2013-10-22: Celtic 2-1 Ajax, European Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 2013 – 2014 | 2013-14 Pictures

Trivia

  • Champions League 2013-14
  • Celtic go third on 3pts, Milan on 5pt and Barca top on 7pts. Ajax bottom on 1pt.
  • Boerrigter misses playing against his old club after just recently transferring from them to Celtic. An ankle injury, he's hardly even played for us so far this season, living up to the sicknote nickname.
  • Others out include Matthews and Commons.
  • Ajax team average age only 22.8.
  • Ajax fans create trouble with breaking seats and chucking them at Celtic fans and stewards.
  • Bizarrely, Scott Brown banned for three matches in Champions League after his red card in the Barca game, despite contact being innocuous. Celtic appealing decision.
  • Tony Mowbray (ex-Celtic player and manager) sacked previous night from his managerial job at Middlesbrough.

Review[Untitled]

(TeddyNY of KDS forum)
Fantastic and hugely important result. Not as good a performance as our first two outings this year, but who cares?!

Credit all around. Forster was immense and everyone else did their job.

While the back 4 did fine, I didn't feel they were as immense as some are making them out to be. Did their jobs, but this wasn't Messi/Balotelli they were up against. In a match where everyone did what they were supposed to do but no one truly shined (other than Forster), for me two key moments from two of our key players stood out and changed the game (and are worthy of a bit more praise than they've been given):

Stokes' control, touch, balance and nous to win the penalty was brilliant. He's exactly who we would want on the ball in that situation and he delivered. I doubt many, if any, of our other options would have come through as such there—they would have made a different choice, not had the right weight on the touch that took them past the defender, oversold the contact or something else that would have prevented the award. Stokes did everything perfectly and won the enormously important penalty. So many folks seem to prefer a 'striker' who can win useless headers, clatter through defenders or 'hold the ball up' — I'll take the guy who creates goals, thanks

Sammy's thinking in setting up the second was even better. 90% of players would have immediately drilled the cross in left-footed after beating the rb—it would've been a wasted, off-footed cross, however, as we had one attacker in the box v. 3+ defenders. His decision to slow down, shift behind the ball, look up and cut back inside, however, allowed our on-rushing attackers to flood the box, and even though his shot was blocked, the result was the ball spinning out to an unmarked Kayal in dangerous shooting territory.

In a game where each side was pretty much able to nullify the other (or perhaps more accurately neither side had the talent to overcome the other's nullifying/defending), it was these two moments (along with Forster's brilliance and Kayal's fantastic last man tackle mid-first half) that, for me, stood out.

All credit to the entire 11, but especially these two (and the impenetrable FF) for the moments that really changed/decided the game.

(Anton Rogans Right boot of KDS forum)
Ajax fans were a disgrace to their club. And the police? The GB can get huckled for jumping sideyways, yet they let one absolute roaster spend almost the entire game on the shoulders of another eejit with his back to the game! The Ajax fans were throwing chairs, glasses, cups, coins, whatever they could get at the police and into 117 – we were in 417 in the front row, could see right into them.

There was one walloper that spent the whole second half with a Sevco scarf miming playing the flute!

Police non-reaction was disgusting too – they seemed to let the stewards do it. I did see one female cop almost push a Celtic fan down the staris as he was making a "winker" sign to the clowns in the Ajax support.

Is it worth complaining to the club and the police about this? My son has a lot of issues about noise and stuff like that, he was all over the shop, spent most of the second half staring at them in case they started again :/

Teams

Celtic

  • 01 Forster
  • 23 Lustig (Biton – 77' Dismissed )
  • 03 Izaguirre
  • 21 Mulgrew
  • 04 Ambrose
  • 05 van Dijk Booked
  • 49 Forrest
  • 33 Kayal (Ledley – 71' )
  • 10 Stokes
  • 20 Pukki (Baldé – 91' )
  • 09 Samaras

Substitutes

  • 06 Biton
  • 16 Ledley
  • 17 Baldé
  • 18 Rogic
  • 24 Zaluska
  • 37 Atajic
  • 41 Fisher

Goals

  • Forrest 45′ (pen)
  • Kayal 53′ [although strictly an own goal as was a deflection]

Ajax

  • 22 Cillessen
  • 02 van Rhijn (Schöne – 80' )
  • 17 Blind
  • 05 Poulsen Booked (Boilesen – 67' )
  • 12 Veltman Booked
  • 24 Denswil
  • 10 S. de Jong
  • 25 Serero
  • 09 Sigthorsson
  • 16 Andersen
  • 07 Fischer (de Sa – 72' )

Substitutes

  • 01 Vermeer
  • 06 van der Hoorn
  • 15 Boilesen
  • 18 Klaassen
  • 20 Schöne
  • 23 Hoesen
  • 34 de Sa

Goals

  • Schöne 90′

Ref: Ivan Bebek
Att: 58,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)
  • Audio Report: Paradise Report

Pictures

Forum

MOTM

Stats

Celtic Ajax

Possession
69% 31%
90mins

Shots
10 15

On target
4 4

Corners
9 9

Fouls
15 3

Articles

James Forrest and Beram Kayal earn Celtic vital victory over Ajax

Guardian report
Match facts
Celtic 2 Ajax 1

Champions League
Celtic

James Forrest 45 Pen,
Beram Kayal 54

Ajax

Lasse Schone 90 +3:35

Ewan Murray at Celtic Park
The Guardian, Tuesday 22 October 2013 22.14 BST

Once again, Celtic can dare to dream in the Champions League after a victory that boosted their manager Neil Lennon's hopes of guiding his side to the knock-out phase for a second season in succession.

Before last night the omens had not looked good. Apart from the loss of Victor Wanyama and Gary Hooper in the summer sales, Celtic had to contend with the enforced absences of their captain, Scott Brown, Adam Matthews and Kris Commons for the visit of Ajax, with a win vital after two defeats without scoring.

But goals from James Forrest and Beram Kayal secured a deserved victory and not even the late sending off of Nir Biton or Lasse Schöne's consolation goal for Ajax could temper Celtic's delight.

"We are in an excellent position now, where qualification is not beyond us," Lennon said. "This was a massive win in the context of the group. It was a heroic effort."

Frank de Boer, Lennon's Ajax counterpart, was hardly gracious. "Celtic did not create anything but scored two goals," he said. "We dominated the game."

De Boer's focus would be better placed on Stefano Denswil, whose foul on Anthony Stokes handed Celtic a penalty from which they took the lead.

The frantic early exchanges resembled a knock-out tie. Celtic enjoyed more possession but Ajax attacked with pace. Fraser Forster almost helped the visitors' cause when he spilled a routine cross but the Celtic goalkeeper recovered to kick clear.

Celtic immediately created a glorious chance. Mikael Lustig's low cross should have been knocked home by Teemu Pukki, but the Finland international striker failed to connect with the ball, displaying the kind of profligacy that had been undermining Celtic's Champions League campaign.

Instead of taking the lead Celtic almost went behind on the half hour, after they failed to properly clear a Viktor Fischer free-kick. But when the ball dropped to Christian Poulsen at the back post his effort rebounded off Forster's right-hand post.

At this stage, Ajax were increasingly dominant but when Celtic's breakthrough arrived, it resulted from Denswil's ill-judged challenge on Stokes just inside the penalty area when the forward was not causing any particular trouble. Forrest, hitherto Celtic's best performer, stepped up to stroke home an excellent penalty.

Half-time had been notable for a clash between a section of Ajax fans and police. A steward was hit by a seat apparently thrown from the visiting area, although the fracas was contained swiftly. A stronger than normal security presence had been apparent in Glasgow before the match.

Celtic's second-half task was to protect their lead and Lennon would have stressed that at the interval. Seven minutes after the re-start, Forster once again proved his team's saviour, the England squad player making a fine save when Thulani Serero was sent clean through on goal.

It was rendered even more valuable within a minute when Kayal's 20-yard shot was deflected into the Ajax net off Denswil. Few would have grudged Celtic their first piece of good fortune in this season's competition, with the build-up work of Georgios Samaras worthy of credit.

Ajax responded with Kolbeinn Sigthorsson shooting narrowly wide and Serero, who had provided Ajax's most potent threat, driving over with 12 minutes left.

If that was Celtic's last real moment of panic, they were to end the night with 10 men and having conceded a goal. Biton, who had replaced Lustig, lunged into Serero and was shown a straight red card. "I have no complaints," said Lennon.

Schöne, also a substitute, then curled a shot past Forster from 20 yards. It was a fine goal but irrelevant to the result.

BBC

By Alasdair Lamont BBC Scotland's senior football reporter at Celtic Park

Celtic recorded a crucial and highly deserved first win of the Champions League group stage to move above Ajax.

A finely balanced first half ended with James Forrest showing great composure to score from the penalty spot.

Beram Kayal got what proved to be the winner with a deflected shot in a second half controlled by the hosts.

There was a late wobble from Neil Lennon's side after substitute Nir Biton was sent off and Lasse Schone fired in an injury-time goal.

But Schone's impressive drive was virtually the last kick of the ball and Celtic got the victory that keeps them well in contention for a place in the last 16 for a second successive season.
Play media

Interview – Celtic manager Neil Lennon

They now head to Amsterdam in a fortnight's time in third place and surely full of confidence they can take something from that game, especially having won this one without the influential trio of Scott Brown, Kris Commons and Adam Matthews.

Perhaps the match's pivotal moment came in the closing moments of the first half.

Anthony Stokes, a hitherto unseen presence on the night, was brought crashing to the deck by a clumsy Stefano Denswil challenge, giving the referee an easy decision.

Following a lengthy delay, Forrest swept the resultant penalty confidently past Jasper Cillessen.

If that was the ideal way to end the half, there was an early and decisive breakthrough in the second period.

Georgios Samaras's ball into the box from the left was cleared as far as Kayal, whose placed effort from 20 yards deflected off the unfortunate Denswil to beat Cillessen.

Ajax may have wondered at that stage quite how they found themselves two goals down and yet had they been more clinical either just before or just after that Kayal goal, their predicament would not have been as dire.
Beram Kayal scores for Celtic against Ajax

Kayal's shot took a deflection en route to goal

Thulani Serero and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson carved out a glorious chance only for Serero to shoot tamely at Fraser Forster.

And Sigthorsson himself should have done better than to shoot narrowly wide with only the keeper to beat.

When they did eventually get past Forster, it was with just seconds remaining – Schone's powerful swerving effort from just outside the box a fine effort nonetheless.

In truth, Ajax might have found themselves in front long before Forrest's strike, as Christian Poulsen volleyed against the post from a Viktor Fischer free-kick.

But Celtic had also been wasteful in the early stages, with Teemu Pukki failing to connect with a perfect Mikael Lustig cross, which was begging to be converted.

Other than the late goal, Forster's only other tests in the second half came from distance, with Schone having another effort pushed away and Daley Blind also going close.

But given the way they controlled the second half, anything other than a Celtic win would have felt unjust, though there was nothing unjust about Biton's red card – Celtic's second in two Champions League games following Scott Brown's dismissal against Barcelona – as the Israeli slid in dangerously on Serero.

The game was also marred somewhat by crowd trouble among the visiting support following Celtic's opening goal, but nothing could take away from another fine Champions League achievement by Celtic.

Live Text Commentary
Full time

Full Time Match ends, Celtic 2, Ajax 1.
90:00 +4:22 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Celtic 2, Ajax 1.
90:00 +3:31 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Celtic 2, Ajax 1. Lasse Schöne (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Thulani Serero.
90:00 +1:09

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by James Forrest.
90:00 +0:40

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Efe Ambrose.
90:00 +0:15 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Amido Baldé replaces Teemu Pukki.
89:47

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Charlie Mulgrew.
89:43

Attempt saved. Lasse Schöne (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Thulani Serero.
88:19

Delay over. They are ready to continue.
88:02

Delay in match Thulani Serero (Ajax) because of an injury.
87:14 Dismissal

Dismissal Nir Biton (Celtic) is shown the red card for a bad foul.
87:09

Thulani Serero (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
87:09

Foul by Nir Biton (Celtic).
85:35

Attempt saved. Daley Blind (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lucas Andersen.
85:07

Lesley de Sa (Ajax) wins a free kick on the right wing.
85:07

Foul by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).
83:29

Offside, Ajax. Nicolai Boilesen tries a through ball, but Kolbeinn Sigthorsson is caught offside.
83:05

Siem de Jong (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
83:05

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).
82:37

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Siem de Jong.
81:54

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Joël Veltman.
80:46

Nicolai Boilesen (Ajax) wins a free kick on the left wing.
80:46

Foul by James Forrest (Celtic).
79:56 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Ajax. Lasse Schöne replaces Ricardo van Rhijn.
78:27

Attempt missed. Thulani Serero (Ajax) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.
77:53

Delay over. They are ready to continue.
77:28

Delay in match Georgios Samaras (Celtic) because of an injury.
77:04

Attempt blocked. Siem de Jong (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
76:49 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Nir Biton replaces Mikael Lustig.
75:34

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
75:34

Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).
74:33

Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
74:33

Foul by Georgios Samaras (Celtic).
71:14 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Ajax. Lesley de Sa replaces Viktor Fischer.
70:23

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Stefano Denswil.
70:19

Attempt blocked. Efe Ambrose (Celtic) header from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Charlie Mulgrew with a cross.
70:03 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Joe Ledley replaces Beram Kayal.
69:18

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Nicolai Boilesen.
68:39

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Nicolai Boilesen.
67:27

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.
66:58 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Ajax. Nicolai Boilesen replaces Christian Poulsen.
66:44

Attempt missed. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Siem de Jong.
66:25

Attempt saved. Beram Kayal (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Virgil van Dijk.
65:22

Attempt missed. Siem de Jong (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Daley Blind.
64:34

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
64:34

Foul by Beram Kayal (Celtic).
63:05

Attempt blocked. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Siem de Jong.
61:21

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Georgios Samaras.
60:06

Stefano Denswil (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
60:06

Foul by Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic).
59:02

Attempt saved. Beram Kayal (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Emilio Izaguirre.
55:51

Attempt missed. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.
55:48

Attempt missed. Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
55:30

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Beram Kayal.
55:01

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Beram Kayal.
54:58

Attempt blocked. Viktor Fischer (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
53:00 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Celtic 2, Ajax 0. Beram Kayal (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.
52:58

Attempt blocked. Georgios Samaras (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Beram Kayal.
52:08

Attempt saved. Thulani Serero (Ajax) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.
50:11

Attempt missed. Anthony Stokes (Celtic) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Charlie Mulgrew with a cross following a set piece situation.
49:20

Foul by Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax).
49:20

Georgios Samaras (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
45:21

Joël Veltman (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
45:21

Foul by Teemu Pukki (Celtic).
45:00

Second Half begins Celtic 1, Ajax 0.
45:00 +1:00 Half time

Half Time First Half ends, Celtic 1, Ajax 0.
44:10 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Celtic 1, Ajax 0. James Forrest (Celtic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
43:54 Booking

Booking Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
43:25 Booking

Booking Christian Poulsen (Ajax) is shown the yellow card.
42:35 Booking

Booking Joël Veltman (Ajax) is shown the yellow card.
42:11

Penalty conceded by Stefano Denswil (Ajax) after a foul in the penalty area.
42:11

Penalty Celtic. Anthony Stokes draws a foul in the penalty area.
41:31

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jasper Cillessen.
40:46

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Joël Veltman.
38:21

Attempt missed. Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the right. Assisted by Charlie Mulgrew.
35:19

Jasper Cillessen (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
35:19

Foul by Anthony Stokes (Celtic).
34:23

Lucas Andersen (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
34:23

Foul by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).
32:33

Attempt blocked. James Forrest (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Virgil van Dijk.
31:46

Foul by Christian Poulsen (Ajax).
31:46

Teemu Pukki (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
29:44

Offside, Ajax. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson tries a through ball, but Siem de Jong is caught offside.
28:58

Christian Poulsen (Ajax) hits the left post with a left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left following a set piece situation.
28:12

Siem de Jong (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
28:12

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).
26:34

Attempt blocked. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Viktor Fischer.
25:51

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Mikael Lustig.
24:17

Lucas Andersen (Ajax) wins a free kick on the right wing.
24:17

Foul by Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic).
22:42

Offside, Celtic. Anthony Stokes tries a through ball, but Teemu Pukki is caught offside.
19:26

Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.
18:08

Attempt missed. Viktor Fischer (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Lucas Andersen.
17:02

Viktor Fischer (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
17:02

Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).
15:48

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ricardo van Rhijn.
12:31

Attempt missed. Teemu Pukki (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mikael Lustig with a cross.
8:22

Joël Veltman (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
8:22

Foul by Teemu Pukki (Celtic).
3:48

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Joël Veltman.
0:00

First Half begins.
0:00

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

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