WILLIE WALLACE has seen it all before. He looked the most relaxed man inside Celtic Park when he appeared to help in the Paradise Windfall draw. It was as if he knew something that the rest of us didn’t.
He’s been there and has worn the t-shirt. A goal down to a top Italian team in the biggest European game he and his teammates had played in. Italians rolling around on the slightest of touches, time wasting the lot.
Perhaps Willie saw it coming. Odsonne Edouard, who was enduring a frustrating night, cut back cleverly and Ryan Christie didn’t hesitate to slam the ball into the Italian net. On the 67th minute, approximately enough Willie would have thought.
And with the game having six minutes of play remaining, if you count the injury time that always seems to be found when Celtic don’t require it, Willie would have seen it coming. Christie flung in a corner and unusually it was a good one and there was the big centre half to head in the winner.
Celtic had come back from a goal down at the interval to beat a top Italian side 2-1. It’s the kind of result Willie revels in. He’s over incidentally for a family wedding which was up in Aberdeen last weekend. Willie’s niece was the bride but to her he’s Uncle Willie – that’s it. She didn’t seem to think to mention that her relations coming from Australia were famous.
Now it just so happened that the groom’s family support the same team as you and me. Imagine their delight as Willie held court telling all his stories and Lisbon and Bertie Auld buying a budgie at the Barras.
There’s just something magical about these Lisbon Lions.
Celtic top the group, with seven points, Cluj have six points after winning at Rennes, Lazio with two away defeats have three points and Rennes are adrift with just the one point. It’s beginning to look like European football after Christmas!
Man of the Match – Ryan Christie
