Celtic crash out of Champions League
Scottish Premier League side Celtic have limped out of the UEFA Champions League after losing 4-2 on aggregate to SC Braga despite winning 2-1 at Celtic Park.
Celtic were up against it from the start after losing 3-0 in the first leg in Portugal last week, but a goal after 20 minutes from Paulo Cesar meant that the Hoops would have to score five to have any chance of progressing, due to the away goals rule. Although Gary Hooper and Mexico international Efrain Juarez each netted for last season’s SPL runners-up in the second half, Celtic were not able to make up for the easy goals they shipped in the first leg and now drop into the UEFA Europa League. The result means that Celtic have missed out on qualification for the lucrative group stage of the tournament for the second year in a row.
Manager Neil Lennon, being forced to go for broke in a bid to claw back the deficit, started the match with a more ambitious 4-4-2 formation after playing more defensively in the first leg. Georgios Samaras and Hooper took the strikers’ berths, with the midfield slots filled by Shaun Maloney, captain Scott Brown and new signings Efrain Juarez and Joe Ledley. Winger Aiden McGeady was not part of the squad as he was in Russia discussing a move to Spartak Moscow.
Even in the early going, Celtic did not look to be comfortable in possession as the defenders constantly let passes run in to the path of the opposition and hit long balls down the pitch unnecessarily. On the other hand Braga looked confident and ready to break with counter-attacks.
Cross results in opening goal
The opening goal came when Brazilian forward Alan Osório da Costa Silva found space on the right to deliver a cross into the area. Cesar out-manoeuvred full-back Cha Du-Ri and headed past goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska to make Celtic’s already-tough task a monumentally difficult one.
A few minutes later, Samaras then stretched to get a touch on a ball sent in by Juarez, but diverted it wide past the left-hand post. The home team then almost found themselves another goal down when Matheus Leite Nascimento found his way past defender Jos Hooiveld, but Zaluska closed down the threat and blocked the ball.
At half-time and with Celtic desperately needing goals, Lennon gambled exposing his defence as he replaced left-back Charlie Mulgrew with Marc Antoine-Fortune and went with a 3-4-3 formation.
Braga quickly had a chance after three players broke past the weakened Celtic defence, but were unable to capitalise. Celtic soon found themselves back in it when Hooper prodded home a Fortune cross from the right after 51 minutes.
Desperate bid
In a desperate bid for more goals, Lennon put on striker Daryl Murphy in place of Maloney after 63 minutes, changing the set-up to a 3-3-4 formation. Despite still having a three-goal lead in the tie, Braga’s players retreated into their own half to snuff out any more attacks from Celtic. The move proved to be a smart one as Celtic players continued to press forward in search of another four goals, but failed to find the net again until 12 minutes from time when Juarez headed home from a Samaras cross.
Lennon introduced winger Paddy McCourt for Brown after 87 minutes to give his team some width, but the move was in vain after the game ended 2-1.
Yellow cards were issued to Brown and Hooiveld for the home side, while Alberto Rodriguez, Miguel Garcia, Uwa Echiejile and Matheus were booked for the visitors.
Celtic will find out their opponents for the play-offs of the Europa League competition when the draw is made on Friday.
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