Celtic - 1 Blackburn Rovers - 0 The opening contest in the tie billed as the Battle of Britain went in Scotland's favour last night after Sweden's Henrik Larsson found the way through an English club's defence with just five minutes to spare. Thus Celtic take a slim advantage to Blackburn for the return in a fortnight .

The huge crowd had to content themselves with supporting Celtic rather than berating the former Rangers manager Graeme Souness, who spared himself the onslaught by waiting until this torrid affair started before he took his place in the Blackburn dug-out.

Sven-Goran Eriksson, however, unexpectedly failed to appear at all. England's coach certainly missed a tie that bristled with excitement and drama as both sides appeared determined to go for glory from the outset.

Indeed, in the fiercely-contested opening spell both could have scored. Blackburn's David Thompson sent one fine early effort skidding just wide and after 12 minutes he produced a superb clurling shot that Rob Douglas saved brilliantly.

In between Brad Friedel beat away a powerful Stilian Petrov header from a Didier Agathe cross and the American goalkeeper also pounced gratefully on a Henrik Larsson effort.

For a brief spell thereafter it was uneventful until Souness, clearly regretting his earlier reticence, moved to the touchline to acknowledge the chants of the visiting fans.

Indeed, he rather milked the moment to predictably earn a chorus of jeers from the vast ranks of Celtic supporters.

That raised the temperature again and after 21 minutes Lucas Neill, hard pressed keeping Alan Thompson at bay, was booked for a push on the marauding midfielder.

Celtic, in fact, used the flanks to good effect with Thompson and Agathe given every opportunity to run at a Rovers' defence missing Henning Berg.

There was an interesting cameo developing, too, in midfield where Neil Lennon and Tugay were involved in a challenge where no quarter was asked and none certainly given.

Yet for all that, the general pattern was of two teams of similar ability struggling to get it together sufficiently to make the breakthrough.

That stalemate continued to the interval with only a Dwight Yorke shot, blocked by Ulrik Laursen, and a booking for Alan Thompson for a foul on his namesake, David, after 42 minutes arousing any particular interest.

Andy Cole came on for Egil Ostenstad at the start of the second half and Blackburn continued where they left off, pushing the ball around neatly and generally frustrating Celtic.

It meant that by and large the home team had to rely on mistakes to pose any real threat and one such moment occurred after 49 minutes when Garry Flitcroft's poor defensive header from an Agathe cross fell nicely for Chris Sutton. But the striker's shot was weak and easy for Friedel.

Blackburn, in fact, looked altogether more threatening when they felt so inclined and one Cole shot was blocked by Joos Valgaeren.

Yet neither team could really gather any real momentum and it was proving a frustrating night for the fans, given the quality of players involved.

Chances were few and far between and when one arrived, as it did for Larsson after 64 minutes, the Swede's normally sure first touch from a Thompson cross let him down and Friedel was able to gain possession.

Two minutes later Rovers took off Damien Duff, deeming he had done enough on his return from a hamstring injury, and replaced him with David Dunn.

That failed to change anything drastically, although Celtic did enjoy a period of ascendancy without making it count.

That prompted their first change, after 76 minutes, when John Hartson replaced Paul Lambert.

Almost immediately, after a Yorke foul on Petrov, David Thompson tested Friedel with a good free-kick and that further encouraged Celtic, who then sent on Momo Sylla for Agathe.

Then, with five minutes remaining, Larsson struck after Blackburn's David Thompson cleared a Hartson header from a beautifully delivered corner from Alan Thompson.

Celtic's goalkeeper Douglas believes the clean sheet will provide a "solid base" for the return leg in two weeks. He said: "I thought it was stalemate, to be honest. They are a tidy team.

"We didn't play that well in the first half, but got back in it in the second and got a cheeky wee goal at the end. It gives us a good start to go down to Blackburn with.

"The boys have helped me out often enough and maybe I helped them out a bit.

"But it is a team game and Henrik popped up at the end.

"The main thing is we kept a clean sheet and we have notched a goal from it.

"It just show how good English teams are technically at passing.

"They kept the ball for long periods which deserves credit especially at Parkhead.

"But not conceding a goal gives the whole team a good base to build on when we go down there."

CELTIC: Douglas, Valgaeren, Balde, Laursen, Agathe (Sylla 80), Lennon, Lambert (Hartson 76), Petrov, Thompson, Larsson, Sutton. Subs Not Used: Gould, Fernandez, Maloney, Guppy, Crainey. Booked: Thompson. Goals: Larsson 85.

BLACKBURN ROVERS: Friedel, Neill, Short, Johansson, Taylor, Thompson, Flitcroft, Tugay, Duff (Dunn 66), Ostenstad (Cole 45), Yorke. Subs Not Used: Jansen, Grabbi, Kelly, Gillespie, Douglas. Booked: Neill.

Referee: H Albrecht (Kaufbeuren).