VICTOR WANYAMA SHINES AGAINST BARCA...

Victor Wanyama First Kenyan To Score Against Barcelona

Celtic stunned the football world by beating European giants Barca last night.
The Bhoys opened the scoring with an early goal from a Charlie Mulgrew set-piece, just as they had a ­fortnight ago in the Nou Camp before their heartbreaking last-gasp defeat.
But this time it was the man mountain Victor Wanyama who headed home.
This time Barcelona could not find a way through, try as hard as they might until stoppage-time.
And so, seven minutes from time when 18-year-old Tony Watt smashed home a mindblowing second Celtic goal, the greatest team of all-time was defeated.
Of course, Barcelona would not be Barcelona without a final flurry – as was proved last time out.

Hard fought: Samaras duels for the ball with Adriano

But even though Lionel Messi lashed a goal home in the first minute of injury time, it was not enough to stop Celtic from chalking up one of the greatest victories of the club’s 125 years,
Keeper Fraser Forster saved early on when Alexis Sanchez got a flick on Xavi’s long-range snapshot and then, at the end of a breathtaking flurry of passes, Messi fired over the top.
There could have been a penalty too had Dutch referee­ Bjorn Kuipers not generously waved play on despite Mikael Lustig’s clumsy barge on Sanchez.

Super sub: Tony Watt is congratulated for what was the winner

 

Wanyama got up above Jordi Alba at the back post to smash a header into the roof of Victor Valdes’ net and send the fans into a state of complete and wild euphoria. In fact, Celtic might even have grabbed a second had the galloping Adam Matthews been more careful with a cross which ought to have given Georgios Samaras a sight of an empty goal.
Forster pulled off a fabulous fingertip save to turn a Messi blast over the top, Xavi fired another one close and then Sanchez hit the base of Forster’s post with a header.
And it continued exactly the same way after the break. Barcelona came forward in swarms, Celtic soaked up the pressure but stayed ­organised and compact. When Messi did manage to wriggle away from Matthews in 55 minutes to make room for a shot, Forster sprung to his right to clutch it.

 

Barca sent for the reinforcements with David Villa, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique all coming on from the bench.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon saw Lustig limp off but threw teenager Watt threw on into attack.
And all his dreams came true when Xavi failed to connect with Forster clearance and Watt found himself racing through one on one with Valdes. The youngster kept his composure to drill home a fabulous, picture-book finish.
Messi halved Celtic’s lead but Lennon’s men hung on to close out a famous victory.
Daily Mirror