Celtic Vs. Manchester United Match Report

A late Ryan Giggs goal clinched a point at Celtic Park and all but cemented the Reds’ spot in the knockout phase of this season’s Champions League.

Giggs pounced on 84 minutes to head in from close range after Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc could only parry Cristiano Ronaldo’s swerving shot.

It capped a period of complete dominance – and growing frustration – as the Reds laid siege to Celtic’s goal in the second half after going into the break 1-0 down courtesy of Scott McDonald’s early goal.

For long periods it looked like the Scots would hang on to their lead, but Giggs’ goal, his 26th in European competition, earned the Reds a point that, barring a comprehensive Aalborg win at Old Trafford, will see Sir Alex’s men through safely to the Last 16.

Despite Celtic’s commanding home record, the United boss stopped short of deploying a full-strength Red army. Instead, Sir Alex opted to rest some of his troops, including Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra.

John O’Shea slotted in on the left side of defence, while Carlos Tevez, operating on his own with Ryan Giggs hovering just behind, made just his second start in seven games.

At right back, 18-year-old Brazilian Rafael was included from the off, with Gary Neville and Wes Brown both left in Manchester nursing minor injuries.

Sir Alex also took the bold step of handing young goalkeeper Ben Foster his European debut. Despite signing in July 2005, Foster’s Celtic Park outing was only his second Reds appearance since arriving at Old Trafford.

Of course, Foster’s loan spells with Watford (two seasons – one in the Championship, one in the Premier League) mean he’s not without experience, but he could do little when, in the 13th minute, Australian striker Scott McDonald lobbed superbly over the 6ft 2in custodian.

Although not entirely against the run of play, the Reds had enjoyed a bright opening spell. Tevez, desperate to impress on his recall to the starting XI, won the game’s first corner in the third minute. Celtic failed to clear convincingly and the ball fell to Cristiano Ronaldo, who saw his volley from 12 yards bravely blocked.

Ronaldo went closer from a 10th-minute free-kick, after Barry Robson clattered into Darren Fletcher 25 yards from goal. The Reds’ no.7 managed to get his shot up and over the Celtic wall, but the ball kept rising and flashed over the crossbar.

McDonald’s opener galvanised the already vocal home support, who jeered every Reds touch with deafening derision.

The boos turned to ironic cheers when Rio Ferdinand spurned a golden chance to draw level on 19 minutes, the defender blazing over from close range. He then saw a header cleared off the line, as the Reds’ rotten luck continued.

Nani entered the referee’s notebook when he halted a Celtic breakaway by illegal means, although the challenge was clumsy rather than cynical and thus the card colour yellow and not red.

Celtic kept their pre-match promise to get in the Reds’ faces, as United’s midfielders enjoyed little time on the ball. Without the freedom to create from open play, United were forced to rely on set-pieces. A corner in first-half injury time almost provided the equaliser, but Nemanja Vidic couldn’t direct his close-range header under the crossbar.

Sir Alex recognised the need for change at the break and replaced Nani with Dimitar Berbatov.

Desperate Celtic defending from Gary Caldwell prevented Ronaldo from tapping in early in the second half, before Artur Boric saved comfortably from the no. 7 moments later.

United kept probing, however, and Berbatov’s introduction almost yielded a goal on 56 minutes. In what was almost a carbon copy of his first strike at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, Berbatov, on the spin, cleverly flicked a header towards goal. This time, however, Shaun Maloney was on hand to clear off the line and preserve Celtic’s advantage.

United’s summer signing went close again after a clever ball from Rafael to the back post was headed down by John O’Shea. The Bulgarian couldn’t make decisive contact and the ball looped harmlessly into Boruc’s arms.

An almighty scramble on 68 minutes saw Tevez, O’Shea and Fletcher all denied as the Reds laid siege to the Celtic goal.

Sensing cracks beginning to show in the Scots’ defence, Sir Alex threw on Wayne Rooney with 19 minutes to play. Ronaldo tested Boruc again from distance and the stopper was again on hand to deny the Reds an equaliser when Rooney let fly from 30 yards.

Of course, it only takes one error to turn a game and Boruc’s inability to deal adequately with Ronaldo’s 84th-minute rocket ultimately cost Celtic all three points.

Team Line-ups

Manchester United: Foster; Rafael (Evra 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea; Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani (Berbatov 46); Giggs, Tevez (Rooney 71)
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Anderson, Park, Evans
Booked: Nani

Celtic: Boruc; Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Wilson; Brown, Hartley, Robson, Maloney (O’Dea 76); McDonald (Hutchinson 82), Sheridan (Donati 64)
Subs not used: Brown, Naylor, Nakamura, Caddis