Spartak Moscow 2 Celtic 3:GEORGIOS SAMARAS'S last-gasp header gave Celtic a dramatic Champions League Group G victory over 10-man Spartak Moscow in the Luzhniki Stadium yesterday. Neil Lennon's men recorded a first away win in the group stages of the Champions League for the Parkhead club.
Celtic striker Gary Hooper gave visitors the lead in the 12th minute before Emmanuel Emenike netted twice for the Russian club, once either side of the break.
Spartak defender Juan Insaurralde was sent off just after the hour mark for preventing Hooper going clean through on goal.
Celtic levelled in the 72nd minute after a drive from substitute James Forrest, who had replaced Victor Wanyama, deflected in off Spartak captain Dmitri Kombarov and to cap a remarkable night for the visitors Samaras headed in an Emilio Izaguirre cross seconds after the regulation 90 minutes.
Celtic face a double-header against section favourites Barcelona and must go into both games with confidence.
The Parkhead men had drawn 1-1 with Spartak on their artificial turf in a Champions League play-off game in 2007 but this time they went one better and it was Samaras who came up with the goods.
There was little surprise when the Greece striker returned to the Celtic starting XI, with Forrest starting on the bench.
The Celtic striker, a favourite of Lennon, made a substitute appearance in the 2-0 Premier League win over Motherwell on Saturday after recovering from an elbow injury.
Former Celtic wide-man Aiden McGeady returned to the Spartak midfield after being rested for the 3-1 league win over Amkar.
Spartak had lost the services of goalkeeper Andriy Dykan to injury, his place taken by Sergei Pesyakov. The number two goalkeeper, though, had little chance with Hooper’s well-taken goal, which stemmed from Kallstrom’s reticence in a 50-50 tackle with Wanyama. The powerful Celtic midfielder played the ball wide to right-back Mikael Lustig to deliver low for the former Scunthorpe striker to clip the ball in from around six yards.
Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster had his first real save to make, and a decent one at that, from defender Nicolas Pareja’s curling free-kick from 25 yards. It looked like Lennon’s side would take a lead into the interval but four minutes from the break Emenike knocked the ball past Forster from close range after being set up by Ari, who had latched on to a delightful long ball by Kallstrom.
Emenike grabbed his second goal three minutes into the second period. Forster looked slow going down to deal with Ari’s drive from long distance and when he spilled it, Demy de Zeeuw, who looked suspiciously offside, pounced to play the ball across goal for the Nigeria striker to tap in.
It looked a difficult task for Celtic but they had a chance to level in the 58th minute when Charlie Mulgrew’s free-kick from the right found the head of stopper Efe Ambrose but he missed the target.
There was some needless controversy surrounding Insaurralde’s dismissal. The Spartak defender hauled Hooper back as he raced through on goal from Mulgrew’s pass but at first French referee Tony Chapron played on, then, after presumably taking some instruction from one of his officials, he showed the Argentinian the red card.
Mulgrew’s free-kick, when it was eventually taken, was punched away by Pesyakov, who dealt comfortably with Emilio Izaguirre’s volley from the rebound.
But there was more drama to come in the 72nd minute when Forrest’s angled shot from 12 yards, after good work from Samaras and Hooper, was saved by Pesyakov before going in off Kombarov.
Pesyakov made a good fingertip save from Joe Ledley, who had replaced Mulgrew, and the goalkeeper saved again from Hooper.
But with the game in added time Samaras rose to head Izaguirre’s cross into the far corner of the net for a famous victory.
SPARTAK MOSCOW: Pesyakov; Makeyev, Insaurralde, Pareja, Kombarov; McGeady (Dzyuba 76), Kallstrom, Carioca, de Zeeuw (Bryzgalov 66); Ari (Kozlov 87), Emenike
CELTIC: Forster; Izaguirre, Ambrose, Wilson, Mulgrew (Ledley 80), Lustig; Brown, Commons, Wanyama (Forrest 70); Samaras, Hooper.
Referee: Tony Chapron (France)
