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KENYA
NIGERIA
Scottish Champions Celtic came from behind to beat
host Spartak Moscow 2-3 in a round two Champions’ League Group ‘G’ tie played
at the Olimpiyskiy Kompleks Luzhniki Stadium on Tuesday 2 October 2012.
Quick touch
The 1900hrs kick off saw Celtic carry an unenviable record of having lost 19 of 20 away Champions League games, the other being a draw. .
Settling early, Celtic took the lead, one initiated by Kenya midfielder Victor Mugabe Wanyama,
From deep, he raced to the mid of the pitch, bulldozed his way past a Spartak player before releasing a pass to Mikael Lustig on the right wing. With a quick touch, Lustig sent the ball to the box and a dashing Gary Hooper had a onetime connection on the ball to send Celtic 0-1 up with a low shot.
Emmanuel Emenike
Spartak were however very much in the game and with a 67% ball possession heading to the 40th minute, a goal was bound to come.
The next minute, the 41st, a high cross from deep was sent to the box from the right of the box and with a quick touch, Nigerian striker Emmanuel Emenike got ahead of country mate Efe Ambrose to blast home past Fraser Forster in Celtic’s goal.
The game went to the break level at 1-1 but three minutes in after the restart, Emenike bundled in a second for Spartak to send his side 2-1 up.
Dmitri Kombarov
Three minutes after the hour mark, there was a turning point as Spartak’s last man Juan Manuel Insaurralde was ejected from the game with a red card after pulling back Gary Hooper who was going for goal.
A man short, the game was then to favor Celtic who scored twice to win the tie.
Wanyama, who had been slapped with a yellow at the half hour mark gave way for James Forrest in the 69th minute and the very next minute he landed on a cross to send it home with a touch off Spartak's Dmitri Kombarov who was credited with an own goal.
At the death, Georgios Samaras scored the winner with a header to hand Celtic a historical first away Champions League win.
Wooden spoon
The win for Celtic makes it four points from two games in the first round. The team was held to a barren draw by Portugal’s Benfica during the first round.
Ahead of another Group ‘G’ tie between Barcelona and Benfica that kicks off at 2145hrs local time, Celtic now goes top of the four-team Group 'G' with Spartak with the wooden spoon with no points.
