Celtic 2 Barcelona 3:Celtic had promised an open contest against Barcelona and it duly materialised, although probably to the detriment of the Scots' aspirations of progression to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
In as engaging, uninhibited, but often overtly one-sided an encounter as Celtic Park has hosted in many a European season, Barcelona twice recovered from a goal behind in a match which proved in stark and welcome contrast to the Catalans' dour scoreless draw against Rangers at Ibrox four months ago.
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Barry Robson had edged Celtic in front, goals cancelled out by Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry before Messi clinched a 79th-minute winner. This was Barca's 100th victory in European Cup games, and would in truth have been by a greater margin, but for wastefulness in the second half.
Celtic's match-winning players, notably Aiden McGeady and Shunsuke Nakamura, ultimately remained more on the periphery of matters than was necessary for their team to take any form of advantage to the Camp Nou in 12 days' time.
Any suggestion that Barcelona would treat their latest visit to Glasgow lightly had been dismissed before kick-off, with confirmation that Ronaldinho had been restored to Frank Rijkaard's starting line-up. Messi and Thierry Henry completed the visitors' most potent of forward lines, meaning Samuel Eto'o, free from African Cup of Nations duty, had to settle for a place among the substitutes.
Gordon Strachan had opted to hand the 19-year-old Paul Caddis only his second Celtic start at right back in the absence of the ineligible Andreas Hinkel, but more noteworthy was the choice of the central midfield pairing - Robson preferred to Massimo Donati alongside Paul Hartley.
Whether it was down to Strachan's choice of personnel - this was Robson's maiden starting appearance since joining from Dundee United last month - or merely Barcelona's clear desire to have this tie settled before a ball is kicked in the Camp Nou, Rijkaard's men opened with the kind of vigour which has been lacking in a somewhat troubled La Liga campaign so far.
Henry, the central figure of Barca's three-pronged attack, came agonisingly close to collecting a sublime Ronaldinho pass, six yards from the Celtic goal, before Deco forced Artur Boruc into a spectacular save, high to his left, with a fierce drive.
Caddis' introduction to the rigours of European football, meanwhile, arrived in the form of a goal-line clearance from Henry's half-volley.
Inside 15 minutes, the Scottish champions were desperately in need of salvation. It duly arrived. In Celtic's first meaningful attack of the evening, Vennegoor of Hesselink stole between Barca's central defence to head home a Lee Naylor cross; a sense of disbelief, mixed with delirium, was understandably palpable from the capacity crowd.
Yet, Barcelona waited merely 120 seconds in restoring an element of reality to proceedings as Messi played a rapid one-two with Deco on the edge of Celtic's area; the Argentina international promptly fired in a shot beyond Boruc as Naylor failed to connect with his despairing tackle.
If the Catalan outfit already appeared satisfied with their night's work, Celtic were not. McGeady, an increasingly influential figure as the opening half wore on, jinked inside Carles Puyol before supplying a cross which Robson met with his head.
The position of Victor Valdes was questionable, but the outcome was not, the ball looping over the goalkeeper to send Strachan's men in front once again.
The visitors' status as one of the most successful clubs in Europe has not been achieved without the spirit of champions. As roused at the onset of the second period as they had been in the first, Henry pounced on Gary Caldwell's stray pass by collecting from Ronaldinho and curling a superb finish to Boruc's top left.
The restoration of parity proved the catalyst for Strachan to replace Vennegoor of Hesselink with Georgios Samaras, and Caddis with Mark Wilson, moves which failed to stem an incessant flow of Barca pressure.
Puyol, far from being concerned about the threat of McGeady, took up position more as a winger than a full back, but Barca were guilty of not making their possession count, Henry profligate at the back-post shortly after the hour mark while Yaya Toure angled a 25-yard shot wide moments later.
Ronaldinho's withdrawl by Rijkaard with 27 minutes to play offered little respite for Celtic as the prolific Eto'o entered proceedings.
But it was the outstanding Messi who capitalised on more poor defending to notch a late, if thoroughly merited, winner.
Caldwell was again at fault, hitting an attempted clearance against his team-mate, Donati, with Messi a welcome benefactor of such negligence by slotting beyond the helpless Boruc to end Celtic's four-year unbeaten European run at home.
CELTIC: Boruc, Caddis (Wilson 61), Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Hartley (Donati 65), Robson, McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Samaras 55), McDonald. Subs not used: Mark Brown, Sno, Killen, O'Dea. Booked: Hartley, Samaras.
BARCELONA: Valdes, Puyol, Milito, Marquez, Abidal, Iniesta, Toure Yaya, Deco (Xavi 65), Messi, Henry (Gudjohnsen 88), Ronaldinho (Eto'o 73). Subs not used: Pinto, Sylvinho, Giovanni, Thuram. Booked: Messi, Deco.
Referee: P Frojdfeldt (Sweden).
