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ALL TO PLAY FOR
September 18th 2008 Celtic's 'offside' goal against Rangers towards the end of last season was balanced out by a legitimate goal that was chalked off last night against Danish side Aalborg in the first Champions League group match. Shunsuke Nakamura was flagged offside when he set up Scott Brown for what they thought was the opening goal but television pictures showed he was marginally onside. The Celts failed to produce the form that saw them thump Motherwell on Saturday but could still have won the match if a Barry Robson penalty had gone in. I was concerned at the time about Robson taking it because he has stuttered on his last couple of penalties and yet again he fired the shot right in the centre of the goal but didn't get away with it this time as the ball struck the goalkeeper's legs. Robson tried desperately for the remainder of the match to make up for his miss but he was guilty of trying too hard and giving away a succession of free kicks. Composure was what was required and the only man in a Celtic shirt who had that last night was Nakamura, it was all too frantic from the rest of them. Maloney and Samaras looked lively but both were guilty of taking one touch too many and yet again the defence was a bit shaky. Aiden McGeady who had been left out of the starting eleven came on for McDonald with half an hour to go but barely got a touch, he's yet to show the form that won him Player of the Year last season. Nakamura almost scored from a late free kick but the Aalborg 'keeper somehow managed to tip it round the post. The referee lost the plot when he sent off the wrong defender after Samaras was denied a goalscoring opportunity but it made no difference to the result. Manchester United could only draw at home to Villarreal so all four teams in the group are on one point each with everything to play for. Everyone knows about Celtic's abysmal away record in the Champions League but the only game that counts now is the next one not the ones from seasons past.
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