2009-09-17: Hapoel Tel Aviv 2-1 Celtic, UEFA Cup

Trivia

• Europa League 2009-10
• Our first Europa League group game.
• We continued our poor form away from home in European group games. What the hell……
• McManus returned to the first team, and was captain (and was poor)

Review

A game of two halves? Definitely as the cliche goes and the faults cover both the manager anf the players. McManus returned to the first team as captain but was way out of sorts. Nevertheless we still commanded the first half and led from a great strike by Samaras. Should have got more but were little troubled and we had most of the better possession.

Second half was woeful. We seemed to sit back and let the opposition take control. They had better possession despite being a poorer side, and when they took the lead it was through our own errors. McManus was out of sorts and allowed the attacker to get a cross in that should have been stoppeed and the rest was history. The Israelis took control and were gifted a second goal through some good work.

We did little thereafter and we'd embarrisingly lost. The israelis were a dirty fouling side too often and had too many fouls, and it was definitely stopping us in our tracks. Disapponting stuff from Celtic and we have to really piock up our act from here.

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Hapoel Tel-Aviv 2-1 Celtic

BBC
By David McDaid

Celtic surrendered the lead as Hapoel claimed a deserved win in their Europa League Group C opener in Israel.

Following a slow start, Georgios Samaras fired Celtic ahead on 25 minutes with a well-taken low strike.

The Scots controlled the rest of the half, but Hapoel emerged for the second period re-energised.

With the visitors pinned back, Nemanja Vucicevic slammed in the leveller before Maaran Lala stabbed in the winner from close range on 88 minutes.

The defeat will leave a sour taste in the mouth for Celtic after leading for so long in the game, but their second-half display left a lot to be desired.

As a result of the reverse Tony Mowbray's men sit in third place in the group as Rapid Vienna recorded a 3-0 win over German league leaders Hamburg.

Having proven against Dinamo Moscow that they are capable of winning away from home after a barren six years of on their travels optimism was high that Celtic could repeat the feat against Hapoel, who have had an unremarkable start to their domestic campaign.

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But in the stifling Israeli heat the hosts began, perhaps understandably, with much more pace than the Scottish visitors.

Hapoel's Bebars Natcho in particular looked energetic darting forward from midfield and with less than a minute on the clock he had a headed chance which he was unable to keep down.

Celtic, with a cautious 4-5-1 formation, had most of their early possession along the back four as the Israeli team retreated to defend en masse.

But the Glasgow club were denied the lead on 11 minutes when goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama made a dextrous save to tip Samaras' header on to the bar from Shaun Maloney's corner.

However, Celtic had Artur Boruc to thank at the other end for staying on level terms when he saved low from Vucicevic after a slide-rule pass had split the Scots' defence.

With 25 minutes played Celtic made the breakthrough.

Gary Caldwell, playing in a holding midfield role, picked out Samaras with a long pass, which the lone striker controlled on his chest before lashing low inside the far post.

Celtic looked comfortable following the goal, stringing passes together and slowing the match down, as Hapoel's early eagerness seemed to dissipate.

Zurab Menteshashvili stung Boruc's palms with a long-range effort towards the end of the half.

But a good first-half showing for Celtic was somewhat sullied by Aiden McGeady picking up an unnecessary booking for reacting to a foul.

Soon after the restart Uefa's extra official behind the Celtic goal remained impassive amid Hapoel penalty claims when a ball into the box flicked off Stephen McManus' arm.

And moments later Natcho's calls for a spot-kick were rewarded with a yellow card for a theatrical dive with no defender nearby.

But Hapoel had started the second period in the same vein as the first, and Boruc was again called upon to parry away a fierce Gil Vermouth shot.

As the half wore on Celtic posed less and less of a threat and eventually they were undone.

Right-winger Samuel Yeboah's ball across goal was only knocked weakly into the path of Vucecevic, and the Serbian midfielder cracked the ball into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

In the closing 15 minutes, Celtic survived a number of scares as Hapoel looked the more likely side to claim victory.

And agonisingly for Celtic, Lala lunged on the the six yard box to knock Vermouth's pass into the net for a deserved victory, as the visitors paid the price for a largely toothless second-half display.

Live text commentary
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/europe/8255021.stm

Published: 2009/09/17 18:52:48 GMT

© BBC 2011

• Full Time
• 90:00+4:58 The game is over, as the referee blows his whistle.
• 90:00+2:26 Shaun Maloney takes a inswinging corner.
• 90:00+2:16 Andreas Hinkel sends in a cross, clearance by Deddi Ben Dayan.
• 89:55 Direct free kick taken by Vincent Enyeama.
• 89:55 Booking Scott McDonald goes into the book for unsporting behaviour.
• 89:50 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Da Silva Douglas by Scott McDonald.
• 89:36 Substitution Scott McDonald on for Gary Caldwell.
• 87:27 The assist for the goal came from Gil Vermouth.
• 87:27 GOAL – Maaran Lala:Hapoel Tel-Aviv 2 – 1 Celtic Maaran Lala gets on the score sheet with a goal from inside the box low into the middle of the goal. Hapoel Tel-Aviv 2-1 Celtic.
• 87:21 The ball is swung over by Gil Vermouth,
• 86:42 Samuel Yeboah produces a right-footed shot from inside the area that clears the crossbar.
• 83:48 Effort from inside the area by Eran Zahavi misses to the left of the target.
• 83:13 Eran Zahavi is caught offside. Artur Boruc takes the free kick.
• 81:48 Maaran Lala takes a shot. Save made by Artur Boruc.
• 80:12 Unfair challenge on Aiden McGeady by Walid Badir results in a free kick. Free kick crossed right-footed by Gary Caldwell from left wing.
• 79:21 Substitution Nemanja Vucicevic leaves the field to be replaced by Victor Merey.
• 78:05 Effort on goal by Aiden McGeady from just inside the penalty area goes over the target.
• 74:29 GOAL – Nemanja Vucicevic:Hapoel Tel-Aviv 1 – 1 Celtic Nemanja Vucicevic grabs a goal from inside the box to the top right corner of the goal. Hapoel Tel-Aviv 1-1 Celtic.
• 73:43 Maaran Lala produces a header from inside the area that goes over the bar.
• 72:30 Shaun Maloney is ruled offside. Free kick taken by Vincent Enyeama.
• 69:12 Substitution Christopher Killen replaces Georgios Samaras.
• 67:03 Substitution Eran Zahavi joins the action as a substitute, replacing Bebars Natcho.
• 64:54 Substitution Niall McGinn is brought on as a substitute for Landry N'Guemo.
• 64:54 Free kick awarded for a foul by Gary Caldwell on Da Silva Douglas. Bebars Natcho takes the direct free kick.
• 62:52 Deddi Ben Dayan produces a cross.
• 58:34 Samuel Yeboah is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Artur Boruc takes the free kick.
• 57:03 Headed effort from inside the box by Maaran Lala misses to the right of the target.
• 54:24 Free kick awarded for a foul by Gary Caldwell on Bebars Natcho. Bebars Natcho restarts play with the free kick.
• 53:36 Substitution Zurab Menteshashvili leaves the field to be replaced by Maaran Lala.
• 50:43 Booking Bebars Natcho booked.
• 49:52 Gil Vermouth takes a shot. Save by Artur Boruc.
• 48:12 Nemanja Vucicevic has an effort at goal from just outside the box which goes wide of the left-hand upright.
• 45:01 The second half has started.
• Half Time
• 45:00+0:58 The whistle is blown to end the first half.
• 43:32 Aiden McGeady crosses the ball from the free kick right-footed from right channel.
• 43:32 Booking Aiden McGeady goes into the referee's book.
• 43:28 Booking Booking for Avichai Yadin.
• 43:00 Corner taken by Avichai Yadin from the right by-line. Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Aiden McGeady by Avichai Yadin.
• 42:17 Zurab Menteshashvili has a drilled shot. Save by Artur Boruc.
• 40:07 Daniel Fox fouled by Avichai Yadin, the ref awards a free kick. Free kick taken by Landry N'Guemo.
• 37:07 Stephen McManus produces a cross.
• 33:24 Georgios Samaras produces a cross.
• 27:58 Georgios Samaras crosses the ball, Vincent Enyeama makes a save.
• 24:50 Assist on the goal came from Shaun Maloney.
• 24:50 GOAL – Georgios Samaras:Hapoel Tel-Aviv 0 – 1 Celtic Georgios Samaras scores a goal from just inside the penalty area to the bottom right corner of the goal. Hapoel Tel-Aviv 0-1 Celtic.
• 20:14 Aiden McGeady has an effort from just inside the box that misses to the left of the goal.
• 18:45 Avichai Yadin concedes a free kick for a foul on Landry N'Guemo. Landry N'Guemo restarts play with the free kick.
• 18:31 The ball is delivered by Deddi Ben Dayan.
• 17:37 Deddi Ben Dayan challenges Georgios Samaras unfairly and gives away a free kick. Georgios Samaras takes the free kick.
• 15:38 Free kick awarded for a foul by Landry N'Guemo on Bebars Natcho. Free kick crossed by Bebars Natcho, save by Artur Boruc.
• 13:14 Nemanja Vucicevic takes a shot. Artur Boruc makes a save.
• 12:17 Foul by Avichai Yadin on Aiden McGeady, free kick awarded. Aiden McGeady takes the free kick.
• 11:45 Georgios Samaras takes a shot.
• 10:46 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Glenn Loovens from the left by-line.
• 8:43 Nemanja Vucicevic is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Artur Boruc takes the indirect free kick.
• 6:51 Free kick awarded for a foul by Omri Kende on Shaun Maloney. The ball is crossed by Shaun Maloney, Header by Gary Caldwell from deep inside the penalty area misses to the left of the goal.
• 4:46 Nemanja Vucicevic crosses the ball.
• 0:53 The ball is swung over by Deddi Ben Dayan, Bebars Natcho produces a header from inside the area that goes over the crossbar.
• 0:00 The referee gets the match started.

Hapoel Tel-Aviv 2