Blackburn...0 Celtic...2 Celtic win 3-0 on aggregateIt would be stretching the truth to say the whole of Scotland was supporting Celtic last night - allegedly, some Rangers fans were clad in Blackburn apparel during Sunday's defeat of Hibernian - but the elation felt by the Scottish champions will have struck a delightful chord north of the border.
Whatever Blackburn's grievances about losing in Glasgow a fortnight ago, there could be no disputing that the better side emerged victorious from this self-styled Battle of Britain and fully merit their inclusion in today's third-round draw.
This was the first time a Scottish side has overcome English opponents in Europe since Rangers beat Leeds in the European Cup a decade ago and, for that, Celtic owe a debt of honour to their talisman Henrik Larsson.
Just as he had done at Parkhead in the first leg, the Swede displayed his predatory instincts with the opening goal before Chris Sutton doused any lingering hopes of a Blackburn comeback with a fine header midway through the second half.
In truth, the match failed to live up to expectations: when the touts are starting business at £1,000 a ticket and the stewards are being offered handsome bribes for their luminous jackets, you know it is not just another game.
Seldom have the acoustics sounded so good at Ewood Park, usually one of the Premiership's more hushed arenas. Vast swathes of green and white added a dash of colour to a throbbing night and such was the shoehorn of ticketless fans outside the kick-off had to be delayed by 15 minutes.
Graeme Souness had believed that this would be a night of near unremitting pressure from the home side. That, however, was under-estimating Martin O'Neill. The Celtic manager was willing to sacrifice Paul Lambert, captain of both club and country, to accommodate Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson in the same side and, after 14 minutes, his courageous tactics paid off.
In truth, it could hardly have been a messier move. Bobo Balde and Didier Agathe were both involved before Sutton, swiftly acclimatising to a central midfield role, clipped the ball beyond Blackburn's defence.
Hartson was his target, but the Welsh striker could not keep his feet on the greasy surface. Craig Short also slipped and suddenly Larsson was running clear into the empty space. However untidy the build-up, there was a touch of finesse about the manner in which he waited for Brad Friedel to go down before chipping elegantly over the goalkeeper.
This left Blackburn with the task of finding three goals and though they nearly snatched one back a few minutes later, David Thompson's powerful free-kick flicking off the top of Robert Douglas's crossbar, their attacking thrusts were muted by the enormity of their assignment.
His players' tame response must have dismayed Souness. He will have been pained to see Celtic playing with the greater conviction and the Scottish champions remained largely untroubled until the interval. At times like this, Alex Ferguson must look at the lethargy of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke and reflect that allowing them to leave Old Trafford was a sound piece of business.
For Souness, that proud self-motivator, it must have been a galling experience and it might have been even worse had Sutton and Hartson not both contrived to miss a simple chance at the start of the second half. Yet again, Blackburn had been shrouded by an air of vulnerability. Quizzical looks were exchanged in their defence.
The hosts' only realistic hope of success was to score early in this period but it was their opponents who continued to look the more potent force. Sutton, tormenting his former club, headed into the side-netting from Steve Guppy's corner but altered his targets midway through the second half, directing Stilian Petrov's corner beyond Friedel with the sort of header that was once his trademark at Blackburn.
The home fans at least managed their own retort, with a cry of, "You'll never play in England." On this evidence, however, Souness and some of the other managers in the Premiership should be grateful.
BLACKBURN ROVERS: Friedel, Curtis (Gillespie 45), Short, Johansson, Neill, Thompson, Tugay, Dunn, Duff, Yorke (Jansen 64), Cole. Subs Not Used: Todd, Grabbi, Ostenstad, Douglas, Kelly. Booked: Neill.
CELTIC: Douglas, Valgaeren, Balde, Laursen, Agathe (Sylla 82), Lennon, Petrov (Thompson 77), Sutton, Guppy, Larsson, Hartson (Lambert 69). Subs Not Used: Fernandez, Maloney, Crainey, Gould. Goals: Larsson 15, Sutton 68. Agg (0-3) Attendance: 29,698.
Referee: C Bolognino (Milan).
