On This Day in 2001, Celtic defeated Rosenborg in the Champions League group stages thanks to a direct free-kick from Alan Thompson…
When Martin O’Neill’s side were drawn out to face Dutch champions Ajax in Champions League qualifying, much of the media both at home and overseas gave Celtic little chance of progressing.
Celtic’s stunning victory in Amsterdam
By virtue of a stunning 3-1 victory at Amsterdam in the 1st leg, followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat at Celtic Park, qualification for Europe’s elite club competition had been complete.
The Hoops had been rewarded with a lucrative group stage consisting of Italian giants Juventus, Octavio Machado’s Porto side, and Norwegian champions Rosenborg.
Famously, the game in question versus Rosenborg had been a rearranged match. The match was scheduled to be Celtic’s first Champions League outing of that season but had been postponed as a result of attacks on the World Trade Centre.
In the same week as 9/11, UEFA announced as a collective decision that no European games would go ahead that week in an unprecedented decision.
The Nicola Amoruso dive
As a result, by the time 10 October 2001 came about, Celtic had already featured in two Champions League contests. The first being in Turin where Celtic succumbed to awful match officiating when Nicola Amoruso dived for a Juventus penalty. Though, Martin O’Neill’s side recovered a week later with a 1-0 victory over Porto. A side they would meet again a season later in different circumstances.
A record that would stand for 23 years
Making it back-to-back wins in the Champions League with victories over Porto and then Rosenborg, would result in a record that would stand for 23 years. It is only this season that Brendan Rodgers had become the first manager since O’Neil to be victorious in successive Champions League games following wins over Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava.
Alan Thompson’s low-driven free kick after eight minutes proved to be the decisive goal culminating in Celtic topping the group on six points after three games.
Harald Brattbakk’s Paradise return
In opposition colours, Harald Brattbakk made a return to Parkhead for the first time since his departure. He starred for Rosenborg with 60,000 fearing that he would come back to haunt his old side. Despite this, the Scandinavian was given a warm reception by the Celtic support who appreciated his efforts whilst at the club between the years of 1997-2000.
Martin O’Neill’s Celtic starting XI OTD in 2001 was; Douglas, Mjallby, Balde, Valgaeren, Agathe, Lambert, Lennon, Petrov, Thompson, Sutton, Larsson.
Here’s the Celtic goal…
Conor Spence
