The first balls out of the hat in today’s Champions League draw were Celtic and Barcelona. This will mean another trip to Scotland where Barça started their preseason with games against Hearts and Dundee United, and where they already played in this season’s Champions League against Rangers. Barça will be happy to have avoided the English teams and Roma. Barça will play the first leg in Glasgow on Wednesday 20th February, with the second leg in Camp Nou on Tuesday 4th March.
Barça played Celtic as recently as 2004 in the group stage of the Champions League. Barça won 1-3 in Glasgow with goals from Deco, Giuly and Larsson, but could only manage a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou, Eto’o scoring the goal. However, the previous season Celtic knocked Barça out in the last 16 of the Uefa Cup. The first leg in Glasgow was played on the day of the horrific terrorist bomb attack in Madrid and the Barça players had a problem to concentrate, Saviola and Motta were both sent off and Barça lost 1-0, in the return game at Camp Nou Celtic’s teenage goalkeeper David Marshall stopped everything and Celtic held on for a 0-0 draw that put them through.
The full draw for the last 16 is as follows:
Celtic - Barcelona
Lyon - Man United
Schalke 04 - Porto
Liverpool - Inter Milan
Roma - Real Madrid
Arsenal - AC Milan
Olympiakos - Chelsea
Fenerbahce - Sevilla
3 responses so far ↓
Danny // Dec 21, 2007 at 21:58
Well, it’s another mouth watering Celtic- Barcelona tie. Barca fans, you can be rest assured that Celtic, at home, will not resort to the tactics favoured by our ‘cousins’ from accross the city, and that you will actually see a game of football. We will attack you and you must know we have a mighty record at home in Europe, and that it was yourselves, containg a Celtic legend in your ranks, that were the last European team to beat us at home.
I note that Puyol is pleased to have drawn us. He shouldn’t be that pleased. Carlos would do well to remember that this year at Parkhead we have beaten the English champions, Manchester United, as well as the reigning European Champions, AC Milan. He may be banking on our terrible away form- however we haven’t done too badly at the Camp Nou in recent years- two draws.
On paper Barcelona should win comfortably. Thankfully football is not played on paper. No, it is played in seething, rampant, passionate, noisy cauldrons like Parkhead and the Camp Nou, where anything can happen.
Bring it on, I say!
Nic // Dec 22, 2007 at 0:42
Thanks for your marvellous comment Danny. Just reading ” seething, rampant, passionate, noisy cauldrons” makes my heart beat in anticipation. Be sure that we will attack you too. Viva el Futbol!!!
Danny // Dec 22, 2007 at 14:24
No problem, Nic, I can’t wait until February. Viva el Futbol, ‘mon the Hoops!
Leave a Comment