Barcelona 0 Celtic 0 (Celtic win 1-0 on aggregate) Celtic's healthy disrespect for reputations prevailed once more last night. Barcelona, the highest ranked of the remaining UEFA Cup sides, became the latest vaunted adversary to stumble against Scottish tenacity.
Why the former European champions are not accorded a similar status to the sides they have so often beaten in their two, long runs in this competition is unclear. Perhaps, though, they would have it no other way, so adept are they at capitalising on their opponents' complacency.
A resolute performance from all in this daunting arena brought another result Celtic richly deserved, but they owed more than perhaps was wise to their inspirational young goalkeeper David Marshall.
The scene was predictably intimidating for Celtic, and such was the movement and incision of Barcelona's players that it was clear why Martin O'Neill had declared them one of Europe's most fearsome teams.
Their counter-attacking, at first beginning with Carles Puyol and almost always involving the Brazilian Ronaldinho, had Celtic chasing so many shadows.
Marshall, though, showed no early signs of stage-fright.His first touch of the ball, in the first minute, was unsteady, slicing his clearance from Jackie McNamara's backpass. Yet, within a few seconds, he had atoned.
With a typically inch-perfect through ball, Ronaldinho sent Gerard scurrying through on goal with only the Celtic keeper to beat. Marshall's decisive and, crucially, clean lunge denied the Spain international a certain goal.
The home side were pouring forward andScottish and Irish nerves jangled - and for no one more so than O'Neill, whose jack-in-the-box forays from the dugout to the touchline prompted chidings from the fourth official.
Celtic have experience of this competition, having so valiantly reached last season's final. Defeat in that match had left a sour taste, as the Glasgow side were so deceived by the simulation of Porto's players.
Yet, such experience can be put to subsequent use, and there was an understandable lack of urgency at throw-ins, with McNamara also making no attempt to hurry his departure from the field with injury.
Barcelona's coach Frank Rijkaard responded to the substitution with one of his own, a tactical change that saw Reiziger replaced by Marc Overmars, producing a three-pronged attack of the Dutchman, Luis Enrique and Luis Garcia, with Ronaldinho slightly more withdrawn.
Liam Miller was charged with filling his captain's boots in a defence that was already missing Bobo Balde, and Luis Garcia almost took advantage with a curling shot that swept just past Marshall's right post. The Spaniard's next shot, though, might have been laser- targeted.
Celtic, perhaps lulled that the feared Ronaldinho had laid off the ball to his team-mate, again owed their clean sheet to Marshall's assured athleticism, just as they did when he parried the substitute Sergio Garcia's ferocious shot moments later.
Although O'Neill had made an away goal the imperative, this was a night for obduracy and with each passing minute, Marshall's intact goal seemed ever more secure.
BARCELONA: Valdes, Reiziger (Overmars 53), Puyol (Marquez 34), Oleguer, Xavi, Cocu, Gerard, Gabri, Luis Enrique (Sergio 64), Ronaldinho, Luis Garcia. Subs Not Used: Rustu, Quaresma, Iniesta, Oscar Lopez. Booked: Ronaldinho.
CELTIC: Marshall, Kennedy, McNamara (Miller 52), Varga, Agathe, Lennon, Pearson, Petrov, Thompson, Larsson, Sutton (Sylla 83). Subs Not Used: McGovern, Lambert, Mjallby, Beattie, Smith. Booked: Petrov.
Referee: D Messina (Italy).
