Celtic 2—Ajax 1.

Ajax has the better of the chances, hit the outside of the post in the opening spell, they had more of the ball and a big Lasse scored their goal with twenty seconds to go. Yet Celtic won 2-1, a massive result in terms of keeping their interest in progressing in the tournament or even getting a Europa league parachute spot for third place. De Boar, the ex-Ranger’s player and Ajax manager was particularly scathing. ‘Eight out of ten times the best team wins’ he said. Well, I’m old enough to remember in eight out of ten games when Celtic played his old team Rangers and played them off the park, but Laudrup would gallop away and secure a win for the Huns. Celtic were also the better team against A C Milan in Milan. They got zero from that. But I do have some sympathy for De Boar. Ajax played well, built from the back, with their keeper taking the ball to his feet and playing like an old fashioned sweeper. Celtic got a penalty a few minutes from half-time. In the absence of arguably Celtic’s best player for the last two seasons, the injured Chris Commons, James Forest stepped up to take it. I think I was more nervous than him and thought he’d miss. Most of Celtic’s attacks tended to go via Samaras down the left and usually petered out at the edge of the Ajax box. Down the right Forest got caught too easily on the ball. But he swept the penalty high into the corner of the net.  This is always a good time to score. Psychologically, the away team thinks they’ve done enough, but go in a goal down.  In the second half Celtic dropped deep to defend their lead. Ajax had a number of one on one’s with the outstanding Fraser Forster, but crucially Cetlic had scored a second goal. A one goal lead was never enough. Kayal side-footed a shot through a ruck of players and it spun off an Ajax defender, Denswil, and into the corner of the net. There was shades of Izzaguire’s own goal against A C Milan here.  On about the eightieth minute the substitute Biton slid in for a ball he could never win. Red card. I’d like to say Celtic were comfortable for the last ten minutes. But in eight out of ten times when Celtic are leading in big European night they are never comfortable. Even in the other two time when they’re not leading they’re also not comfortable. A win is a win. Roll on emm Ajax again. We now have a little hope, but statistics tell us we’ve got a rabid dog’s chance.