UCL Group E: Celtic FC 0-0 AaB Aalborg 17/09/08 (Full-time result)

[DavidMc]

Celtic 0-0 AaB Aalborg (Full-time result)
UEFA Champions League Group E
Matchday 1
Celtic Park, Glasgow

Celtic midfielder Paul Hartley has recovered from a neck injury to take his place in the squad for Wednesday's Champions League Group E opener.

Defender Mark Wilson has shrugged off a knee injury and striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink returns from suspension.

However, the Dutch striker missed training on Tuesday to be with his pregnant wife.

Aalborg defender Kasper Bogelund has beenruled out of the match with a hamstring injury.

Celtic have taken maximum points from all of their home games in the group stages over the last two seasons but they are yet to win an opening fixture in the tournament.

The home side will be strong favourites to break that bad run and manager Gordon Strachan will be looking for his attack to open up Aalborg.

"(Shunsuke) Nakamura, (Aiden) McGeady, (Shaun) Maloney and people like that have proved that we need these kind of players to be big and perform one or two individual pieces of magic on European nights, because most European ties are decided by magical pieces of football from top players," said Strachan.

"The best players in the world play in this competition, so normally good players decide games.

"If you look at Barcelona last season, Lionel Messi decided what the the tie was going to be, he decided he was going to score goals and beat people at will.

"So hopefully, again, good players will decide the games and hopefully our good players will play well."

Strachan also played down the Danes' underdog status, pointing out that last season Celtic were lucky to escape from their trip to play fourth seeds Shakhtar Donetsk with only a 2-0 defeat, before struggling to beat the Ukraine side 2-1 at Parkhead.

"We had the fourth seeds in Shakhtar Donetsk last season and everyone saw how good they were," he added.

"Aalborg will think that because they are playing against the third seeds in us, that it's probably their best chance of getting an away win.

"So I'm sure both sides will be positive and try to get a victory."

Strachan added: "We have seen a lot of good things from Aalborg even though they are not top of the league at the moment.

"They finished the second half well at the weekend and I know a cup competition is completely different from the league, it is a great leveller.

"They are a bit different from the Danish side we played two seasons ago, FC Copenhagen.

"They were physically bigger than Aalborg but Aalborg move the ball about a bit quicker.

"So they are two different styles but this will be hard, like it was against Copenhagen."



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Celtic (from): Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Hinkel, Naylor, Robson, Crosas, Nakamura, Hartley, S Brown, Maloney, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Samaras, McDonald, Sheridan, M Brown, McGeady, Loovens, Donati, Caddis.

Will be surprised to see anything other than a Celtic win here. Aalborg will face constant pressure and I can see them losing a few goals, especially if they go behind early.

Celtic had a good win at Motherwell on Saturday although they are still leaking goals.

[DavidMc]

Celtic v Aab Aalborg

Striker Georgios Samaras is sure Aalborg BK's lack of top-level experience will count for little when they meet his Celtic FC side in Group E, maintaining that "every club in the UEFA Champions League is a top club".

Rookie opponents
Just two members of the visitors' squad have performed before on European club football's highest platform – and one of them, Denmark full-back Kasper Bøgelund, will miss the curtain-raiser through injury. However, despite the disparity in pedigree, Samaras is adamant he and his Celtic colleagues must afford the Danish champions the utmost respect.

Tough encounter
"It's our first game and it's really important we take three points, but we know it will be very tough," the 23-year-old said. "People think that, because we are playing a Danish team, it will be easy, but every club in the UEFA Champions League is a top club. We are all aware of how hard we must work to win the game. We have watched videos of Aalborg and we have to be careful against them."

Form deceptive
In Celtic's favour is their form going into Matchday 1 of their 2008/09 continental campaign. Greek international Samaras was instrumental in Saturday's emphatic 4-2 victory at Motherwell FC, with his double strike taking his season tally to five goals from three Premier League games. He believes his side's confidence could not be higher, although referring to AaB's 2-0 weekend home defeat by AGF Århus, he also argues that domestic results in the run-up to European matches can be misleading.

Pressure off
"I really feel we're ready for the game," Samaras added. "Personally, I feel in great condition and I think the whole team are in really good shape, but form is not everything. I know Aalborg lost on Saturday, but I don't think they will approach this match thinking about losing in the league. The advantage they have is that, because people speak about them being the weakest team in the group, there is no pressure on them. They can come here and play with complete freedom; we will have to be wary of that."

Twelfth man
Samaras grew up watching Panathinaikos FC and Olympiacos CFP perform in front of fervent home crowds in the UEFA Champions League through the 1990s. He reckons the atmosphere at Celtic Park is every bit as intimidating and feels it could be a significant factor in spurring the hosts to an opening-night victory. "Everyone knows the atmosphere at Celtic is incredible," he said. "I've played at Olympiacos's ground in Athens, in front of 70,000 people, and I think that's the closest thing to what you feel at Celtic. Perhaps Aalborg won't be used to that and it's something that could play in our favour. Right now, our target is to reach the last 16 again and, to do that, it's vital we get off to a winning start."

[DavidMc]

Celtic 0-0 Aab Aalborg

Barry Robson missed a penalty as Celtic could only manage a goalless draw in their Champions League opener at home to Aalborg.

Despite being pre-match underdogs, it was the Danish champions who had the better of the first period.

Celtic should have taken the lead but Robson slammed his 28th-minute spot kick against the goalkeeper's legs.

And Aalborg had the wrong player sent off near the end, as Celtic pushed in vain for a winner.

The result against the perceived weakest team in the group is a blow to the Scottish champions, who have depended on an excellent home record to progress to the last 16 in the previous two seasons.

Although not filled to capacity, the return of the Champions League atmosphere to Celtic Park appeared to give the home side some extra energy.

However, despite the pacy start, and enjoying the lion's share of possession, the Danes were well-organised and frustrated their hosts.

Celtic's early tactic of high diagonal balls into the box bore no fruit, with the Aalborg central defensive pairing of Michael Beauchamp and Michael Jakobsen mopping up everything with ease.

Georgios Samaras decided to try his luck from the corner of the box, but the rising shot on 11 minutes never tested Karim Zaza in the Aalborg goal.

Celtic Park then breathed a collective sigh of relief on 15 minutes as the Danish champions sparked to life.

Jeppe Curth was allowed to run unmarked through the centre of the home defence, only to slip Thomas Augustinussen's lofted ball past the post with Artur Boruc advancing.

That chance inspired a spell of intense Aalborg pressure, with Augustinussen in particular seeing lots of the ball.

The brown-shirted Danes were retaining the ball efficiently and pushed forward in numbers, forcing a spate of corners.

Just when Aalborg were taking control of the game, Celtic were handed a lifeline on 28 minutes, after Shaun Maloney was felled by Dutchman Steve Olfers in the box.

However, Robson, normally so dependable from 12 yards, drove the spot kick low down the middle, and Zaza saved with his legs.

Despite the penalty failure, Celtic rallied briefly, but they must have been the happier side to hear the half-time whistle as the Danes finished much the stronger side.

In stark contrast to the way they finished the first half, the home side burst out of the blocks for the second period.

Within the first few minutes, Scott Brown, Shunsuke Nakamura and Samaras all made chances, as Celtic stepped up the pace.

Nakamura and Samaras had struggled to make an impact in the first half, but appeared rejuvenated.

The home crowd were expectant when the Japanese had a free-kick around 25 yards out, but Zaza held the tame effort.

Brown had the ball in the net after a neat one-two with Nakamura, but the flag went up for offside, despite video replays suggesting the Scotland internationalist was in line with the last man.


Nakamura was denied late on from a trademark free-kick

Moments later Nakamura fed the ball through to Samaras in the box, but the striker just failed to direct his shot past Zaza.

At the other end, Aalborg worked a training ground set-piece that foxed the Celtic defence, but was headed wide.

With 15 minutes remaining Samaras was presented with a great chance to score.

But rather than strike Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's pass first-time, the Greek tried to dribble the ball into the net, and the Danes regrouped to snuff out the danger.

Aalborg were reduced to 10 men on 79 minutes after Samaras was tripped when through on goal.

But incredibly, referee Matteo Simone Trefoloni sent off the wrong player, as Beauchamp was red-carded for Jakobsen's infringement.

Zaza saved Nakamura's resultant free-kick brilliantly, and the Danes survived a late onslaught to deprive Celtic of another opening game victory for the sixth time in succession.



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Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Robson, Maloney (Vennegoor of Hesselink 72), McDonald (McGeady 63), Samaras.
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Hartley, Wilson, Crosas, Loovens.

Booked: McManus, Samaras.

Aalborg: Zaza, Beauchamp, Olfers, Jakobsen, Pedersen, Augustinussen, Curth (Lasse Nielsen 85), Johansson, Risgaard, Enevoldsen, Saganowski.
Subs Not Used: Stenild, Due, Caca, Braemer, Kristensen, Ronnie Schwartz Nielsen.

Booked: Johansson Sent Off: Beauchamp (79).

Att: 57,432

Ref: Matteo Trefoloni (Italy)

Massive blow to Celtic. They would have been looking to take full points against Aalborg (home and away) especially when you consider the other sides in the group.

Celtic now travel to Villarreal in Matchday 2 and when you lok at their poor away record in this tournament, things may go from bad to worse. Villarreal secured a valuable point at Old Trafford and will be confident of a home win against Celtic.

[DavidMc]

Robson fails to net from the penalty spot

[Vargas_4]

I repeat what many have said. Massive blow for Celtic.

Their home games are extremely important. They specially needed all 3 points here against AaB... But know, their chances of progressing have greatly dropped.

I'm not so sure if they'll be able to pull it off now.