Photo of the day: Two Stans Leap As Ronaldinho Strikes A Free Kick (2004)

At one time seemed as if Celtic played Barcelona more frequently than the likes of Kilmarnock. In that sense, it can be hard to pinpoint which game our photo of the day came from. However, we can reveal that the image was taken during the 0-0 draw in the Nou Camp on 26 March 2004.

Celtic lined up:
Marshall
Agathe Varga Kennedy McNamara(c)
Petrov Lennon Pearson Thompson
Larsson Sutton

They only had to contend with:

Valdes
Reiziger Puyol Olegeur
Xavi Cocu Gerard Gabri
Luis Enrique Luis Garcia Ronaldinho

Celtic took a 1-0 lead to Catalonia, thanks to Alan Thompson’s beautiful scissor kick in the home leg. David Marshall had come on as a half time substitute in that match, as Rab Douglas was sent off for violent conduct during the break (it was later revealed to be a case of mistaken identity).

Marshall came of age in this match as he produced a string of saves to see the job through. It was a night of incredible celebration as the Hoops had eliminated a footballing giant and were now set to face Villarreal in the Quarter Finals.

30,000 Celtic fans travelled over and turned Las Ramblas green and white. The joy of seeing the greatest footballer in the world at the time (Ronaldinho) defeated was something that will live long in the memory.

What a night for our magnificent football club!

About Author

Hailing from an Irish background, I grew up on the English south coast with the good fortune to begin watching Celtic during the Martin O'Neill era. I have written four Celtic books since the age of 19: Our Stories & Our Songs: The Celtic Support, Take Me To Your Paradise: A History Of Celtic-Related Incidents & Events, Walfrid & The Bould Bhoys: Celtic's Founding Fathers, First Season & Early Stars, and The Holy Grounds of Glasgow Celtic: A Guide To Celtic Landmarks & Sites Of Interest. These were previously sold in Waterstones and official Celtic FC stores, and are now available on Amazon.

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