A very good evening to you football-loving people.

It’s set to be another big Champions League Wednesday and we’ll be keeping you up to speed with Celtic’s Everest-like task at home to Barcelona as well as how Manchester United and Chelsea are getting on against Portuguese and Ukrainian oppositions.

Stand by for team news

Here is the line-up for our featured game.

Celtic: Forster, Lustig, Ambrose, Wilson, Matthews, Commons, Wanyama, Ledley, Mulgrew, Samaras, Miku.

Subs: Zaluska, McCourt, Herron, Watt, Kayal, Fraser, McGeouch.

Barcelona: Valdes, Dani Alves, Bartra, Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Xavi, Song, Iniesta, Pedro, Messi, Sanchez.

Subs: Pinto, Pique, Fabregas, Villa, Jonathan, Montoya, Tello.

Meanwhile in a quarry in Portugal, Alex Ferguson wants goals, but RVP is on the bench:

Braga: Beto, Leandro Salino, Nuno Andre, Douglao, Elderson, Custodio, Hugo Viana, Alan, Ruben Micael, Ruben Amorim, Eder.

Subs: Quim, Mossoro, Helder Barbosa, Baiano, Ismaily, Djamal, Ze Luis.

Man Utd: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Nani, Anderson, Giggs, Rooney, Hernandez, Welbeck.

Subs: Lindegaard, Da Silva, Ferdinand, Carrick, Young, van Persie, Cleverley.

And then there’s just the small matter of the reigning champions.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Bertrand, Ramires, Mikel, Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Torres.

Subs: Turnbull, Romeu, Moses, Marin, Sturridge, Terry, Azpilicueta.

Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov, Srna, Kucher, Rakitskiy, Rat, Hubschman, Fernandinho, Alex Teixeira, Mkhitaryan, Willian, Luiz Adriano.

Subs: Kanibolotskiy, Stepanenko, Eduardo, Shevchuk, Douglas Costa, Chygrynskiy, Ilsinho.

Less than 10 minutes to kick off; time to get your predictions in. The Green Monkey in our comment section is confident, he’s going for a 2-1 home win in Glasgow.

You would expect nothing less than an electric atmosphere in Celtic Park and that’s what the Hoops have offered up. Barcelona emerge to a wall of noise, green and white.

KICK OFF: The Blaugrana visitors get us off and running, but they attack down the left and the Bhoys win possession… for a while.

The scene is set. Barcelona have settled instantly, building from the pack through Mascherano and working the ball to the edge of the box where a hooped wall eventually breaks up the play.

Celtic clear to Samaras, hoping to win a free kick and they do.

In Braga, Jonny Evans lapses for a moment and eder slips in behind. He flashes a shot across goal, but it is behind the only body in the six-yard box, which happened to be Chris Smalling.

Back up north, Forster had to be alert as Xavi’s snap-shot was deflected on target by Alexis Sanchez.

The visitors work the play down the left seconds later and make a near-post chance for (*checks team-sheet) Lionel Messi, but his left foot shot blazes a metre over the bar from 12 yards.

GOAL: Chelsea 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk  (Fernando Torres ’8)

The champions have a vital breakthrough thanks to the visitors’ ‘keeper: Andriy Pyatov’s clearance charged down by Torres.

GOAL: Chelsea 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (Willian ’10)

Well. It’s game on again. Fernandinho’s cross is met by a clinical side-foot finish.

Alex Song has earned himself a yellow card after a needless tackle in the middle of the park. Celtic could get some joy (if a red card can be joyful) if they can find someone to run at the former Gunner…. is that Paddy McCourt on the bench?

Of British football’s three sides in action tonight, Celtic are offering up the least chances. Manchester United’s defence is almost pinned up against the rock face that overshadows one end of Braga’s ground while Chelsea can count themselves lucky to have only conceded once since Torres forced them into the lead.

Chris Smalling is looking quite groggy for United. We didn’t see him get a bang, but Rio Ferdinand has been asked to warm up

GOAL: Celtic 1 – 0 Barcelona (Wanyama ’21)

They’ve done it again. Charlie Mulgrew’s corner from the right is whipped to the back post. There’s it’s met by big Victor with a bullet header.

I don’t know what the Catalan for deja vu is, but Barca have their fingers and toes crossed at the minute.

Off the post!

United are now officially, fortunate to be level. Terrific low cross whipped in from the left and Eder dived in front of Evans to meet the header at knee height. it pinged the centre of de Gea’s right-hand post and away.

Wow! Lionel Messi has just rattled the crossbar with a volley.

He played a one-two with Iniesta, receiving the ball just left of the penalty spot. In no space at all his right foot killed the pass and lifted it an inch or two off the ground, his second touch was a stinging volley. Forster got the slightest fingertip to force it onto the bar instead of the net.

The video of that Messi effort is already in.

YouTube credit: Eme10343

And here’s the goal.

YouTube credit: Manuel Cini

Hold on, hold on hold on:

Before we go ANY further, I have to bring you news of events in Munich.

Bayern, after just 36 minutes, lead Lille 5 -0

It sounds like a bonkers game: it includes a hat-trick from Claudio Pizarro between strikes from Schweinsteiger and Robben.

40 mins: Jordi Alba is finding space time and again on the left flank. His latest raid ends in a cross to Messi at the near post. Somehow, goalkeeper and defender combine to block the shot from point blank range.

GOAL: Chelsea 2 – 1 Shakhtar (Oscar ’43)

Another mare from Pyatov, he comes outside the box to clear with his head, but he finds Oscar… a kid this talented was never going to pass up the opportunity.

HALF TIME: Celtic 1 – 0 Barcelona

HALF TIME Braga 0 – 0 Man Utd

HALF TIME:Chelsea 2 – 1 Shakhtar

So, lets look elsewhere on the continent:

We’ve told you about Bayern, they still lead 5-0 at the Allianz. So, the other four games look a little like this at the half way stage..

Benfica 0 – 0 Spartak

CFR Cluj-Napoca 0 – 1 Galatasaray

Juventus 3 – 0 Nordsjaelland

Valencia 2 – 0 BATE Borisov

If you like calamitous defending, then Chelsea v Shakhtar is the game for you, but this was a cool, cool finish.

The second halves are underway in Scotland and Portugal, with the visiting sides stroking the ball around the back in both instances.

PENALTY TO BRAGA!

GOAL: Braga 1 – 0 Man Utd (Alan ‘ 49)

Jonny Evans is the culprit as United fall behind yet again after Custodio attacks the Irishman at speed and the pair collide just inside the box. Alan smashes the spot-kick home.

GOAL: Chelsea 2 – 2 Shakhtar (Willian ’47)

When Barcelona do manage to make some space for a shot, they have not been good enough to find a way past Forster. Celtic growing in confidence now, even chancing an attack or two.

Here’s another corner… they take it short and Barca clear.

Lights out!

The floodlights have failed in Braga and Manchester United are wandering around in a darkened quarry.

Alexis Sanchez has a brilliant shot saved by Forster. He picks up the rebound, but is forced too wide to do much harm. Tenacious, manful defending. I really hope Celtic can hold on here.

Meanwhile, Sky are told by the fourth official that the game will be delayed for “at least 10 minutes”.

I’m flicking over to Chelsea.

David Villa (remember him) has come on for Barca in place of Alexis Sanchez.

Park Head is rocking. Celtic fully believe they can win this game and they crowd are baying for blood as Alex Song clumsily fouls in midfield.

The referee lets him off the hook.

Goal disallowed:Only the most blind /optimistic of Chelsea fans would have thought John Obi MIkel was anything but offside from Juan Mata’s 67th minute free kick.

Meanwhile, in Glasgow… Forster pulls out his best save of the night and he’s kept it for a low Leo Messi drive. The Argentine blasted from left to right across goal, but the ‘keeper was agile and dived to his left to get a big hand to the shot and slap it away.

Some time to draw breath would be nice, this is fantastic stuff.

73 mins: Bartra and Song out, Pique and Cesc in for Barcelona.

The lights are back on in the quarry. 62 minutes played there, half an hour (plus Fergie-time) for United to get the point they need.

Robin van Persie is getting warmed up

If I didn’t know better (and I sincerely hop I don’t) I’d say Barca are growing desperate.

Iniesta with a wild shot from 30 yards that flies well over the bar.

Penalty appeal for Chelsea as Ramires goes tumbling, but the referee rules Dario Srna got the ball.

GOAL: Celtic 2 – 0 Barcelona (Watt ’83)

Absolutely amazing scenes in Park Head. Hooped hearts were briefly in mouths at one end as Xavi’s free-kick was saved by Forster. Celtic countered and the 18-year-old on his European debut ghosted in behind the Blaugrana defence and nervelessly picked his spot and blasted the finish low into the corner.

Cue an eruption of green and white.

Yes, folks. Celtic are still holding ‘the bestest team in the history of football’ and Twitter is lighting up with people offering their own variation of about three puns on Tony Watt’s name.

Surely some tie-in with United’s floodlight failure is called for?

GOAL: Celtic 2 – 1 Barcelona (Messi ’90)

Plucky Barcelona pull a goal back. Forster has done an immense job tonight, but his latest save drops at the last left boot in the world you would want to see it on. The little flea side-foots into the top corner.

FULL TIME: Celtic 2 – 1 Barcelona

Incredible. Celtic hang on and beat opposition in blue and red… they usually enjoy that sort of thing, but tonight must mean a little more.

GOALS GOALS GOALS

Braga 1 – 2 Man Utd (RVP and Rooney)

Chelsea 3 – 2 Shakhtar (Moses)

We missed the RVP equaliser amidst the chaos in Glasgow.

But there were bizarre scenes moments later as five or six United players stopped, claiming a penalty. The referee waved play on, Braga cleared to half way, and after what seemed an eternity, the penalty was awarded.

Rooney, stepped up and copied Alan’s technique, blasting into the roof of the net.

Stoppage time now.

GOAL Braga 1 – 3 Man Utd (Hernandez ’92)

Well as scrappy goals go, this takes the biscuit. Van Persie’s cross is touched on by Rooney to Chicharito free on the back stick. he touches it round the ‘keeper but dillies, then dallies and scuffs a shot as he is closed down.

The ball is stopped on the line, but as Hernandez had fallen over in the act of shooting, he was in the perfect position to tackle the ball across the line.

FULL TIME: Braga 1 – 3 Man Utd

Phew! What a night.

Lionel Messi may have scored, but we don’t think he produced his best on a wet night in Glasgow. So we must agree with the sentiment here.

And the gags on Twitter keep on going.

So…. anything happen anywhere else in Europe?

Bayern Munich 6 – 1 Lille

Benfica 2 – 0 Spartak Moscow

CFR Cluj-Napoca 1 – 3 Galatasaray

Juventus 4 – 0 Nordsjaelland

Valencia 4 – 2 BATE Borisov

Thanks for tuning in on a truly remarkable night of football. We’ve had Chelsea and Shakhtar going toe-toe, United benefiting from a power failure and Celtic taken to paradise by a young man named Watt on an electric night in Park Head.

G’Night