{"id":27284,"date":"2012-10-24T12:43:05","date_gmt":"2012-10-24T09:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/?p=27284"},"modified":"2012-10-24T13:37:16","modified_gmt":"2012-10-24T10:37:16","slug":"champions-league-groups-match-day-3-celtic-could-not-stand-one-more-minute-barcelona-2-celtic-1-match-report-video-27284","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/champions-league-groups-match-day-3-celtic-could-not-stand-one-more-minute-barcelona-2-celtic-1-match-report-video-27284\/","title":{"rendered":"Champions League Groups Match Day 3: Celtic could not stand one more minute, Barcelona 2 Celtic 1 match report \/ Video"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/h1>\n

Celtic was become almost pride of Scotland, but Jordi Alba broke Scots hearts last minute.<\/h1>\n

An inspired and resolute performance by Neil Lennon\u2019s indefatigable Celtic players brought them to within seconds of a superb result here, only to be thwarted by Jordi Alba\u2019s winner at the end of four minutes of added time. Georgios Samaras headed a first-half opener, but even after Andres Iniesta equalised on the stroke of half-time, Celtic\u2019s bravery kept Barcelona at bay until, with almost the last kick of the contest, Jordi Alba forced home the winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is bittersweet really,\u201d Lennon said. \u201cIt is hard to take losing the game in the manner in which we did but I am so proud of the players, I think they gave the club and country a huge shot in the arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a mixture of disappointment and anger that we didn\u2019t see it through to the end of the game.
\n\u201cThe players are hurting, angry, whatever you want to call it but it gave them a real a taste of playing in the Champions League at the highest level and they did fantastically well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Group G\u2019s dynamic had altered significantly before this game kicked off as Spartak\u2019s victory over Benfica in Moscow lifted the Russians off the bottom of the group and brought them to within a point of Celtic. But if that added to the pressure on Lennon\u2019s side there was precious little they could do about early on.<\/p>\n

Samaras, whose physical power and hard-running style was identified by Lennon as one of the few weapons in Celtic\u2019s armoury that might trouble Lionel Messi and co, initially began behind Gary Hooper but, as the half progressed, he became the target man for his hard-pressed colleagues. Not that the Greek saw much of the ball.<\/p>\n

Bar\u00e7a were without the injured pair of Carles Puyol and Dani Alves, while Sergio Busquets was suspended and coach Tito Vilanova sprung a surprise by deploying 21-year-old Marc Bartra in central defence alongside Mascherano. They nevertheless seized Celtic by the throat from the off and the Scottish champions should have been a goal down inside the first minute when Iniesta produced a perfect pass only for Alexis Sanchez to push his effort beyond the far post.<\/p>\n

Celtic\u2019s difficulty was in keeping the ball long enough on the other side of the halfway line to have any chance of giving Victor Valdes more to do than watch the action unfolding at the other end of the field. Iniesta, of all people, obliged them by fouling Brown wide on the Celtic right, about 30 yards from goal. Lennon had prayed for just such an eventuality and the outcome could not have gratified him more.<\/p>\n

Charlie Mulgrew\u2019s pacy delivery was met by Samaras, whose spring on the six-yard box afforded him a free header. His effort might have found the mark but, in the event, Mascherano got in the way and the ball came off his back to leave Valdes stranded.<\/p>\n

The Catalans, briefly bemused by this unforeseen turn of events, were soon swarming around the opposite goalmouth but what really disrupted Celtic was the injury to Samaras, \u00adsustained in a challenge with Song \u2013 which forced the forward to depart and be replaced by James Forrest.<\/p>\n

Still, the green-and-white rampart held until, with half-time sanctuary in sight, Celtic were undone by a dazzling display of classic Bar\u00e7a interplay. Messi \u2013 on a quiet evening for him \u2013 burst into life with a prompt to Iniesta, who played a lightning one-two with Xavi Hern\u00e1ndez before driving precisely between Forster and his left-hand post for the equaliser.<\/p>\n

If they went in deflated at half-time they shrugged it off \u2013 Lennon\u2019s men stood firm for the second half until, alas, there was no answer to Alba\u2019s touch in from a curling cross from the right.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one gave us any hope but I think we have won a lot of admirers,\u201d said Lennon. \u201cThey were brave, I couldn\u2019t ask any more from them, maybe just 30 seconds more to see it through.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we leave with our reputation intact,\u201d Lennon added. Better than that, Celtic will be replete with confidence when the sides meet again in Glasgow in two weeks.<\/p>\n

Barcelona vs Celtic Match details<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Barcelona: Valdes, Adriano, Bartra, Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Xavi, Song, Iniesta, Sanchez (Villa 80), Messi, Pedro (Tello 76).Subs<\/strong>: Pinto, Fabregas, Jonathan, Montoya, Sergi Roberto.
\nBooked<\/strong>: Mascherano, Adriano.
\nGoals<\/strong>: Iniesta 45, Jordi Alba 90.<\/p>\n

Celtic<\/strong>: Forster, Lustig, Wilson, Ambrose, Izaguirre, Samaras (Forrest 43), Brown (Commons 63), Wanyama, Ledley, Mulgrew (Kayal 76), Hooper.
\nSubs<\/strong>: Zaluska, Matthews, Miku, Rogne. Booked: Forrest.
\nGoals<\/strong>: Samaras 18.<\/p>\n

Att<\/strong>: 75,000
\nRef<\/strong>: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy).<\/p>\n

Watch Barcelona 2 Celtic 1 Match Video:<\/strong><\/p>\n[media id=693 width=610 height=340]\n\n

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