Solo Samaras conquers Moscow
Dinamo Moscow 0 Celtic 2 (Celtic win 2-1 on aggregate)
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Celtic created history in the most dramatic fashion as they overcame a first-leg deficit to battle past Dinamo Moscow in their Champions League third qualifier.
The Hoops had never won a European tie after losing the first game at Parkhead but Scott McDonald's header a minute from the break here levelled the tie 1-1 on aggregate. The game looked to be heading for extra-time but in the final minute a sensational goal by substitute Georgios Samaras, on for McDonald, sent the Glasgow side into the Champions League play-offs and ended a six-year win drought on their European travels.
"I think we got what we deserved in the end," said manager Tony Mowbray. "I think over the two 90 minutes, the better team came through. Nobody's getting carried away. We've got a lot of hard work ahead of us and we've got to keep going."
The first half went the way Mowbray had predicted with Celtic having plenty of the ball, and the visitors got the reward their dominance warranted a minute from the break when Marc-Antoine Fortune knocked the ball back to Andreas Hinkel on the right. He curled a high ball to the back post and the unmarked McDonald headed past goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov for the simplest of goals.
There was still time for Hinkel to clear an effort from Dynamo captain Dmitri Khokhlov off the line as the home side responded but Celtic took a deserved interval lead.
Dynamo stepped up the pace in the second half but as the tension mounted, the visitors refused to sit on their lead and in the 62nd minute McDonald almost grabbed a second when he drove inches wide of the post.
Scott Brown came on for Fortune in the 68th minute to support McDonald from midfield, yet there was a hint of extra-time about proceedings as time slipped away. But with Brown driving Celtic forward, the Hoops went for the second goal.
In the final minute, Samaras took a long, searching Hinkel pass inside the box, glided past three Dynamo defenders and slotted past Gabulov to seal the Hoops' place in tomorrow's play-off draw.
Dynamo Moscow: Gabulov, Kowalcyzk, Fernandez, Kolodin, Granat, Kirill Kombarov, Khokhlov, Wilkshire, Svezhov, Dmitri Kombarov, Kerzhakov. Substitutes: Shunin, Smolov, Dimidko, Tanasijevic, Ropotan, Denisov, Kokorin.
Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, Loovens, Fox, McGeady, Donati, N'Guemo, Maloney, McDonald, Fortune. Substitutes: Zaluska, Scott Brown, O'Dea, Caddis, Crosas, Killen, Samaras.
Referee: J Eriksson (Sweden).
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