2011-11-03: Celtic 3-1 Rennes, UEFA Cup

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Trivia

• UEFA Cup 2011-12
• Celtic move off bottom of table.
• Marcus Fraser gets his debut…..
• Commons back in Celtic side. Good laugh when he turned up at training in plaster casts. A humourous dig at those who said he'd had a falling out with manager Lennon….. All taken well…
• Rangers "Vanguard Bears" are a laughing stock after publishing their interview with Rangers owner Craig Whyte….. Completely daft questions and answers..

Review

Finally good to see us defeat a side comprehensively. We conceded early and the writing seemed to be on the wall. Thirty minutes of pain followed as we faffed around the pitch in their shadows.
An undeserved equaliser slowly changed the game, and when Samaras laid off a quality header for Stokes to get his second, the tide had turned.

Second half saw Celtic in control. Rennes had their chances but some great saves from Foster and some goalkeeping saw no further losses. A third scored by Hooper set up by Samaras sealed a great victory against poor opposition. No longer bottom of the group!

Samaras also was great!!!! Surprising, setting up two goal…

Still want this transferred to the domestic stuff. Can't assume it's all systems go again now.

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Anthony Stokes double guides makeshift Celtic home against Rennes

Celtic 3-1 Rennes

Europa League 2011-12
Celtic 3

Stokes 30,
Stokes 43,
Hooper 82

Rennes 1

Kader Mangane 2

Ewan Murray
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 3 November 2011 22.09 GMT

Anthony Stokes, Celtic v Rennes, Europa League
Anthony Stokes of Celtic celebrates after scoring his second goal against Rennes in the Europa League. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Celtic's trip to Motherwell on Sunday always had more significance for Neil Lennon than this visit of Rennes.

Still, the Celtic manager can take heart from the manner in which his patchwork team recovered from Saturday's dismal home draw with Hibs. They also fought back from a goal behind.

What Celtic conceded in technical ability to the French side – and that was plenty – they made up for with commitment. Lennon needs similar effort levels if Celtic are to claw themselves closer to Rangers on the domestic front.

Progression from Group I remains possible for Celtic. Their opponents last night played the last four minutes with 10 men after Yann M'Vila picked up a second booking. Celtic would, however, swap progress in Europe for success closer to home. The first step with that in mind is seeing off Motherwell, who sit ahead of Lennon's men in the SPL.

Lennon's unsuccessful quest for consistency of selection was highlighted by the fact Glenn Loovens here became the eighth player already this season to captain Celtic. Amid a raft of injuries, this was a makeshift home line-up. It was also one which got off to the worst possible start. A corner which Celtic needn't have conceded resulted in Kader Mangane heading home Julien Féret's low, powerful cross.

Almost 10 years ago to the very day, Lennon formed part of a Celtic team which defeated Juventus in the Champions League. A decade on, the hosts spent the early exchanges as clearly second best to an athletic, threatening Rennes side.

A goalkeeping blunder allowed Celtic to restore parity. There seemed little menace in a long-range shot from James Forrest, yet Benoit Costil could only parry the attempt to the feet of Anthony Stokes, who slotted into an empty net. That goal steadied Celtic, with Forrest particularly prominent for the remainder of the first half. It was Stokes who sent them ahead, after some brilliantly route one stuff. Fraser Forster's goal kick was flicked on by Georgios Samaras, Stokes collecting the ball before offering a fine, angled finish.

Loovens was an enforced withdrawl at the interval, meaning a Celtic debut for the teenager Marcus Fraser and an addition to Lennon's casualty list. The replacement and his defensive colleagues looked on anxiously as Victor Montano somehow headed over the Celtic crossbar after an hour.

The impressive Victor Wanyama offered a Celtic response, with a shot which flew just wide. Forster then tipped Youssouf Hadji's attempt over the bar, before turning a header from the same player wide.

Gary Hooper endorsed the victory, playing a one-two with Samaras before slotting under Costil.

Celtic3-1Rennes

Page last updated at 21:57 GMT, Thursday, 3 November 2011 By Andy Campbell

BBC Sport Scotland Stokes' first-half double turned the match in Celtic's favour A double from Anthony Stokes helped Celtic claim their first European win of the season and stay in contention for Europa League progression.

Kader Mangane headed the French side in front in the second minute.

But Stokes equalised with a poacher's goal on the half-hour and the striker fired Celtic ahead before the break.

Gary Hooper came off the bench to seal Celtic's victory, finishing well at the end of a one-two with Georgios Samaras eight minutes from the end.

The win helped Neil Lennon's side move on to five points in Group I, two behind joint-leaders Atletico Madrid and Udinese, while Rennes, who had Yann M'Vila sent-off towards the end, are bottom with two points.

It was the French club who took the lead when Julien Feret's corner was headed into the net by captain Mangane, with the home defence seemingly caught cold.
The early goal stunned Celtic and they struggled to find the fluency required to put Rennes under pressure.

And the visitors were dangerous on the counter-attack, adept at mounting quick breaks from loose Celtic passes. Mangane had headed Rennes into an early lead But when the hosts finally carved out a meaningful attack, Stokes drew them level.

James Forrest drove at the Rennes defence and fired in a low shot that was palmed out by goalkeepeer Benoit Costil to Stokes, who converted the rebound from just outside the six-yard box.
And Celtic were in front by half-time as Rennes failed to cope with a long ball from keeper Fraser Forster.

Samaras headed on to Stokes, who got in behind the visiting defence to drill a low shot into the corner of the net.

Paddy McCourt, given a rare start in the Celtic line-up, weaved his way into the Rennes penalty area early in the second half but an excellent challenge by M'Vila prevented the winger getting his shot away.

Another Feret set-piece, this time a free-kick, created a headed chance for substitute Victor Montano but the forward could not keep his effort down as he rose unchallenged in the box.

Montano threatened again moments later, attempting to chip Forster from the inside-right channel, but the effort sailed across the face of goal and was eventually cleared.

Forster was called into action to tip a Youssouf Hadji shot over and the same man was denied by the Celtic keeper again moments later after heading towards goal at the back post.
Those saves proved crucial as Celtic extended their advantage through Hooper.

The striker, on in place of Forrest, spread play wide to Samaras before racing forward to receive the Greek's return pass and slip the ball past Costil.

Rennes' misery was complete when they were reduced to 10 men, M'Vila picking up a second booking for a late tackle on McCourt's replacement Kris Commons.