LiveBlog: Manchester United vs. Celtic

By: Bob | September 13th, 2006

It is all over from Old Trafford where Manchester United was able to come away with three points in Champions League group play. It was a entertaining game to watch with plenty of action and a couple of pretty goals. You can read the blow-by-blow below and leave your thoughts on the match or on life in general.

Final: Manchester United 3-2 Celtic

Full time That’s it. Manchester United was tested by a Celtic team that fought hard but in the end it was too much Luis Saha. The French forward scored two goals to lift the home side to a win in the first game of Champions League group play. Thanks for joining me for this midweek fun. I’ll probably do it again sometime, fingers willing.

90:00 Celtic players dragging a bit as they hope for a late game miracle and a road point. Gordon Strachan looking constipated on the sideline. He also is wearing a tracksuit with his initials on it. I love when managers do that. Three minutes of added time.

87:19 Lots of red shirts behind the ball. Man U looking to salt away this one and get three points. A gutsy performance from Celtic but they are lacking a bit of talent at this level.

85:43 Rooney off and Kieran Richardson on. Rooney didn’t have his finest performance but he did avoid breaking anything or anybody.

85:21 Nakamura runs on the ball in the box but his first touch fails him and the United keeper covers it. Great chance from the visitors.

83:39 Paul Telfer with almost an own goal for Celtic but Boruc is able to save it off the post. What an effort by the keeper after a terrible play from his defender.

82:30 After a brilliant first half the game has slowed down a bit but still overall a pleasant way to spend a Wednesday. Happy to have those of you reading along for the ride. We’ll see if we can come up with an exciting ending or if this one is going to end as expected.

80:10 Corner for United. Silvestre with a poor touch and Celtic sends it away. Ten minutes for the visitors to get the equalizier.

79:00 John O’Shea in for Paul Scholes, who played a solid game for United after his three match ban.

78:25 Gravesen gets one from at the top of the box and Van der Sar has to extend to keep it out of goal. Wes Brown again with poor marking.

76:29 Michael Carrick having an understated game fro United. Celtic can’t quite able to figure out what to do once they get into their attacking third. Lots of crosses that are well off the mark. Next Champions League matches are Sept. 26 & 27. I’ll probably liveblog them.

74:49 Boruc saves a cross from Neville and he is ruled out of bounds. Boruc goes ballistic with the goal but I’m not sure why. Clearly a corner. It is cleared away by Celtic.

73:02 Celtic pushing further forward which is opening up room for Rooney and Saha. United might just end up with another one in the next few minutes.

71:49 Celtic should be required to play in hoops every match. These black stripes just ain’t doing it for me.

69:57 Rooney breaks free in the middle and Boruc stones him. Another solid save from the Polish keeper and Rooney has to be a bit frustrated right about now.

69:23 Shaun Maloney comes on for Celtic as they continue to habour dreams of tying this game. Maloney coming off injury but the kid can play when he is on his game.

69:04 Twenty more minutes and then I have to go back to work. They should play these games every day of the work week. Ferdinand with a run and a cross into the box that Rooney just can’t get to. He should have scored there.

67:12 Gravesen gives Rooney a lesson in how to dispossess the ball as the two former Everton teammates butt heads. Neither has been especially impressive in this contest.

65:27 Not only has Saha been all over the place but he has been playing with a festering wound on his head. Looks nasty. Celtic defenders starting to yell and point fingers at one another. They have been stretched thin by the speed of the Frenchmen.

63:02 Saha with a header on goal and it tests Boruc to his limits. Saha is the man of this match for sure. Great save from Boruc.

62:12 Question of the day, if Celtic were in the English Premiership where would they finish? I think they are probably a mid-level team. They have some talent but top to bottom they aren’t in the same class as the top EPL teams.

60:38 This Man U team is going to be in a bit of trouble when it faces a team with fast, quality forwards. Wes Brown and Rio Ferdinand look like blind sheep when they are pressed in the back. Celtic with another cross that doesn’t get the job down.

59:34 Manchester United has lost their desperation a bit, happy to play with the lead.

57:34 Miller with a cross and Ferdinand almost clears it away into his own net. Miller paying dividends already. Celtic corner trickles out.

56:23 Credit to Gordon Strachen for trying to get the equalizier with more attack up front. We’ll see if it works but Celtic is being more aggressive at the moment.

54:44 Saha with a blast that almost nets him the hat trick. Saha must have had a prawn sandwhich before the match. He has been on fire. Kenny Miller on for Celtic as they look for more offense.

54:21 Celtic corner is cleared away. The biggest difference between these two teams is speed. Manchester United has some and Celtic does not.

53:03 Tommy Smythe for once makes a good point by questioning if Wes Brown is on the backline. Brown has been dreadful tonight. Corner to Celtic.

52:11 Rooney looking like he should be in a bar getting into fights instead of playing in the Champions League. His timing has been off all night, which I guess is understandable considering his time off.

50:32 Paul Telfer coming on for Celtic which continues to play in a 4-5-1. Nakamura with some nice work but Celtic’s attack looks a bit confused. Mark Wilson comes off for Celtic.

49:00 Free kick to United from close in. Carrack dumps it to Scholes and it is a harmless chip into the box.

47:42 Terrible defending from Gravesen on that goal and Celtic continues to have no answer for Saha. The field is really uphill for Celtic now but they have had a gutsy performance tonight.

46:02 GOALLLLLL!!! Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes a rebound after a second Saha shot and burries it into the net. Just the start to this half that the home team wanted.

45:01 We’re back from Manchester where Celtic and United are battling it out in an action packed Champions League match. Thanks for those who are reading this. Your comments are always welcome so sit back, have fun and enjoy the next 45 minutes of midweek football. There are worse ways to spend your time!

Halftime After an exciting 45 minutes of play we are tied up at 2. Celtic got the early lead only for Man U to storm back, but it was an equalizier by Nakamura that put this one even. I’m going to go get a bite to eat and will be back at the start of the second half. What are your thoughts thus far?

43:45 This is turning out to be one entertaining match. Manchester United is the stronger team but their backline is dumb enough to give Celtic a chance. Have to think that Celtic will be estatic going into the break even.

42:00 Celtic with a good free kick opportunity straight on from just outside the box. It was a sloppy tackle by Wes Brown that set it up. Nakamura over the ball with his left foot. United with all their players in the box. GOALLLLLL!!!! Top notch free kick from the Japanese international. He bends it over the wall and hits the corner. Doesn’t get much better than that.

41:02 Saha has been all over the place tonight so it isn’t a shocker that he gets on the board with a goal. It was a nice pass from Scholes and Boruc never really had a chance.

39:12 GOALLLLL! Luis Saha takes a pass from Scholes and he is able to trickle it in from the box to get it under Boruc.

38:43 What did people use to sing at football matches before the Beatles were around?

37:28 Celtic free kick from Nakamura finds the head of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink but he directs it right at the keeper. Man U defenders again look confused in the air.

35:17 Game starting to settle down after a good stretch of frenetic play. Neil Lennon is playing for Celtic despite being older than the game of football itself.

33:56 Celtic not showing much impetus to go forward. Man U really started to swarm after they fell behind. Rooney a no factor thus far in this one.

31:57 I’ve seen the replay of the penalty call and I still think it was the right call. Giggs limps off with a hammy and is replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Tough break for Giggs who has been on great form.

30:00 The next 15 minutes could decide this game. Celtic could fold or put up a fight now that Man U has gotten the equalizier on a questionable penalty kick.

29:03 GOALLLLLL!!! Luis Saha beats Boruc in the corner on the penalty kick. Tied up.

28:23 A long pass to Giggs and Boruc comes out to stop him. Giggs is given a penalty kick and Boruc is shown a yellow card. Tommy Smythe thinks its undeserved but that was the right call from my view.

27:15 Mikael Silvestre gets a yellow card for a poor tackle. He avoids getting up and doing a head butt.

26:19 Giggs tripped by McManus outside the penalty area but United takes a quick restart that was a bad one. Should have set up for a free kick straight on outside the box.

25:24 Giggs with a nifty move into the box but Celtic clears his cross. Celtic back on their heels as red shirts surround the box.

24:04 Scoles with a clean break in the middle but he drills the shot low and wide. Should have been a better effort than that. Will be interesting to see how Man U responds to being behind to a team most people thought they would beat easily.

22:53 Lee Naylor down with a bum leg for Celtic. On that goal, Boruc booted it all the way down the field where Venner….etc beat Rio Ferdinand like a dish rag. Not the greatest goalkeeping from Van der Sar either.

20:48 GOALLLLLL!!!! Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink takes a long pass and finishes it off past a diving Edwin Van der Sar. Terrible mistake by Rio Ferdinand to let the long named man get the ball in the air. Great start for Celtic.

20:14 Man U supporters singing about sunshine. They must have been reminded of the sun by looking at the color of Wes Brown’s hair.

19:20 Celtic defenders look like they have cement in their shoes. Either Saha or Rooney is going to break through for a clean one in this match.

18:02 Saha with a good effort that goes just over the goal. He took a side volley and blasted it over the goal. Close but no cigar.

16:40 Possession time is almost dead even. Is there a more useless stat in sports?

15:49 Wes Brown is the ugliest man I have laid eyes on today. Bet he has a hot girlfriend though.

15:29 Arsenal up early in their match and continuing their strong run in Champions League matches. No score in this game with Man U having the better of play but not dominating the Scottish side.

14:10 Celtic with their first corner as Rio Ferdinand clears from the box. Rio looking much better without the dreadlocks. Nakamura takes the corner and it is cleared away without harm.

12:34 Celtic continues to cross the midfield line only to be stood up by a wall of Manchester United defenders. This game is being played in the Man U offensive end.

11:03 Saha back on and pushes the ball to Rooney in the box who hits it wide of goal. Celtic giving too much room to the Man U forwards.

10:00 Saha getting treated on the sideline after getting an elbow from McManus. Celtic pleased not to be down at this point. They’ll be happy with a point tonight, methinks.

8:37 ESPN announcer clearly relishes saying the name “Nakamura”. The Japanese international is active tonight for Celtic.

7:26 Neville with a low cross and Saha drives a header just wide of the goal. Great chance for the boys in red as they look to be the stronger team from the get go.

6:22 First and probably not time Rooney yells at a referee. In this case, Wayne tripped himself and then pleaded for a call. Good no call.

5:45 Thomas Gravesen looks very much at home in a Celtic uniform. That guy just scares the shite out of me. He looks like he eats blood for breakfast and sharpens his teeth on strikers’ legs.

4:23 Man U on the attack but Giggs cross is eaten up by Boruc. Giggs is well rested from not playing in the World Cup. One advantage of being from Wales.

3:32 Saha with some good work up front for Man U but he gets called for a foul. Ah to be a person in that stadium right now. Looks brilliant and sounds good.

2:34 Gary Neville now playing in his 7th decade. Rugged play thus far.

1:32 The two coaches in this game aren’t so fond of each other. Crazy Scots. Ryan Giggs almost with a chance but it is eaten up by the Celtic keeper.

0:12 We’re underway from Manchester and Wayne Rooney has avoided a red card in the initial seconds. 76,000 at Old Trafford singing with glee.

Pregame:

1 Minute Preview Sir Alex signing autographs and looking loose. Man U in their home red. Celtic wearing green and black stripes. Both teams starting strong lineups. The referee is that Slovakian jerk from the World Cup. Actually, he is a decent enough ref.

3 Minute Preview: If you are looking to watch video of this match, try your luck here. You can also fork over money to ESPN but I wouldn’t recommend it for this match. I’m predicting this one won’t be an instant classic, but hopefully more entertaining than the display put out by Liverpool and PSV yesterday.

5 Minute Preview It looks like there is a dude blowing leaves off the pitch at Old Trafford. Probably my neighbor who likes to fire his leaf blower up at 7 am on Saturdays. Bastard. Both Man U and Celtic have made some key additions to their rosters this year and so far the moves have worked out well in their domestic league play.

10 Minute Preview ESPN has fired up the Champions League anthem and I am ready to go to liveblogging battle. Manchester United has not made the Champions League quarterfinals since 2002/03, but with the group they are in this year they have a great shot. Man U and Celtic have never met in official competition. Celtic has the longest named player in history on their roster, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, and I won’t be typing his name out this match.

20 Minute Preview: Two storied teams that are either loved or hated meet up at Old Trafford in a Champions League clash. Manchester United has been the hottest team in the Premiership early in the season and have to be considered a favorite to advance from a Group F that includes darkhorse FC Copenhagen and Benefica. Celtic currently sits atop the Scottish Premier League table, but they’ll have their hands full tonight with three of their four starting defenders all nursing injuries. Wayne Rooney and Paul Scoles return to action for Man U, while everyone’s favorite Cristiano Ronaldo sits out with a one-game suspension.