2009-12-17: Rapid Vienna 3-3 Celtic, UEFA Cup

Trivia

• Europa League 2009-10
  
• Celtic scrape in to 3rd, but no further qualification.
• Conceded a goal in 30 seconds, and then were three nil down after 20mins. Remarkably, we fought back to grab a draw!!!
• Freezing cold temperatures, it snowed all day in Vienna and the support was frozen. Temperature was said to have gone down to -8C! Some say even as low as -12C!
• Match was played not at Rapid's ground but the national stadium: "Ernst Happel Stadium"

Review

Last match was a non-event in some ways, but there was respect to be regained. Rapid away was a damp squid in that as much as there was a grudge to be settled, it was all put on ice (literally) as we battled to see who was to finish bottom of the group, 3rd v 4th instead of qualification.

So who was less pish between the two of us?

After 30 seconds, it looked to be us as Rapid scored quick time against a reserve Celtic side fielded to the disgruntlement of the fans who paid good money to be there (esp when they had to stand in below zero temperatures in a snow covered stadium to watch the game). After 20 minutes, it looked confirmed just how pish we are, with Rapid a bewildering three nil up!

Yet to the amazement we fought back. Fortune was the hero of the game, grabbing two goals, and at the death we grabbed a remarkable equalizer!!!! Class celebrations from the frozen Celtic support, but what the hell. A good game to end an otherwise forgettable UEFA Cup campaign.

We weren't bottom and Rapid didn't come above us or qualify, but is that any consolation?

Bizarrely, the worst team in the group were Hapoel and they finished the group top! They were likely the more focussed, hungry and determined. Something that Celtic lacked.

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Celtic staged the most dramatic of Europa League comebacks to draw 3-3 against Rapid Vienna in the Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday night.

An experimental Hoops side found themselves three goals behind after only 19 minutes in the Group C dead rubber as Nikica Jelavic grabbed a double before strike partner Hamdi Salihi’s goal threatened a rout. However, before the interval, Celtic striker Marc-Antoine Fortune scored to stem the tide.

It still looked a long way back for Tony Mowbray’s side but the former Nancy frontman doubled his tally in the 67th minute to set up a tense finale and, in stoppage time, Paul McGowan, making his first start of the season, fired in the leveller from close range to keep Celtic in third place.

A Group C campaign which began with a defeat in the heat of Israel against Tel Aviv concluded in freezing conditions in Vienna as Celtic finished third of four teams and failed to reach the next stage.

But, if nothing else, Mowbray will be warmed by the fighting spirit if his players.

Aside from McGowan’s inclusion, the Hoops manager had given rare starts to Willo Flood, Mark Wilson, Paul Caddis and Niall McGinn.

However, on a freezing cold Austrian night, the ploy to keep players fresh for Sunday’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League game at Hearts backfired spectacularly as the visitors found themselves a goal down before a minute had lapsed.

McManus surrendered possession to Rapid captain Steffen Hofmann and the ball was moved on to Jelavic who drilled a low shot from the edge of the box past Artur Boruc, with just 33 seconds on the clock.

Celtic and their small band of supporters were stunned and were visited by more woe in the eighth minute after their offside trap was cut wide open. Salihi cut the ball across the six-yard box for Jelavic, who had scored in the 1-1 draw at Parkhead, to knock the ball over the line from a yard out.

It became even more embarrassing for the Glasgow side in the 19th minute when Jelavic returned the favour for his strike partner, turning Loovens inside out before setting up Salihi who slid the ball in from eight yards for number three.

The Parkhead side were handed a lifeline in the 23rd minute when Wilson’s cross into the box from the left broke kindly for Fortune who turned and slammed a shot from 10 yards high into the net.
Moments later, with Celtic having at last found some belief, McGinn forced a decent save from Rapid’s stand-in goalkeeper Raimund Hedl with an angled shot.
The game had settled down and it was the Hoops, inspired by Fortune’s strong running, who were edging possession.

Seven minutes from the break, though, Celtic midfielder Landry N’Guemo gave possession away to Veli Kavlak in the middle of the park and, after brushing past Caddis, his shot was deflected past for a corner which the visitors survived, albeit unconvincingly.

But it was Celtic who ended the half stronger and a minute before the break Hedl had to dive high to his left to push McGinn’s long-distance drive away from the top corner, with the visitors failing to take advantage of the corner.

Celtic began the second half brightly and within minutes of the restart Hedl made yet another fine save from McGinn, who had been set up inside the box by McManus, by tipping a low drive past the post.

The Parkhead side were back on the ascendancy but it began to look as if it was not McGinn’s night as Hedl blocked another angled drive from the Northern Ireland international, this time with his foot, before making a more comfortable save from his left-footed drive moments later.

Rapid had lost their early momentum, perhaps understandably, and as Celtic chased, harried and probed, they struggled to make any inroads towards Boruc.
Celtic got their just rewards in the 67th minute when quick thinking by Flood at a free-kick sent McGinn racing down the right channel and when his cross came in to the middle Fortune had the simplest of tasks to score from barely a yard out.

Graham Carey replaced McGinn to make his Celtic debut with around 13 minutes left and still the Parkhead side pushed for the leveller as the hosts continued to deteriorate.

And in the first minute of stoppage time McGowan drove in from close range after Marc Crosas had chipped into the box to end a disappointing campaign on a positive note.

By Martin Conaghan
Celtic recovered from the loss of three goals to salvage a point in their final Europa League match against Rapid.

Nikica Jelavic's shot opened the scoring inside 32 seconds, then the Croat made it two from close range.

Hamdi Salihi added Rapid's third in the 19th minute when Jelavic turned provider for the Albanian to fire home.

Marc-Antoine Fortune blasted in a 24th-minute reply from six yards out then added a tap-in in the 67th minute before Paul McGowan's late strike.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/europe/8410794.stm

Published: 2009/12/17 19:50:43 GMT

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