Celtic need a miracle against Juventus, admits Neil Lennon
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Manager Neil Lennon concedes Celtic "need a miracle" if they are to overcome in the last 16 of the Champions League.
"We know it's a daunting prospect going to Turin at any stage and a 3-0 deficit is almost insurmountable," said Lennon.
"If we can create the kind of chances we did tonight and take them, who knows?
"We need to try and be competitive and try and work our way into the tie but it's going to be a huge ask now."
Juventus striker Alessandro Matri pounced on a misjudgement from Efe Ambrose to score a third-minute goal only for Lennon's side to hit back ferociously in a breathless first half packed full of goalmouth incidents.
The Scottish champions were then caught out on 76 minutes when Claudio Marchisio scored a second on the counter before striker Mirko Vucinic grabbed a third following another blunder from Ambrose.
"We need a miracle. It's the harsh reality of football at this level," explained Lennon.
"We obviously didn't get off to a great start but our reaction from losing the goal was fantastic.
"For 70 or 80 minutes, we were on the front foot, we were the better side and pressured Juventus into making mistakes.
"Particularly in the first-half, our energy and quality was as good as we've had here for quite a while."
Ambrose was a surprise starter, having played for Nigeria in and not arriving back in Glasgow until Tuesday.
And Celtic's best opportunity to score fell to the defender, who sent a weak header into the turf allowing Gianluigi Buffon to make an easy save.
"We needed a goal and Efe had a great chance with a header," added Lennon. "The tie was alive at 1-0 but if we equalise it's galvanising for us.
"It wasn't to be and the second goal burst the bubble a little bit.
"A few heads went down and we were ragged towards the end. When you make defensive mistakes at this level, you get punished."
Ambrose had a long flight from South Africa after a successful tournament with Nigeria but Lennon defended his selection.
"He was caught for the first goal, it was nothing to do with tiredness," said the manager.
"Maybe later on he did tire but, with Mikael Lustig going off injured, we had no alternative but to keep Efe on because we needed pace at the back.
"You always question decisions in hindsight. Maybe it was a bit of a gamble."
Asked about Ambrose's failure to score from 10 yards out, Lennon also dismissed any suggestion tiredness had a part to play.
"That's just down to a bad miss," he said.
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Celtic FC - never fairly beaten.
going down as if poleaxed
whingeing to the ref if someone breathed on them
shouting for penalties, fouls etc
At times Juventus played like Celtic:
getting stuck in
not letting them get their own way at corners, free kicks etc
Doing to them what Brown does unto others.
In the end, class paid.
How many more decades before the set up realizes punt & run and shouting at kids does not work
They also played Celtic at their own counter attacking game, Lennon didn't have a plan B. Big games found wanting again, Celtic will canter to the league just hope for them that John Park never leaves the scouting side.
3-0 and that was with Juve making mistakes.............
Next we can blame the ref for allowing Ambrose to play !!
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Celtic have vastly bigger world wide appeal than Wigan & Stoke. Beside wasn't your original comparison Liverpool? When was the last time they finished 15th?
I'm a Celtic fan, but the kind of stuff I see from Samaras, Commons, Izaguirre and others isn't something I want so see at the Club I've supported passionately for 30 years. We can bemoan the Italians tactics all day but when we defend Samaras for his blatant dive for the penalty that put us through...
Glass houses and all that...
Let me pose this then.
As for the EPL, what is the point of any club outside of the big 5?
As for the Spanish League, what is the point of any club outside of Real/Barca?
See the pattern?
Ask any fan of any of the SPL clubs and I guarantee you that there's a point to them going every week to support their team.
Chasing everything down for 60 minutes, running out of steam at the end and pumping long balls into the penalty area is what you'd expect from an inferior team.
Did well to get where they did, the money will help them if spent wisely.
honestly who gives a crap what the best league in the world is? only sky sports does.
as a football fan i love good football no matter who or where