams
Villarreal
Diego Lopez, Angel, Rodriguez, Godin, Capdevila, Santi Cazorla (Cani 90), Senna, Eguren, Pires (Bruno 83), Llorente, Rossi (Ibagaza 77)
Subs Not Used: Viera, Edmilson, Javi Venta, Fuentes
Goals: Senna 67
Celtic:(4-5-1)
Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura (Robson 74), Scott Brown, Maloney (McDonald 72), Hartley (Vennegoor of Hesselink 82), McGeady, Samaras
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Crosas, Loovens, Caddis.
Booked: Robson, Scott Brown.
Att: 25,000
Ref: Viktor Kassai (Hungary).
Articles
Pictures
KStreet
Stats
| Villarreal | Celtic | |
| 1 | Goals scored | 0 |
| 11 | Shots on target | 3 |
| 10 | Shots wide | 3 |
| 6 | Shots blocked | 2 |
| 0 | Yellow card | 2 |
| 0 | Red card | 0 |
| 7 | Fouls committed | 19 |
| 9 | Corners | 3 |
| 3 | Offsides | 0 |
| 37' 44'' | Ball. Poss. (time) | 21' 22'' |
| 63% | Ball. Poss. (%) | 37% |
Articles
Villarreal 1-0 Celtic
By David McDaid
BBC
A Marcos Senna free-kick was enough to consign Celtic to another away Champions League defeat, denting the Scottish side's last 16 hopes.
Villarreal posed the greater danger early on in the match, with Artur Boruc saving from Giuseppe Rossi.
Georgios Samaras spurned a wonderful opportunity to give Celtic the lead just before half-time.
And despite some dogged defending, Senna eventually beat Boruc with a curled free-kick on 67 minutes.
Celtic needed to take something from their second group E match, after a disappointing draw at home to Aalborg in match day one.
And despite a more mature away performance than those of recent seasons, the statistics make bleak reading with only one point from a possible 48 on their travels.
Worse still, Celtic now lie on one point alongside Aalborg, three points behind both Manchester United and Villarreal.
The Scottish champions made a confident start, but Villarreal fashioned the first effort on goal two minutes in, from Joseba Llorente after some neat build-up play.
Shaun Maloney and Aiden McGeady, recalled to the staring line-up, were providing outlets on the flanks for the Glasgow side to counter-attack at pace.
But, they found passing options limited with Samaras alone up front, even though the Greek again demonstrated the same energy and pace of recent weeks.
With 10 minutes on the clock Maloney tried his luck from a free-kick, but the former Aston Villa man was never going to trouble Diego Lopez from around 35 yards.
Moments later the Spaniards gave Celtic a wake-up call when Sebastian Eguren found space in the box but headed wide.
Celtic were playing well on the break, while the hosts looked dangerous whenever the triumvirate of Rossi, Santi Cazorla and Robert Pires got on the ball.
knockendownbhoy- 4 coming right up
However, for all the intricate football from the Spaniards, it was a long ball over the top on 20 minutes that presented them with their clearest chance to open the scoring.
The Celtic defence was caught out by Eguren's punt up-field, Rossi strode on to the ball, but Boruc raced out to save at the Italian's feet, and Llorente scooped the rebound over.
Soon after Llorente made Boruc save from a header, before McGeady had Lopez worried with a 25 yard shot that flew a yard wide.
Gordon Strachan's men had spells of possession, but Boruc was called into action again to tip over Rossi's powerful shot from Cazorla's cut-back towards the penalty spot.
Samaras had the perfect chance to give Celtic a half-time lead after Diego Godin made a hash of a long ball, but Lopez blocked the Greek's shot with his arm.
The second period began at a ferocious pace, and the match took on a real end-to-end feel.
Rossi shot inches wide of the Boruc's left post, while Samaras failed to connect with Mark Wilson's cross by the same margin.
As the half wore on McManus, Caldwell and Paul Hartley were at the heart of some solid Celtic defending, but Villarreal were tightening their grip on the game.
Marcos Senna forced Boruc to save a wicked swerving effort, as the Scottish side became pegged back in their own half.
And the Spanish international's persistence paid dividends on 67 minutes, when he curled a free-kick over the wall and inside Boruc's right-hand post for 1-0.
Scott McDonald was introduced for Maloney and nearly drew Celtic level with fierce, dipping volley which landed on the roof of the net.
Barry Robson and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink replaced Shunsuke Nakamura and Hartley as Celtic tried in vain to get back in to the game, but the Spaniards greeted the final whistle as worthy winners.
Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Angel, Rodriguez, Godin, Capdevila, Santi Cazorla (Cani 90), Senna, Eguren, Pires (Bruno 83), Llorente, Rossi (Ibagaza 77).
Subs Not Used: Viera, Edmilson, Javi Venta, Fuentes.
Goals: Senna 67.
Celtic: Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura (Robson 74), Scott Brown, Maloney (McDonald 72), Hartley (Vennegoor of Hesselink 82), McGeady, Samaras.
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Crosas, Loovens, Caddis.
Booked: Robson, Scott Brown.
Att: 25,000
Ref: Viktor Kassai (Hungary).
Strachan admits last 16 is remote
Gordon Strachan
BBC
Strachan takes his men to face Manchester United on match day three
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan admitted that the defeat away to Villarreal makes qualification for the Champions League last 16 a tall order.
However, Strachan added that he was more pleased than ever with how his side had performed on their travels.
"We've got a mountain to climb now, but I would say we've proved we can play at this level," said Strachan.
"And for the first time away from home I sat back and thought I was happy with what I was seeing."
The 1-0 defeat leaves Celtic in third place in Group E after two matches, three points adrift of Manchester United and Villarreal.
Strachan admitted the set-piece goal that undid his side came from a wonderful player in Villarreal captain Marcos Senna.
But the Celtic manager thought the free-kick awarded when Paul Hartley was adjudged to have fouled Joseba Llorente was dubious.
"I've had a look at it and I'm not convinced it was free-kick," said Strachan.
"Only the player who was involved with it will know whether he dived or not, but the pictures themselves tell you.
"But in Senna they have a world-class player, simple as that, and once they went 1-0 up they showed what a really good team they are."
Despite the reverse Strachan says his side showed a new dimension to their play in European competition.
"Tonight we worried them when we had the ball, whereas in the past we didn't really look threatening away from home," said Strachan.
"I asked the players to perform and I don't think anyone would disagree that for 55 minutes we were excellent and reasonably comfortable at the back.
"After that, whether by design or coincidence, they started to work our areas of the pitch.
"But that performance is alright, that's good enough to win games in most places in the Champions League.
"It's just unfortunate we came up against one of the best teams in Europe at the present moment."
Celtic slump to another away defeat.
Provided by: Irish Times