At half-time, I take the opportunity to have a proper look around the stadium. It’s an impressive sight, with four square stands, all of which are packed out. Behind us, the away support section, is a block of hospitality suites. I am fairly sure that this was an upper stand when we were last here, just like the other three sides. There are Celtic supporters visible in the main stand away to our left. Lots of them. The Danes have filled the rest. The atmosphere is electric, with no hint whatsoever of any trouble.
Stadium
The teams emerge from the tunnel in the far corner to a tremendous racket. The Copenhagen fans are bouncing to the tune blaring from the PA system and the Hoops all around me are going mental, dancing up and down. Turns out the song is called ‘Tsunami’. This would be a superb addition to the Celtic matchday experience, especially under the lights. It is a fantastic sight and sound to witness.
Sadly, the second period but does not fulfil the potential of the first. It is the proverbial ‘game of two halves’. The hosts have come out flying and we are under pressure from the outset, a Copenhagen goal feeling like a matter of time. And it is, the veteran N’Doye’s shot crashing in off the far post within seven minutes and suddenly we are in trouble.
We are severely under the cosh yet manage to create two gilt-edged chances on the break, Callum McGregor firing over when the pass to Odsonne Edouard looked a better option then the Danish keeper producing a great reaction save from the Frenchman.
There are two further blows before the final whistle. With twenty minutes remaining, skipper Scott Brown is forced to leave the field with what looks like a calf injury, to be replaced by Nir Bitton.
And our first experience of VAR is not a pleasant one, as a huge roar goes up from three sides of the ground following a cross into our box from the left. I haven’t see any offence but your instincts tell you that we might be in a spot of bother, literally.
Sure enough, the Russian referee stops the game seconds later and jogs across to have a look at the pitchside monitor. There are 30,000 Danes who have already made the decision for him, and he duly trots back to point to the spot.
Our only hope is Fraser Forster’s excellent record in these situations, and he comes through for us again, with a sublime diving save to our left, the ball pushed onto the post and rolling across the line behind him before being scrambled clear. There is chaos around me once again as the Troops celebrate an unexpected reprieve. It may prove crucial, as the game ends 1-1, leaving Celtic with the opportunity to win the tie at home.
The team have come across to take their bow and thank the travelling support.
Thankfully, there is no lock-in this time and we can start to make our way back to the buses. To my left, some supporters are having some final photographs taken in the stadium and the Moscow CSC are removing their banner. From Russia with love, right enough. I never fail to be surprised by the reach of the Celtic family.
We have left the stadium to make our way past the buses. The Nirvana coaches are parked outside and we are well jealous as they jump in out of the cold. We cut back into the Faelledparken and inadvertently take a wrong turning, leaving us with an unnecessarily long journey back to find ours. I am really surprised that no-one had missed the bus, given the complicated route in the dark, until I catch up with Twitter the following morning, where Iain Hynds had posted a map showing that if we had kept going, the bus was parked around the corner from the stadium. The end of a perfect day.
Well not quite. We are sitting on the bus for what seems an inordinate time, before finally making our way back to the airport. Normally, you are given boarding passes for both flights on the outward check-in. But not today. We will require to queue once again, even though we have already been allocated the same seats as yesterday and, bizarrely, the airport staff do not seem to be expecting us.
There are two flights due to leave for Glasgow within the next couple of hours but the lights are out and nobody is in. It has been a long, wet day and we just want to get on the aircraft. Some supporters are providing updates from Ibrox, and the score changes from 0-2 to 3-2 and we have still not moved. That didn’t help. Eventually, we board the plane and then experience the third lengthy delay of the night, as it appears some folk have managed to board the long flight. My heart goes out to Iain, left to sort it out.
It’s Friday morning and we’re home. After a shower and breakfast, I am feeling slightly more human and thinking that my ‘never again’ comment was perhaps a tad hasty. I am catching up with Twitter and reading some nice comments from the Danes in respect of the Celtic support. Peter Schmeichel. Thomas Gravesen. Even the Copenhagen police. Then I read the police statement again and cringe, as it refers to how great it was having ‘you gays in town’. It’s alright. No-one else will notice. Yeah right.
There is a WhatsApp message from my son, timed at 6.45am, a time I didn’t think he knew was real.
‘Anything you want to tell us, Dad?’
Hail Hail!
Matt Corr
Follow Matt on Twitter @Boola_vogue
Matt’s first Celtic book is titled INVINCIBLE and will be published soon by The Celtic Star.
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