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Celtic twice in front but open Europa League campaign with Salzburg draw Celtic twice in front but open Europa League campaign with Salzburg draw
(34 minutes later)
Celtic twice surrendered the lead to draw 2-2 with Salzburg in their thrilling Europa League Group D opener in Austria. Ronny Deila praised Craig Gordon after Celtic’s goalkeeper turned in a terrific performance in this draw in Austria. The 31-year-old was signed on a free transfer in the summer, after two years out of the game with injury, but Gordon has meant the Celtic fans can now forget about the England goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who departed for Southampton.
Mubarak Wakaso scored 14 minutes into his Celtic debut but the Brazilian striker Alan levelled 10 minutes from the break with a shot from the edge of the box which took a marked deflection off Efe Ambrose before looping over Craig Gordon. Gordon starred in this pulsating Europa League Group D opener, prompting Deila, the Celtic manager, to say: “Fraser was fantastic but now we have a good goalkeeper. He is very good professional, very calm and so far he has been fantastic.”
On the hour mark the Hoops captain Scott Brown, playing only his second game of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury, sent in a drive from outside the box which hit Andre Ramalho and the ball spun into the net. Mubarak Wakaso scored 14 minutes into his Hoops debut but the Brazilian striker Alan levelled 10 minutes from the break with a shot from the edge of the box which took a marked deflection off Efe Ambrose before looping over Gordon.
Gordon made several saves, a couple of them brilliant, to keep the home side at bay but he had no chance in the 77th minute with captain Jonatan Soriano’s 25-yard free-kick which flew high into the top corner. On the hour mark the Celtic captain Scott Brown, playing only his second game of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury, sent in a drive from outside the box which hit André Ramalho and the ball spun into the net.
However, manager Ronny Deila will probably see this as a decent result against the top seeds as he prepares to face Dinamo Zagreb next month with Romanian outfit FC Astra also in the section. Gordon made several saves, a couple of them brilliant, to keep the home side at bay but he had no chance in the 77th minute with the Salzburg captain Jonatan Soriano’s 25-yard free-kick which flew high into the top corner.
Salzburg’s 32,000-capacity stadium was less than half-full at kick-off with the few hundred Hoops fans who made the trip seeing Wakaso for the first time. Deila said: “Craig has been good all season but he is progressing all the time and getting better and better. He is a top professional, fantastic man and I am so glad to have him in the group.
The Ghanaian winger, on loan from Rubin Kazan, made a dream start to his Hoops’ career. He did not break stride as he ran on to a Kris Commons pass at the edge of the box and sent a left-footed shot past Salzburg keeper Peter Gulacsi and in at the far corner. “I had only seen him on television, playing for Sunderland. I didn’t know him but Stevie Woods [goalkeeping coach] said he was ready and he is fit now and he will come to the level he was at. They have done well to get back again.”
It was a body blow for the home side who had started the better but they upped the pace and came close when midfielder Kevin Kampl curled a shot wide from the edge of the box after being set up by Christoph Leitgeb. The Norwegian spoke of the importance of getting a point away to the group’s top seeds in their opening fixture but was honest enough to admit the home side deserved to draw level. He said: “It was a good result, they are a good team and were difficult to play against, they played with high intensity and have very fit and quick players.
The game opened up further. Gordon made a decent save down at his right-hand post from Soriano. “I think we played much better as a team today. But It was important to get the point. Before the game we spoke about getting something from it.
In the 31st minute Gordon then made a brilliant finger-tip save from Ramalho after the Salzburg defender had escaped the Celtic defence to get his head on to a Soriano free-kick, the resultant corner coming to nothing. “We are lasting the distance better, over 90 minutes. We need to be quicker with passing but with the team spirit we have we will get points and I am satisfied with that.
The Salzburg pressure mounted but their equaliser owed much to good fortune when Alan’s shot from the edge of the box, after he had been played in by Kampl, struck the luckless Ambrose and sped past Gordon. “But I think they deserved to get the goal in the end, they had some chances and we had a fantastic goalkeeper. Yes, we were 2-1 up but their free-kick was fantastic.
The Scottish champions were looking for the respite of the half-time whistle but before then midfielder Marcel Sabitzer fired wide from the edge of the box. “But I am pleased with the point and happy with the performance.”
Four minutes after the break Gordon made yet another fine save, this time pushing Alan’s powerful drive round the post for a corner, which came to nothing. “We are progressing but there is a lot of work to be ever better.”
In the 52nd minute Hoops striker Stefan Scepovic tried his luck with a long-distance punt and came within a couple of feet of scoring a remarkable goal.
However, that incident was out of kilter with proceedings. Three minutes later Gordon came to Celtic’s rescue again with a double save, first parrying a drive from Sabitzer into the air and then somehow clawing away Alan’s close-range header from the loose ball.
Against the run of play, Celtic took the lead. Ramalho thought he had done his job when he headed clear a Callum McGregor cross but watched Brown smash the ball back at goal, taking a nick off the Brazilian defender to wrong foot Gulacsi.
Anthony Stokes replaced Scepovic after 67 minutes but Salzburg came back again, Alan skimming the outside of the post with an effort from the edge of the box.
There was no surprise when Salzburg levelled although Soriano’s free-kick, after Emilio Izaguirre had fouled Sabitzer, was perfectly executed, giving Gordon no chance.