Without allegiances to either side, a match between Scottish champions Celtic and European giants Barcelona would surely be a great spectacle.
Scottish football has long been mocked for its inferiority to that seen in the English leagues, whilst in recent seasons Barcelona have become the team, personifying the sport with their elegant style of play. Up against such a leading force in world football, Celtic would be seen to have no more chance at their Parkhead home than at the illustrious Camp Nou.
However, not only did the Scottish team push their opponents all the way in Catalonia, they would ultimately prevail over the Spanish club at Celtic Park. There was worldwide shock after they took the lead in the first match through Georgios Samaras but, ultimately, it ended in heartbreak for Celtic fans and the many neutrals who had been cheering the underdog, as Barcelona came up with a 94th minute winner to take the three points.
Having gone so close to upsetting the odds, Celtic were desperate to get something against Tito Vilanova’s men in the return fixture in Glasgow. And that is exactly what they did, with 18-year-old Tony Watt sending the Parkhead crowd into raptures in the 83rd minute by sticking the ball past Victor Valdes and into the Barcelona net. Celtic were now 2-0 up and on their way to victory but, similarly to the first game, the Spanish side would score in injury time. This time, however, it would be nothing more than a consolation from Lionel Messi, something which the Argentinian superstar is not accustomed to.
Celtic had won. Barcelona were welcome to their dominant possession, attempts on target and completed passes stats. Neil Lennon’s side had defeated the Catalan superpower in the only category that mattered.
This was a story of two teams who played each other twice within a fortnight, resulting in a pair of identical scorelines but opposite results. And it’s the reason why we all love and hate football.