Celtic need a miracle against Juventus, admits Neil Lennon

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Celtic slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Juventus

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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223 comments

  • Comment posted by U15614273, at 12:03 13 Feb 2013

    When was the last time Celtic were gracious in defeat? Has it ever happened?

    Celtic FC - never fairly beaten.

  • Comment posted by Football_Lover, at 08:23 13 Feb 2013

    I am not particularly a big fan of Celtic but as an Englishman and a fellow Brit I really wanted them to win last night. It's a shame that a few lapses in concentration cost them the first leg. For me it was a very even game and I'd like to hope that in the second leg with all the pressure off there is every chance they could mount a good fight back!

  • Comment posted by who_dat, at 10:46 13 Feb 2013

    At times, Celtic played like a continental team:

    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.

  • Comment posted by Santiago, at 09:48 13 Feb 2013

    No bloody miracle required. Whats needed is start teaching the kids how to play the game on the deck today, 16yrs from now Scotland should have some decent players, like Belgium do now.

    How many more decades before the set up realizes punt & run and shouting at kids does not work

  • Comment posted by theironluke, at 11:06 13 Feb 2013

    Juve did their homework, one of the reasons Celtic score at set pieces is because of the pressure Hooper especially puts on keepers. They saw that and stopped it happening.
    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.

  • Comment posted by AASSDDD, at 10:18 13 Feb 2013

    "For 70 or 80 minutes, we were on the front foot, we were the better side and pressured Juventus into making mistakes."

    3-0 and that was with Juve making mistakes.............

    Next we can blame the ref for allowing Ambrose to play !!
    .

  • Comment posted by subbuteo87, at 09:10 13 Feb 2013

    Sickening result, scoreline especially hurtful considering how the game panned out. We were as unlucky as Juve were cunning and clinical. Gamesmanship was unsavory but the ref allowed them to dicate the game. No excuses though, they were lethal and we gave them 2 gifts while passing up our own chances. Still so proud of the bhoys getting this far. Hope we fight till the end in Turin.

  • Comment posted by U15357596, at 09:08 13 Feb 2013

    i can smell a fight back and an upset on the return leg

  • Comment posted by AllanJ, at 16:15 13 Feb 2013

    Bhoys, just ignore the Rangers 1873 idiots on here, just enjoy their pain at being no where of any note in the footballing world. They have a natural affinity with Juve, demoted for cheating and resorting to cheating on the park too, Lets not even entertain their jealously fuelled rancid utterances.

  • Comment posted by OneForTheFallen, at 16:10 13 Feb 2013

    still-plays-football..............the TV deal alone would be worth 10 times more. Increased revenues come from playing on a bigger stage. Hence why we sell out champions league games even though we know we won't win the tournament.
    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?

  • Comment posted by celtic_craig123, at 15:30 13 Feb 2013

    Why are people talking about Rangers or whatever they are called these days? This is a Celtic thread. We know the only success you can enjoy is that of other clubs, in this case Juve, but if you keep saving your pennies you may get to a situation where you can have some yourself. Try to contain your seething and very obvious rage.

  • Comment posted by Uninformed, at 14:11 13 Feb 2013

    #171 That's a beautiful argument in defense of blatant cheating.

    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...

  • Comment posted by U14439376, at 12:48 13 Feb 2013

    @69 "As for the SPL, what is the point of any club outside the Old Firm?"

    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.

  • Comment posted by MHH, at 11:59 13 Feb 2013

    Celtic simply aren't good enough at this level.
    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.

  • Comment posted by U15357596, at 09:20 13 Feb 2013

    @54
    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

  • Comment posted by Yorkieyra, at 08:59 13 Feb 2013

    Like the Scottish national team and every Scottish team that plays in Europe, Celtic were brave.

  • Comment posted by U15222517, at 16:24 14 Feb 2013

    Ambrose should not have played period & certainly not for 90 minutes! You really cannot expect a player to play a high energy competition where he played a game every three-four days, then caps that by playing in the continental final on Sunday, fly him half across the world on Monday and expect him to be at his best on Tuesday? Impossible! Is the Celtic squad that narrow? Wrong decision coach.

  • Comment posted by Why do I bother, at 01:54 14 Feb 2013

    This would be 1 miracle to make atheists believe. Think the pope resigned because Lennon is asking for something even HE can't deliver.

  • Comment posted by Martin Connolly, at 21:55 13 Feb 2013

    100% of Scottish teams in CL got out of the group stages. Premiership (wrongly) gets just about every team into the CL and look how the overpaid dunces fell.

  • Comment posted by OneForTheFallen, at 21:47 13 Feb 2013

    Why are you reading about it then?

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