Neither Celtic nor Atletico Madrid were especially satisfied at the end of a thrilling Champions League night which gave a respectful nod to history. Around these parts they know all about Atletico Madrid being punished for foul play and seeing red, and if this one had none of the primal violence of 1974, when the Spaniards were infamously reduced to eight men, it still saw them finishing a man down.
Rodrigo De Paul’s second booking saw the Argentine dismissed. The sight of Atletico players swarming the referee would have stirred the memories of older Celtic fans in the crowd, but they would also recall that they could not beat the depleted Spaniards nearly 50 years ago and they could not do it here either. Celtic got their first point in the Champions League but the search for a first home win in the tournament since 2013 must continue.
Going down to ten men near the end stole momentum from Atletico and perhaps spared Celtic a late defeat, but that would have been desperately hard on them given the monumental effort they put into the night.
The red card fulfilled Atletico’s billing as the night’s pantomime villains, a supposed team of Captain Hooks to be jeered at every turn for historical crimes against football. This was the club whose side booted Celtic all over the same Glasgow turf in a European Cup semi-final in 1974. Atletico controversially deciding to play in a red and blue 1974 replica kit, in “homage” to their European Cup runners-up, was like a red rag to a … well, what exactly? Celtic have hardly been a bull given their lamentable Champions League results in recent years.
But Parkhead was at its feverish, deafening best. Outside the stadium the Green Brigade section of fans had distributed small Palestinian flags to anyone who wanted them and clearly tens of thousands did. A sea of them were held up. Celtic have imposed a ban on the Green Brigade at away games and had warned against flags or banners relating to the Israel-Hamas war, knowing a Uefa fan would be inevitable. Given that numerous larger Palestine flags were also carried in a procession down the trackside and, waved in a planned choreography in the North Stand, the club will have a hard job arguing that it did all it could to prevent the overwhelming show of sympathy for Gaza. Red smoke bombs in the Atletico section only added to the spectacle.
Advertisement
Soon it was about the football, the atmosphere given a turbo charge by Furuhashi’s second goal in consecutive Champions League games coming so early. The move and the finish were wonderful. Furuhashi attacked from the right, zipped a low pass to Matt O’Riley and continued his run into the box. O’Riley measured the return pass with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker, placing it perfectly for Furuhashi to burst in behind Atletico’s defence and lift a cool finish over Jan Oblak and inside the post.
Celtic swelled. They were strong and confident, moving the ball well and always working Atletico. Even losing Reo Hatate to an injury immediately after the goal did not unsettle them. Their little playmaker looked visibly upset when he came off, a worrying suggestion of a serious muscle problem. On came Paulo Bernardo. Celtic barely missed a beat. Their work-rate was outstanding and there were occasions when they not only broke Atletico’s press but capitalised on that to build moves which took them right up the pitch. Daizen Maeda’s energy and running epitomised their first half.
When Atletico had it, Celtic funnelled back, denying them space. Celtic’s European home games follow an established pattern, though. After the excitement of Celtic going ahead, the deadening familiarity of an equaliser. De Paul’s through ball to Nahuel Molina put him in behind Greg Taylor. The full back’s clumsy challenge caught and brought him down. Antoine Griezmann’s penalty was saved by Joe Hart on to his post but the goalkeeper was unlucky and Griezmann pounced on the rebound.
Instead of being demoralised and flattened by conceding another goal Celtic raced up the pitch and scored again. For a moment the wide men had switched wings, Maeda now left and Luis Palma right, and it had a devastating impact. Maeda drove into the box and flashed a delivery across the goal. Palma picked it up and unloaded a thrilling drive which smashed into Atletico’s net again off the far post.
What a first half it was. O’Riley almost had one but his shot was brilliantly saved by Oblak. At the other end Griezmann, dripping class, opened Celtic with a pass to Galan. Axel Witsel thought he had headed another equaliser from a free-kick but he was just offside.
Advertisement
Atletico’s second equaliser came eight minutes into the second half. Maeda had tormented Javi Galán towards his half-time removal but the replacement, Marcos Llorente, made their second goal. Taylor backed out of challenging him, fatally given the quality of the subsequent cross. Álvaro Morata had been peripheral all night but there he was, meeting the delivery with a controlled header past Hart.
Celtic no longer had the same dynamism. They grew tired, far from the aggressive force they had been in the first hour. Brendan Rodgers put on Nat Phillips and went five at the back in an attempt to get a foothold and at least take a creditable point when his team was disjointed and giving the ball away. There was space and control for Atletico now and a sense of inevitable danger. The atmosphere had changed too but the anxiety lifted when De Paul, booked in the first half for having too much to say to the referee, got his red card eight minutes from time for tripping O’Riley. What theatre these ancient rivals delivered. Celtic don’t win on these nights, but they help create a hell of a show.
Celtic (4-3-3): J Hart 7 — A Johnston 7, C Carter-Vickers 7, L Scales 8, G Taylor 5 — M O’Riley 8, C McGregor 7, R Hatate 1 (Paulo Bernardo 7, 7) — D Maeda 7, K Furuhashi 7 (J Forrest 79), L Palma 7 (N Phillips 62 6). Booked Carter-Vickers, Palma, Taylor.
Atletico Madrid (5-3-2): J Oblak 7 — N Molina 7, S Savic 7, A Witsel 7, M Hermoso 7, J Galan 5 (M Llorente 46 7) — R De Paul 7, Koke 7, Saul Niguez 6 (R Riquelme 46 6) — A Griezmann 8, A Morata 7 (A Corea 73). Booked De Paul, Galan, Molina, Savic. Sent off De Paul.
Referee F Zwayer (Ger). Attendance 59,500.
