| Match Pictures | Matches: 2018 – 2019 | 2018-19 Pictures |
Trivia
-
UEFA Europa League Round of 32 First Leg
- Valentines Day or Happy Rangers Administration anniversary day!
- First defeat this calendar year and first goals conceded this calendar year. First time the defense has been really tested this calendar year.
- Valencia had drawn 2-2 with Barcelona recently showing their quality, they are a very good side.
- New signing Vakoun Issouf Bayo as expected been omitted from the Celtic squad to play Valencia in the Europa League. Under UEFA rules Celtic were entitled to add three new players to the squad for this round of 32 knock-out round and Brendan Rodgers today opted to include the three loan signings Oli Burke, Timo Weah and Jerry Toljan.
- Valencia captain Daniel Parejo on Celtic: “When you face a team like Celtic you are not just playing normal opponents you are playing against history. Everyone knows about the history of Celtic and their stadium and their supporters. They will be an extremely difficult rival"
- England's 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks has died aged 81 RIP.He was given his first chances in football by his Chesterfield manager Duggie Livingstone (ex-Celtic player).
- Scottish Cup draw quarter-finals: Hibs v Celtic.
- Celtic have announced a net profit of £15.2million for the first half of the season.Revenue decreased by 30 per cent to £50m, mainly as a result of the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League group stages.But the sale of Moussa Dembele to Lyon on the final day of August ensured a surplus of £17.6m in the transfer market.Profit from trading fell from £23.7m to £6.2m compared with the same six-month period in 2017 but Dembele’s £20m departure resulted in only a £2m deficit in total profits.
- A minute's silence held prior to #CELVCF at Celtic Park tonight to pay tribute to the memory of Emiliano Sala, Cardiff player who died in a plane crash over the English Channel.
Review
(JBC of TheCelticWiki)
I think Brendan's quote before the game as below was a little premature, but not necessarily wrong:
"We've earned the right to compete with Europe’s elite"
(20KDS bhoy 06 of KDS)
I wish people would stop pointing to us beating Barca at home as an example of the benefits of sitting deep and being dogged. They battered us that night and Forster had the game of his life. Everything went our way, including one of the finest midfielders football has ever seen making an arse of trying to control a long ball for Watt’s second. Brilliant night, don’t get me wrong, but replay that match in the same set-up and 99 times out of 100 we’d have been soundly beaten.
I don’t think it’s our system that’s the issue. Our best performances (City x2, Bayern home, Leipzig home, Anderlecht away) have all came playing this way. Equally, we tried to go to Barca and PSG and play deep and be much more defensively minded and got hammered.
The issue is the quality of players. Izzy: never been good enough in Europe, that amount of goals we’ve lost because he’s switched off is staggering. Brown: not technically good enough to be that deep lying midfielder that builds from the back. Toljan: could see why he was our third choice of RB in the January window, had no answers to their press (starkly contrasted with Piccini who I thought looked very good). Even Burke, who I really like, struggled largely because he’s devoid of a decent first touch.
Complete lack of composure on the night. Says a lot that a European debutant from Dundee and Jozo looked like two of our most assured players. Thought Forrest tried hard to fashion some chances out of nothing, and Eddy got us up the park a little more. But there weren’t too many positives to find in that.
They’re a decent side, well-drilled and ruthless (actually don’t think they created anything of note other than their two goals really), but they’re not incredible. Would expect both Leipzig and Salzburg to have beaten them at home. But we made them look good, didn’t press them well — looked like we were really wary of them breaking the press and hitting us on the break. If anything, we could have done with a bit of the type of naivety BR sides have been accused of. Instead we got a limp, cautious performance.
Teams
Celtic
29 Bain
02 ToljanBooked at 88mins
20 Boyata
05 Simunovic
03 Izaguirre
42 McGregor
08 Brown
49 Forrest
17 Christie Substituted for Edouard at 59'minutes
11 Sinclair Substituted for Weah at 59'minutes
25 BurkeBooked at 81mins
Substitutes
1Gordon
15Hayes
22Edouard
23Lustig
30Weah
35Ajer
73Johnston
Valencia
13Murara Neto
21Piccini Substituted for Gameiro at 78'minutes
24Garay
12Diakhaby
15Latorre Grueso
8Soler
10Parejo Substituted for Coquelin at 45'minutes
6Kondogbia Booked at 82mins
18Wass
23Sobrino
11Cheryshev Substituted forGonçalo Guedesat 64'minutes
Substitutes
1Doménech
7Gonçalo Guedes
9Gameiro
16Lee
17Coquelin
20Torres
32Centelles
Goals
- Cheryshev (42' minutes),
- Sobrino (49' minutes)
Referee: Ovidiu Hategan
Attendance: 58,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Forum
- Pre-match
- Match
- Post Match
MOTM
- Voting Thread
- Result Thread
- Winner –
Stats
Celtic
Valencia
Possession
Home64%
Away36%
Shots
Home5
Away8
Shots on Target
Home2
Away5
Corners
Home2
Away7
Fouls
Home12
Away5
Articles
Celtic 0 – 2 Valencia: Rodgers’ men have mountain to climb
Stephen Halliday
Published: 21:53 Thursday 14 February 2019
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-0-2-valencia-rodgers-men-have-mountain-to-climb-1-4873577
Celtic’s hopes of winning a knockout tie in the latter stages of European competition for the first time in 15 years were all but obliterated by a ruthlessly efficient Valencia side.
Brendan Rodgers had urged his player to keep on dreaming of fresh glory on the continental stage but they were confronted by the cold, hard reality of the gulf in class which separates them from the clubs operating in Europe’s major leagues.
Goals from Russian international Denis Cheryshev and debutant Ruben Sobrino either side of half-time put Valencia firmly in control of this Europa League last 32 tie ahead of next Thursday’s return leg at their imposing Mestalla Stadium.
Uefa president Alexandar Ceferin was a VIP guest at Celtic Park last night and no doubt savoured the special atmosphere the stadium lends to European nights. But he was also reminded of the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots in Uefa’s club competitions, an issue the Slovenian has pledged to try and address.
No-one expected the almost unchallenged dominance Celtic had enjoyed in their seven domestic fixtures since the winter break to be repeated as they stepped back onto a more rarefied level. Nonetheless, it would have come as a rude shock to the home support to witness just how convincingly Valencia imposed themselves on the contest.
Save for a bright opening five minutes or so, when they harnessed the atmosphere and forced a couple of threatening moments, Celtic found themselves forced onto the back foot for lengthy spells.
Cheryshev’s goal three minutes before the interval gave Valencia an advantage they fully merited at the break. Operating with a no-frills 4-4-2 system, the visitors combined a ferocious work rate with excellent technical skills. It was simple but hugely effective.
Celtic, by contract, simply couldn’t find the cohesion and slickness they have displayed against lesser opposition in recent weeks. After their encouraging start, when Valencia’s Brazilian goalkeeper Neto made a comfortable save from Ryan Christie’s shot before a less assured stop to keep out a Callum McGregor effort, Rodgers’ men became increasingly ruffled and disjointed.
Scott Bain, making his European debut for Celtic, was called into action for the first time in the 18th minute. Carlos Soler floated in a cross from the right which was flicked on by Ruben Sobrino to the unmarked Daniel Wass. Bain appeared to see Wass’ header later but dived to his left to turn the ball behind.
A sense of nervousness looked to be creeping through the Celtic ranks, exemplified by captain Scott Brown’s unusually erratic passing. His heavy touch in an ill-advised exchange of passes with Bain put the goalkeeper in trouble and was almost punished by Cheryshev.
Play was regularly broken up by a series of fouls from both teams but it was Valencia who continued to look the more dangerous amid the disjointed nature of proceedings as Bain kept out another effort from Wass.
There was a brief moment of encouragement for Celtic in the 37th minute when Scott Sinclair found the space to play a through ball for Oliver Burke to run onto. It was the first opportunity the striker had been given to test Valencia with his pace but although he got in behind their defence, he was beaten to the ball by the advancing Neto.
The home fans raised optimistic appeals for a penalty a minute later when James Forrest went down on the edge of the box but he had been halted by a brilliantly timed tackle by Valencia skipper Daniel Parejo.
Ryan Porteous celebrates after Hibs defeat Celtic in mid-December. Picture: SNS
TV schedule announced for all four Scottish Cup quarter-final ties
Rodgers would have been eager to get his players into the dressing room at half-time to try and press the reset button. But before he could do so, he had to watch Cheryshev put Valencia ahead. Celtic were left stretched at the back by Parejo’s piercing through ball which allowed Sobrino to race clear.
The striker had been played onside by Emilio Izaguirre and had all the time he needed to steady himself before squaring the ball to provide a simple close range tap-in for his partner Cheryshev.
The hugely influential Parejo had picked up an injury and failed to reappear for the second half, replaced by former Arsenal man Francis Coquelin. But Celtic’s hopes of tipping the balance of play in their favour suffered a major blow as Valencia doubled their lead in the 49th minute.
It was another goal constructed with pace and precision to pick the Celtic defence apart. Cheryshev was the provider this time, gliding into space on the left and whipping over a cross which left the unmarked Sobrino to slam the ball beyond the exposed and helpless Bain from six yards.
Rodgers made a double substitution in an attempt to reclaim some kind of foothold in the tie, replacing Sinclair and Christie with attacking duo Timothy Weah and Odsonne Edouard.
Celtic did gradually carry a greater threat, albeit Valencia were now largely content to sit in and protect their commanding advantage. Weah’s first sniff of goal saw him blaze a shot over from the edge of the penalty area, before the on-loan Paris Saint Germain forward was crowded out by the Valencia defence as they scrambled clear a dangerous low cross from Edouard.
There would be no solace of a goal back for Celtic, however, who now face a daunting assignment in Spain next week.
BBC
By Tom English
BBC Scotland at Celtic Park
From the section Europa League
Celtic have a mountain to climb to salvage their Europa League dream after Valencia coasted to victory in Glasgow.
In a below-par performance the Scottish champions rarely troubled their visitors in the last 32 first leg.
Ruben Sobrino beat the offside trap and fed Denis Cheryshev, who had an easy finish to give them the lead.
The two then switched roles, Cheryshev's cross inch-perfect for Sobrino to knock in the second.
It leaves Celtic with it all to do in the second leg at the Mestalla stadium next week in their bid to reach the last 16.
Reaction and how it happened
Celtic 0-2 Valencia: How did the players rate?
'We made too many mistakes' – Rodgers
Celtic pay for their blunders
Celtic might have a dazzling pre-match light show, but they were outshone to a massive degree by the Spaniards. Even with four important players nursing injuries at home, they had way too much for a Celtic team that suffered an epidemic of misplaced passes, some while under pressure but many while under none at all.
Save for a bright beginning, when Callum McGregor forced a save from Neto, this was straightforward for the visitors who would have gone ahead a whole lot earlier than they did had it not been for a terrific Scott Bain save from a Daniel Wass header.
Any hope that Celtic had of making a tie of it against the team lying eighth in La Liga was compromised by their woeful inability to hold on to the ball. Every last one of them were at it.
Good possession gifted to Valencia. Momentum killed stone dead. A total concession of control to the Spaniards who had Daniel Parejo bossing things in the middle of the park.
Valencia would eventually make Celtic pay for their blunders. When Oliver Burke fired a heavy pass to McGregor, the midfielder couldn't keep it and when the ball broke loose, Valencia struck out.
Parejo played it in behind the Celtic defence to Sobrino. The home crowd – and half the home team – screamed offside, but he wasn't. Emilio Izaguirre played him on. Sobrino ran on, drew Bain and played it right to Cheryshev and the Russian tapped it in. All too simple.
There was some good fortune for Celtic at the break when Parejo failed to make it back out for the second half – the former Arsenal man Francis Coquelin replaced him. Not that it mattered. Within four minutes of the restart, Valencia doubled their lead and again it was a ruinously easy goal from Celtic's perspective.
Wass played it down the left to Cheryshev who put in a lovely cross which was put away with ease by Sobrino. The fact that the striker was alone in Celtic's six-yard box at the time told you much about the dozy defending that was going on back there.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers shows the strain as his team are beaten by Valencia
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers shows the strain as his team are beaten by Valencia
It could have been three just two minutes later when Cristiano Piccini, a Celtic target last summer, cut in from the right and forced a save from Bain.
Two goals behind at home, Celtic were now in the precise situation that Barcelona found themselves at Camp Nou when Valencia went there earlier in the month. Barca banked on Lionel Messi to dig them out of a hole, which he did with two goals.
Brendan Rodgers turned to Odsonne Edouard and Timothy Weah who came on for Ryan Christie and Scott Sinclair. No Messiesque act of escapology ensued. Celtic got more of the ball, but Valencia never looked in any trouble, never got unduly bothered by what Celtic threw at them. Neto in the Valencia goal was idle throughout Celtic's huff and puff.
'Celtic need footballing miracle'
The Spaniards managed the game to the end of their routine night in Glasgow.
With Celtic's away record you could say Valencia didn't just win a match, but a tie.
It would take the most remarkable away performance from Rodgers' team next week to make a fight of it, the kind of away performance that is previously unseen from them.
After this non-event they need some kind of footballing miracle in Spain.