Emirates Cup - Celtic 2-2 Olympique Lyonnais

Celtic 2-2 Olympique Lyonnais
Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium
Saturday, July 31, kick-off: 2pm

Olympique Lyonnais goalscorers: Bastos, 28, Novillo, 54
Celtic goalscorers: Hooper, 82, Samaras, 90

By Nick Teale

Celtic pulled off a late comeback to stun Olympique Lyonnais in the opening game of this summer's Emirates Cup.
 
The Bhoys were two goals down with eight minutes remaining, but goals from Gary Hooper and Georgios Samaras saw them earn a draw from a game they rarely dominated.
 
Olympique Lyonnais had scored two impressive goals which looked to have earned them victory. Their first was a powerful, well-struck free kick which Michel Bastos rifled into the top corner. The second saw Harry Novillo cap a classy team move.
 
Celtic fans packed out the usual away end at Emirates Stadium, but it was their opponents who got forward first. However, some neat interplay between Bastos and Alexandre Lacazette went unrewarded. The latter had come to Emirates Stadium direct from the European Under-19 Championships, where he had scored the winning goal for France in Friday night's Final against Spain.
 
The first clear-cut chance of the match arrived later for Celtic when Marc-Antoine Fortune headed into the side-netting from James Forrest's cross. Moments later the Bhoys striker blazed over having been played through by Gary Hooper.
 
Novillo saw a shot blocked for Olympique Lyonnais and Kim Kallstrom cannoned a shot at goal which struck Fortune in the face.
 
The deadlock was broken in the 28th minute.
 
Olympique Lyonnais were awarded a free kick on the right, 25 yards from goal. It looked set for a cross, but Bastos slammed it into the top corner. Lukasz Zaluska had no chance as the ball flew across him. The Emirates Cup 2010 goalscoring had opened in quite some style.
 
Cha Du-Ri tried his luck with a well-struck volley five minutes later, but Remy Vercoutre was able to fist it away. The Celtic right back then delivered a cross for Fortune but the header was sent wide.
 
The first chance of the second half fell for Novillo, who received a cross from Anthony Reveillere. The striker was 20 yards out but his rising effort rattled the crossbar.
 
In the 54th minute, he went one better, capping a wonderfully-worked move.
 
Clement Grenier played an inch-perfect through ball to Lacazentte and his low cross accurately picked out Novillo who drilled home.
 
It took Celtic some time to grow into the second half, and their chances were limited. Substitute Efrain Juarez let rip with a swerving effort midway through the period but it drifted wide.
 
Olympique Lyonnais almost extended their lead with 15 minutes remaining. Loic Abenzoar found Yannis Tafer, who clipped the ball towards Jeremy Pied. He tried a first-time volley and almost managed to direct it over Zaluska and into the net, though the striker would struggle to argue that it wasn't a mis-hit.
 
Juarez went close again for Celtic at the other end, and this time managed to hit the far post as the Bhoys began to press forward.
 
With eight minutes to go, they got back in it. In the final minute, they won it.
 
Their first goal came courtesy of Hooper, who turned in a low cross at the back post.
 
Then, in the final minute, Samaras headed home from a free kick, much to the delight of the Scottish contingent at the opposite end of the stadium.
 
Both sides take three points from the match; a point for each goal is awarded in the Emirates Cup.

Celtic: Lukasz Zaluska, Scott Brown (c), Marc-Antoine Fortune (Georgios Samaras, 68), Cha Du-Ri (Andreas Hinkel, 58), Milan Misun, Joe Ledley (Shaun Maloney, 58), Glenn Loovens (Thomas Rogne, 58), Aiden McGeady, James Forrest, Pilip Twardzik (Charlie Mulgrew, 68), Gary Hooper
Substitutes not used: Efrain Juarez, Marc Crosas, Ki Sung-Yueng, Morten Rasmussen, Daryl Murphy, Dominic Cervi

Olympique Lyonnais: Remy Vercoutre, Dejan Lovren, Kim Kallstrom (Maxime Gonalons, 84), Michel Bastos (Yannis Tafer, 46), Anthony Reveillere, Jean Makoun (Jeremy Pied, 70), Clement Grenier (Loic Abenzoar, 60), Nicolas Seguin, Alexandre Lacazette (Enzo Reale, 60), Samuel Umtiti, Harry Novillo (Maxime Blanc, 70)
Substitutes not used: Hugo Lloris, Lamine Gassama, Miralem Pjanic,

Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan)

* Teams will be awarded 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. The competition also rewards attacking play, with teams also being awarded 1 point for each goal they score. In addition, shots on target will also be counted and will be used to decide the tournament winners if teams are level on points and goal difference.

[Saturday, July 31, 2010]