European nights often form the most memorable experiences in our Celtic supporting lives. On 28 November, in recent years, we have been bequeathed with two stunning nights in Paradise, both featuring tense winners.
20 years ago yesterday, Celtic beat Celta Vigo 1-0 in the UEFA Cup third round. The King of Kings, Henrik Larsson, provided the winner with a brave header from a corner. It was his 25th goal of the season!
Five years later, on 28 November, Celtic beat Shaktar Donetsk 2-1 in dramatic fashion. The Bhoys made a poor start to the match, losing an early goal in the 4th minute. However, Jiri Jarosik blast home a volley in the 45th minute to level things up, before Massimo Donati lifted the roof off Paradise with a last gasp winning goal in added time.
It was one of the best European nights in recent memory, summed up by Jarosik in the following way: “The Shakhtar game was my best moment at Celtic. That night was like every European game at Celtic Park. The fans are the best in the world. I loved all of those games, but to be the man who is responsible for that noise is a wonderful thing.”
