Champions League Tuesday September 30th 2003

Celtic 2

Lyon 0

1:0 Miller 70
2:0 Sutton 78

Att: 58,027

ref: Eduardo Gonzales (Esp)

Celtic: Hedman McNamara Balde Varga Agathe Sutton Lennon Petrov Thompson Hartson Larsson
subs Miller for Hartson 64

Enjoy these times, because this is as good as it gets. This just underlines the fact that our recent European form has been no flash in the pan. If anything, Basel away last season was the fluke result. We had the French champions, fresh from a 4:0 win in their own league the previous, and we took them apart. It wasn't easy, and it will definitely be a tough old game out there, but they won't be looking forward to our arrival.

The first half was even enough territorially, although we should have been in front thanks to the penalty award. The players are going to have to do something about this; it's definitely gone beyond a joke.

As it turned out that was the catalyst for the crowd to do its bit. The atmosphere was incredible, far outstripping anything from last season.

In the second half Celtic got hold of the game and never let go. Hartson smashed a shot that the keeper did well to keep out, ditto Larsson. We never let the pace drop. Big Bad John was finally substituted just after the hour. He wasn't happy about being replaced by Miller but it turned the game.

As if to illustrate how far we come in the last few years Celtic produced the kind of goal that only the top teams can score. Last time out in the Champions League we were accused of only being able to score from the set piece. No such criticism can be aimed at the team in this game. They were patient, they were calm, they kept the ball moving on the ground, taking their opponents from one side of the pitch to the next, putting together 20+ passes, and when the moment came Larsson did a trick beat his man and put in the perfect cross for Miller to score his first full team goal. Hell of time to do it. Paradise went wild.

Minutes later Larsson and Sutton harried the Lyon defence into conceding a throw near the dug outs. Sutton ran to get the ball, took a quick throw to Larsson and ran like hell toward the back post. Larsson waited, then with his right boot flicked the ball into the centre of the box where Sutton had arrived to meet it perfectly. At which point the roof came off the stadium and the game was over.

Even the English summarisers on ITV were in raptures about it, and as they said 'Celtic have won in the Champions League at Celtic Park, but they always win in the Champions League at Celtic Park!' You had better believe it.