The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Celtic earn their share
Drama: Dembele at double to dent City slickers’ 100% start to season
Celtic were denied a first Champions League win of the season as Premier League leaders Manchester City came from behind three times to draw3-3 ina brilliant match at Parkhead against Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Celtic 3 Man City 3
Manchester City came from behind three times to draw 3-3 with Celtic in a brilliant Champions League encounter at Parkhead.
In a whirlwind start to the match Hoops attacker Moussa Dembele gave the home side the lead in the third minute before Fernandinho equalised for the Premier League leaders in the 12th minute.
Left back Kieran Tierney’s cross deflected off City midfielder Raheem Sterling, who then levelled again for the visitors with a well-taken goal. Dembele made it 3-2 with less than two minutes played of the second-half before Nolito equalised again in the 55th minute.
With no more scoring City’s winning run under Pep Guardiola – 10 games before they travelled to Glasgow – came to an end and it was no more than the Scottish champions deserved after one of the best games at Parkhead for many a season.
Craig Gordon took over from Dorus de Vries in the Celtic goal, former Manchester City defender Kolo Toure replaced Jozo Simunovic while Dembele was preferred to Leigh Griffiths as the lone forward.
City were without club captain Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne and Fabian Delph, but there was still a plethora of talent on show in the shape of David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, the latter having played for Rodgers at Liverpool.
Rain cascaded down in the lead-up to kick-off and then the noise took over as Celtic stormed into an early lead in an enthralling game, a Champions League encounter for the ages.
Former City midfielder Scott Sinclair’s free kick from 35 yards was played wide to James Forrest and when his first-time volley
“Barely time for either side to breathe, let alone supporters”
was headed towards goal by defender Erik Sviatchenko it was chested in from a couple of yards by Dembele.
Bedlam and shaken City had yet to settle before they almost found themselves two down.
Tom Rogic’s free kick into the box ended up at the feet of Toure whose shot on the turn was parried behind by goalkeeper Claudio Bravo for the first of a couple of corners which City survived.
The visitors drew level during a brief spell of pressure when Fernandinho took the sting out a long-range effort by team mate Aleksandar Kolarov, turned, and knocked the ball past Gordon.
There was barely time for either side to breathe, let alone supporters.
Moments later, Rogic’s curling free kick from 25 yards missed the far post by inches, but when he send Tierney galloping on the break the Scotland defender’s cross nestled behind Bravo after taking a decisive deflection off Sterling.
Parkhead shook with Hoops’ celebrations, but back came City again and
Ilkay Gundogan’s drive smacked the top of the bar but Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli had already blown for an infringement.
However, in the 28th minute, after Dembele was short with a pass to captain Scott Brown, Silva released Sterling and he cleverly turned inside Tierney before slipping the ball past Gordon from 12 yards.
Dembele started the second half as he did the first, taking advantage of Kolarov’s mistake in front of goal from Tierney’s cross, to hook the ball past the helpless Bravo.
More mayhem ensued in the stands.
Gordon pushed a Gundogan free kick from 20 yards past the post as the Premier League leaders responded once more and their third equaliser of an incredible game came after Gordon had parried an angled drive by Aguero out to Spanish attacker Nolito who returned the ball into the back of the net.
For the first time in the game City began imposing themselves on the game, pushing Celtic back towards their own goal and keeping possession.
Fernandinho shot just over from 25 yards in the 83rd minute and the Glasgow side survived few nervy moments – Gordon made a great save from Gundogan’s deflected drive – before the final whistle brought a huge and deserved round of applause from everyone who had witnessed a remarkable match.