Newstalk Sport’s Phil Egan spoke with John Giles in the aftermath of last night's Champions League game between Glasgow Celtic and Juventus. Giles talked to Phil about the decision to play Efe Ambrose so soon after his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, the blatant holding by Juventus players at set pieces and the Celtic performance overall.
Giles also discussed tonight's clash between Manchester United and Real Madrid and told Phil why Ronaldo might be grabbing everyone's attention, he certianly isn't the only one United should be watching.
Celtic V Juventus Analysis
Juventus produced a master class of Italian play, that felt almost from another era, at Celtic Park last night. With a tactically and defensively efficient performance, which was marred by cynical play the Italian champions quelled the roar of the Glasgow crowd until by the game's end it was nothing but a subdued, wounded whisper. However, for all that Serie A has been one of Europe’s most high scoring and exciting leagues in recent years this performance will have done nothing to dispel the popular stereotypes of calcio as defensive and cynical by default.
Celtic chased and pushed but for all of their endeavour Neil Lennon’s men found they lacked anything approaching the necessary attacking tools to unlock a defence that has conceded just 16 times so far in Serie A, and leaked just 24 goals during their incredible unbeaten season last year.
An early goal changed the dynamic of the game, as much as it had been somewhat cast before then, and if the Italians ever had any plans to attack they abandoned them within the opening three minutes as Celtic centre back Efe Ambrose was brushed aside with embarrassing ease by Alessandro Matri, who then slid the ball between the legs of the advancing Fraser Forster and over the line.
Alessandro Matri puts Juventus ahead early on
While Celtic had the majority of possession for long periods it felt as though much of that possession was with the permission of the Italian champions, as Antonio Conte’s men sat back and soaked up the pressure before breaking through Pirlo’s excellent distribution to the two front men, Vucinic and Matri.
Celtic can be proud of their performance, for the first hour they pressed excellently and ensure the Italians had to work hard for their clean sheet, but they found themselves forced wide by Juve’s players crowding the final third of the pitch and the ensuing shower of crosses from wide positions were nullified by the impressive centre back trio of Barzagli, Carcera and Bonucci. The absence of Georgios Samaras, and his aerial threat, hindered Celtic badly.
Tiring legs, in particular those of Nigerian international Efe Ambrose, allowed Juventus to finish the game with the cold eyed discipline that had subdued the Glasgow crowd for most of the evening. Two late goals from Caludio Marchisio and Mirko Vucinic were the painful payment for a first hour played by the Scottish side at a blistering tempo.
Celtic were infuriated by the consistent holding and shoving by Juventus defenders at set pieces and Spanish referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco would have been justified to show Juventus’s Swiss defender Stephan Lichtsteiner a second yellow card on more than one occasion as he wrestled Gary Hooper before, during and after corner kicks. Mallenco did little more than administer a yellow card to both Hooper and Lichsteiner along with a verbal warning. Juventus played the referee as a malleable part of the game and pushed their disruption of Celtic set pieces to the limit, and got away with it. Celtic will feel robbed – indeed Neil Lennon called Mallenco “very-pro Juventus” after the game - but the game will be a valuable learning experience for a young side and manager.
