2011-11-30: Celtic 0-1 Athletico Madrid, UEFA Cup

Trivia

• Celtic need to win away in Udinese(Italy) to make it through. We've only won 1 of the last 32 away games in Europe!!!
• Sixth time we've played A Madrid competitively and not won.
• Scott Brown returns after long injury.
• Matches overshadowed by death (suicide) of Wales Manager David Speedy last weekend. RIP

Review

(macca89 of KDS forum)
It was an uneven performance. Played well in spells, and really poor in others. I suppose that had something to do with our level of opponent.

Wanyama is a real gem, bosses the midfield whilst looking cool as a cucumber. Him in there really makes Kayal come on to a game. Ki for me can leave in January if a decent offer comes in for him. A talented footballer though I just think he doesn't suit our type of football. We need guys who can graft and put in total effort. We've played with worse players and beat better teams than tonight. Its all about effort and heart and Ki just doesnt have that.

We really pummelled them for the first 20 minutes. Game died as soon as they scored, from then we sat in way to deep which invited them on, and with our inability to have an outball for a breakaway and the lack of urgency to get out once their attack had broken down, it left us camped in our own half for the majority of the game.

Bringing everyone back for an opposition corner kick is just wrong. you leave one man up the park you have an outball, and they need to put 2 men back to mark him. Hell even the SPL fodder dont bring everyone back for a corner against us.

Forrest and Matthews had good games. If they could work on they're deliveries into the box rather than not looking up and just hoofing it in, it would vastly help our game.

Plenty of things to work on but still plenty of positives.

We're a good team, and if we fix our weaknesses and cut out individual errors we can be a great team.

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Celtic 0 – 1 Atletico Madrid: Celtic’s Euro hopes hang by a thread after defeat

The Scotsman

CELTIC suffered their first home European defeat in two years to leave their hopes of remaining in continental competition beyond Christmas resting on a daunting assignment in Italy in 15 December.

A 30th minute goal from Turkish international striker Arda Turan, which Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster should have prevented, was enough to secure victory for Atletico Mad-rid and earn the Spanish side a place in the last 32 of the Europa League.

Neil Lennon’s men now need to win away to Udinese in their final Group I fixture in a fortnight if they are to join Atletico in the knockout phase. Defeat was harsh on Celtic last night when a draw would have been a fairer outcome from an enjoyable match. Even then, however, Celtic would still have been heading to northern Italy in need of all three points.

This was their first defeat in ten matches in all competitions but, although a disappointment for Lennon, it is not one which should necessarily stall the momentum they have gathered domestically in recent weeks.

In a contest as open as Lennon had predicted it might be, Celtic came perilously close to falling behind inside the opening minute. The loss of an early goal when the teams met in the first round of matches in Madrid proved a setback Celtic were unable to recover from, and they had the wastefulness of Eduardo Salvio to thank for not facing the same scenario last night.

Victor Wanyama was dispossessed by Diego, the Brazilian playmaker threading a pass to Adrian Lopez, who was denied a clear shooting chance by Glenn Loovens’ covering tackle.

It came at the expense of a corner kick which Celtic were unable to clear effectively and when Turan crossed the ball in from the left, Diego Godin nodded it back across the six-yard box to the unmarked Salvio. With the goal at his mercy, the Argentinian forward steered his free header wide.

If the Celtic goalkeeper was relieved on that occasion, he was extremely fortunate not to be punished for his own hesitancy during Atletico’s next raid. He was desperately slow to react when Turan whipped over another cross from the left, allowing Salvio to nip in and beat him to the ball. Salvio’s first touch was of insufficient quality to allow him to take full advantage and the danger was cleared.

Celtic responded smartly to create significant problems at the other end for an Atletico defence which appeared especially uneasy in dealing with set pieces.

Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who endured a miserable weekend when he was sent off during the 4-1 derby defeat at Real Madrid, made a valuable double contribution for his side in the 12th minute.

Ki Sung Yueng’s corner from the left was headed towards goal by Daniel Majstorovic, the ball finding Georgios Samaras lurking on the edge of the six-yard box. The Greek looked certain to score but his flicked effort was brilliantly turned behind by Courtois. The young Belgian keeper, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, showed excellent reactions again from the subsequent corner, delivered well once more by Ki, when he kept out an Anthony Stokes header.

Samaras appeared in the mood to build on his much-lauded weekend display against St Mirren and a weaving run into the Atletico penalty area saw Filipe Luis flirt dangerously with an own goal, the Brazilian defender scuffing the ball clear from inside the six-yard area.

Some fine hold-up play by Stokes, operating as the lone striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation Lennon has settled on for this competition, saw him evade the attention of four Atletico players to provide Samaras with a shooting chance from the edge of the penalty area but his effort was scooped over the top.

All of that promising endeavour by Celtic was undone by Forster’s error in the concession of a goal on the half-hour. Diego’s corner from the right was cleared as far as Turan some 20 yards out.

Although his right-foot shot was struck well enough, Forster got both hands on the ball as he dived to his left but was only able to help it into the net. While the keeper may point to the failure of several of his team-mates, notably Beram Kayal, to block the shot as it travelled through a packed penalty area, it was unquestionably sloppy work on Forster’s part.

Lennon suffered another setback seven minutes before the interval when Joe Ledley fell awkwardly and had to be taken to the dressing room on a stretcher. He was replaced at left-back by Charlie Mulgrew.

Celtic made another change at half-time, withdrawing Wanyama and sending on Gary Hooper in switching to a 4-4-2 formation.

Celtic saw plenty of the ball in their efforts to draw level but struggled to penetrate the robust Atletico defence. Set pieces remained their best hope and Courtois produced a terrific one-handed save to turn a brilliantly struck free-kick from Ki over.

The home support then had celebrations of an equaliser cut short, Stokes penalised for controlling the ball with his arm as he helped Mulgrew’s header from a Ki corner on to Hooper, who netted from close range.

Atletico remained a threat on the counter attack with the Celtic defence surviving more than one anxious moment.

With 15 minutes left, club captain Scott Brown returned from a two-month injury lay-off to replace Stokes, and Brown saw a shot blocked in stoppage time as Celtic scrambled in vain for a share of the spoils.

Celtic: Forster, Matthews, Majstorovic, Loovens, Ledley (Mulgrew 38); Wanyama (Hooper 46), Kayal; Forrest, Ki, Samaras; Stokes (Brown 75). Subs not used: Zaluska, Bangura, McCourt, F Twardzik.

Atletico: Courtois, Perea, Godin, Miranda, Filipe; Gabi (Assuncao 90), Suarez, Turan (Juanfran 80); Diego; Salvio, Adrian (Falcao 69). Subs not used: Asenjo, Reyes, Dominguez, Koke.

Celtic0-1Atletico Madrid

Page last updated at 20:02 GMT, Wednesday, 30 November 2011 By Martin Conaghan

BBC Scotland Celtic struggled to find the net against Atletico in Glasgow A narrow defeat by Atletico Madrid in Glasgow left Celtic requiring a win from their final Europa League match to guarantee qualification.

Arda Turan scored the only goal of the night for Atletico after 30 minutes with a 20-yard strike.

A neat finish by Celtic sub Gary Hooper was ruled out as Anthony Stokes had handled the ball on its way through.

Ki Sung-Yeung's free-kick in the 67th minute was deflected over by keeper Thibaut Courtois to secure the win.

The victory guarantees Atletico a place in the latter stages of the tournament, while Celtic now need three points from their last group match away to Udinese, after the Italians drew 0-0 with Rennes in the night's other match in Group I.

Neil Lennon made one change to his side from Saturday's 5-0 win against St Mirren, with midfielder Ki replacing Hooper who started as a substitute, while skipper Scott Brown and Mohamed Bangura returned from respective ankle and knee injuries with places on the bench.

In the opening minutes, Eduardo Salvio flashed a header inches wide of Fraser Forster's left-hand post then, moments later, knocked the ball out of Forster's hands, but the danger was quickly cleared.

Celtic responded with a Ki corner that Stokes stabbed towards the Atletico goal, but Courtois made the save.

As the pace picked up, Daniel Majstorovic headed a goalbound corner that Georgios Samaras flicked on, but was denied from close range.

A gap in the home defence allowed Salvio to fire in from the edge of the penalty area, but the ball was deflected out for a corner. Stokes then blazed up the park to tee-up a shot for Samaras, who ballooned his effort over the bar.

The deadlock was broken in the 30th minute from a set-piece when Majstorovic headed out an inswinging corner that Turan blasted goalwards.

Celtic captain Kayal, standing on the six yard line, ducked to avoid the ball as it sailed past Forster into the back of the net.

Stokes could have levelled the scores as half-time approached when Adam Matthews squared a ball across the face of goal for the Irishman to pounce, but the Atletico defence was equal to the task.

After the restart, Celtic looked bouyed by the introduction of Hooper from the bench, but Gabi threatened to increase the visitors' lead with a long-distance effort that edged wide.

Celtic were fortunate not to be two down in the 55th minute when Salvio sent a low ball across the six-yard line, but none of his team-mates were on hand to finish the job.

Samaras should have done better with an 18-yard strike that took a deflection, then Kayal struck an awkward shot that bobbled out for a goal-kick.

The closest chance of the match for Celtic arrived in the 67th minute when Ki blasted in a free-kick that Courtois tipped over the bar. Moments later, Hooper had the ball in the Atletico net, but Stokes was judged to have helped it in with a handball.

Forster kept Celtic in the match by deflecting a powerful Diego free-kick off the post and made another clearance after a close-range attempt by Salvio in the six-yard box.

The on-loan Newcastle keeper was again called into action when he made an instinctive stop with his legs, rushing out from goal to block Juanfran's low shot from the edge of the penalty area.
A late flurry by Lennon's men – including a deflected strike by substitute Brown – failed to produce a vital leveller and Celtic now face a difficult task trip to Italy to secure three points from their final group match.