Celtic qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stages in dramatic fashion to beat Shahkter Karagandy 3-0 at Celtic Park.
Neil Lennon’s side dominated proceedings tonight and with the match heading to extra-time, James Forrest completed Anthony Stokes jinking run to send Celtic through.
After being frustrated for the majority of the first-half by goalkeeper Aleksandr Mokin Celtic finally found a way through with an outstanding 25-yard effort from Kris Commons. And they were level on aggregate just three minutes after the restart when Georgios Samaras coolly finished from 10 yards.
Forrest then delighted the home fans in additional time after firing home from Stokes pass. Lennon made three changes to the side that lost the first leg, with Emilio Izaguirre, Virgil van Dijk and Steven Mouyokolo coming out, with Adam Matthews, Efe Ambrose and Stokes taking their place. Viktor Kumyov kept faith in the same side that started in Kazakhstan. Celtic started the game with plenty of intent, but Mokin in the Shahkter goal produced a string of fine saves.
The first was a stunning point-blank stop from Mikael Lustig’s header in the sixth minute, and followed that up by palming away Forrest’s fierce strike from the edge of the box. Still Celtic came forward and twice Anthony Stokes had the chance to open the scoring. First he saw he a drilled close-range effort stopped by Mokin, before the former Sunderland striker saw a header from Commons’ cross come off his shoulder, aiding the Shakhter goalkeeper’s save to his left.
The home side were further frustrated in the 15th minute when Commons struck a free-kick from the left channel that looked destined for the back of the net before Mokin parried it away. Lennon’s team maintained their dominance in possession, but the clear-cut chances began to dry up as the away side defended resolutely.
But the breakthrough finally came in first-half stoppage time when Commons took ownership of the ball 25 yards out from goal and unleashed a fierce left-footed shot that swerved away from Mokin and into the far corner.
Celtic levelled the tie just three minutes after the break as a Celtic corner was only half cleared and Lustig’s effort was controlled by Samaras, and he lifted his strike high into the net to send Celtic Park into raptures.
It should have been three 11 minutes later when a surging run by Forrest led to him crossing to Stokes who somehow managed to volley against the crossbar from six yards. They were almost made to pay for their profligacy as twice Shahkter came close. First Fraser Forster flapped at a corner and Mathews cleared an Andrei Finonchenko header off the line, before a scramble in the box after a long throw led to the ball cannoning back off the bar.
Celtic kept probing for the goal that would send them through and Stokes came close in the 88th minute but shot wide from outside the area. But they would not be denied as Anthony Stokes skipped past two challenges before laying into Forrest’s path and he blasted home the winner.
In contrast to Celtic, Lyon never really threatened to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit against Real Sociedad as the French club missed out on reaching the group stage for the second season running.
Remi Garde’s side were looking to do what no team had ever done before by overturning a 2-0 first-leg defeat at home to win a European Cup tie.
It proved too great a task as Mexican forward Carlos Vela scored a second-half brace to take the Liga club through 2-0 on the night, 4-0 on aggregate.
France will only have two clubs – Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille – in Thursday’s group-stage draw in Monaco, but there will be three Italian clubs after AC Milan eased to a 4-1 aggregate win against PSV Eindhoven.
The seven-time European champions had a brace by Kevin-Prince Boateng and a second-half Mario Balotelli strike to thank for taking them past PSV, the 1988 European Cup winners who have not graced the Champions League proper since 2008-09.
In other games, Zenit St Petersburg eased past Portuguese minnows Pacos Ferreira with a 4-2 win in Russia to advance 8-3 on aggregate.
Portuguese international Danny scored twice for Zenit against his countrymen, including a spectacular solo effort for his second of the night, with Aleksandr Bukharov and Andrey Arshavin also netting, the latter from the penalty spot.
Manuel Jose and Carlao scored consolation goals for tiny Pacos, who finished third in their domestic league last season.
Meanwhile, Czech champions Viktoria Plzen won 1-0 away to Maribor in Slovenia to progress 4-1 on aggregate with Stanislav Tecl’s early goal easing their path through.
They join Arsenal, Schalke 04, Basel, Steaua Bucharest and Austria Vienna, who all won on Tuesday in the group-stage draw along with the 22 automatic qualifiers, led by reigning European champions Bayern Munich.
Celtic clinch last-gasp winner to seal Champions League spot
Celtic qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stages in dramatic fashion to beat Shahkter Karagandy 3-0 at Celtic Park.
Neil Lennon’s side dominated proceedings tonight and with the match heading to extra-time, James Forrest completed Anthony Stokes jinking run to send Celtic through.
After being frustrated for the majority of the first-half by goalkeeper Aleksandr Mokin Celtic finally found a way through with an outstanding 25-yard effort from Kris Commons. And they were level on aggregate just three minutes after the restart when Georgios Samaras coolly finished from 10 yards.
Forrest then delighted the home fans in additional time after firing home from Stokes pass. Lennon made three changes to the side that lost the first leg, with Emilio Izaguirre, Virgil van Dijk and Steven Mouyokolo coming out, with Adam Matthews, Efe Ambrose and Stokes taking their place. Viktor Kumyov kept faith in the same side that started in Kazakhstan. Celtic started the game with plenty of intent, but Mokin in the Shahkter goal produced a string of fine saves.
The first was a stunning point-blank stop from Mikael Lustig’s header in the sixth minute, and followed that up by palming away Forrest’s fierce strike from the edge of the box. Still Celtic came forward and twice Anthony Stokes had the chance to open the scoring. First he saw he a drilled close-range effort stopped by Mokin, before the former Sunderland striker saw a header from Commons’ cross come off his shoulder, aiding the Shakhter goalkeeper’s save to his left.
The home side were further frustrated in the 15th minute when Commons struck a free-kick from the left channel that looked destined for the back of the net before Mokin parried it away. Lennon’s team maintained their dominance in possession, but the clear-cut chances began to dry up as the away side defended resolutely.
But the breakthrough finally came in first-half stoppage time when Commons took ownership of the ball 25 yards out from goal and unleashed a fierce left-footed shot that swerved away from Mokin and into the far corner.
YouTube: HQFootball05
Celtic levelled the tie just three minutes after the break as a Celtic corner was only half cleared and Lustig’s effort was controlled by Samaras, and he lifted his strike high into the net to send Celtic Park into raptures.
YouTube: HQFootball05
It should have been three 11 minutes later when a surging run by Forrest led to him crossing to Stokes who somehow managed to volley against the crossbar from six yards. They were almost made to pay for their profligacy as twice Shahkter came close. First Fraser Forster flapped at a corner and Mathews cleared an Andrei Finonchenko header off the line, before a scramble in the box after a long throw led to the ball cannoning back off the bar.
Celtic kept probing for the goal that would send them through and Stokes came close in the 88th minute but shot wide from outside the area. But they would not be denied as Anthony Stokes skipped past two challenges before laying into Forrest’s path and he blasted home the winner.
Remi Garde’s side were looking to do what no team had ever done before by overturning a 2-0 first-leg defeat at home to win a European Cup tie.
It proved too great a task as Mexican forward Carlos Vela scored a second-half brace to take the Liga club through 2-0 on the night, 4-0 on aggregate.
France will only have two clubs – Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille – in Thursday’s group-stage draw in Monaco, but there will be three Italian clubs after AC Milan eased to a 4-1 aggregate win against PSV Eindhoven.
The seven-time European champions had a brace by Kevin-Prince Boateng and a second-half Mario Balotelli strike to thank for taking them past PSV, the 1988 European Cup winners who have not graced the Champions League proper since 2008-09.
In other games, Zenit St Petersburg eased past Portuguese minnows Pacos Ferreira with a 4-2 win in Russia to advance 8-3 on aggregate.
Portuguese international Danny scored twice for Zenit against his countrymen, including a spectacular solo effort for his second of the night, with Aleksandr Bukharov and Andrey Arshavin also netting, the latter from the penalty spot.
Manuel Jose and Carlao scored consolation goals for tiny Pacos, who finished third in their domestic league last season.
Meanwhile, Czech champions Viktoria Plzen won 1-0 away to Maribor in Slovenia to progress 4-1 on aggregate with Stanislav Tecl’s early goal easing their path through.
They join Arsenal, Schalke 04, Basel, Steaua Bucharest and Austria Vienna, who all won on Tuesday in the group-stage draw along with the 22 automatic qualifiers, led by reigning European champions Bayern Munich.
- additional reporting AFP
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UEFA Champions League Kris Commons oh bhoy Celtic Shakhter Karagandy Tekkers