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Champions League Group H preview: Braga go to Old Trafford
22 October 2012
Manchester United play host to Sporting Braga, while CFR Cluj take on Galatasaray in Group H of the Champions League on Tuesday.
While Braga are undefeated in their past five matches against English opposition, United are hot favourites to continue their perfect start to the competition at Old Trafford.
United, who failed to reach the knockout phase last season, head into the contest on top of the group with wins against Galatasaray and Cluj.
Ashley Young is expected to return for United following a knee injury, while Tom Cleverley, Shinji Kagawa and Darren Fletcher could also feature after being rested in the Premier League at the weekend.
United recovered from a goal down to defeat Stoke City on Saturday and manager Sir Alex Ferguson has put the onus on his defenders to be more reliable in the early stages.
"We keep starting badly in games, in the first 20 minutes," he told MUTV.
"There's no doubt our attacking play has been the strongest part of our game. But we're letting in goals at home and that's disappointing."
Braga, who rebounded from an opening loss to Cluj with a deserved win over Galatasaray, travel to Manchester unbeaten in their past five outings in all competitions.
In Istanbul, Galatasaray hope to keep their chances of progressing beyond the group stage alive with their first points of the tournament.
Fatih Terim's men are rooted to the bottom of the group with two losses from their opening two games and could be all but eliminated with a third defeat.
Cluj head to Turkey on the back of two straight losses in the Romanian top flight but remain second in their European group with three points and a superior goal difference.
Nordsjaelland are a good team, says Claudio Marchisio
The Bianconeri midfielder has given credit to the Danish Champions League debutants ahead of their Group E clash on Tuesday evening
Oct 22, 2012 5:10:00 PM
By Chris Kvesa
Juventus' Claudio Marchisio is aware of the difficulties his side could face when travelling to Denmark to play against Nordsjaelland for their next Champions League fixture.
The 26-year-old told reporters at a press conference leading into the game that despite The Old Lady being clear favourites, he believes that the Danish underdogs could pose a threat to his team's European plans.
"Nordsjaelland are a good team. They have players with international experience," he warned.
The Italy international then went on to explain the challenge of facing lesser-known opposition in an international context, detailing how domestic matches can differ greatly to European games.
"For us, winning in Italy is all too easy because we know all of the other clubs very well. In Europe, it is difficult to win every match.
"But now we have to win to continue our European tournament," he concluded.
Juventus take on Nordsjaelland on Tuesday evening at 20:45CET.
The Belarusians may have made a strong start to their European campaign, but the Argentine is refusing to pay attention to their exploits in the opening two matches
Oct 22, 2012 11:55:00 PM
By Livio Caferoglu
Mauricio Pellegrino says his sole focus is Valencia rather than worrying about the threat posed by BATE Borisov ahead of their Champions League meeting on Tuesday. Los Che have started their European campaign in mixed fashion, recording a win and a loss in their opening two fixtures, but it is the Belarusian champions who have emerged as the tournament's surprise package after beating Bayern Munich and Lille.
However, the 41-year-old coach is not interested in the fortunes of his side's forthcoming opponents, instead stressing the confidence he has in his squad.
"I'm just thinking of my team," Pellegrino declared at a press conference. "The teams that have won the games have deserved to. Luckily, the pitch always puts everyone in their place."I will choose the best 11 and I can guarantee that we will compete. We are Valencia and with our quality and our weapons we to have take the game forward."
The former Liverpool defender then gave an update on the fitness of trio Vicente Guaita, Jeremy Mathieu and Nelson Valdez, all of whom are carrying knocks.
"I don't know why Guaita had this nausea after the trip," he added. "We'll wait and see how it goes in the coming hours. "Mathieu is in pain. Hopefully he can recover from his ailment. Valdez suffered a little overload on his hamstring and was withdrawn from training. We believe he can improve in 24 hours so we have brought him."
And despite wishing to only discuss Valencia's fortunes, he did acknowledge the threat of former Barcelona and Arsenal man Aleksandar Hleb.
"They are a very well-balanced team and have some interesting players, some well known like Aleksandar Hleb. But now is not the time to talk about players I'd like to have."
Cristiano Ronaldo always delivers for Real Madrid, says Subotic
The towering defender has voiced his admiration for the prolific attacker, while stressing that the Spanish champions could struggle to deal with Marco Reus
Oct 22, 2012 11:45:00 AM
By Stefan Coerts
Neven Subotic has taken the time to praise Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Borussia Dortmund's Champions League match against Real Madrid this week.
The Serbia international believes Ronaldo always delivers when his team needs him, and sees the Portuguese attacker as Madrid's undisputed star performer.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is a superb player. He's Madrid's go-to-guy, as the Americans say," Subotic was quoted as saying by Kicker.
"When you need something, you approach him. If there's something happening, they are looking toward Cristiano. They all know that he's always ready."
The defender then went on say that the Madrid defence will face a tough task to contain Marco Reus on Wednesday.
"Marco is a fantastic player. I honestly think there's no defender - so no-one at Madrid either - who can shut him out for an entire game. It's impossible to completely eliminate him."
Wednesday's match at the Signal Iduna Park kicks off at 20:45CET.
The Spain international believes the club have their work cut out for them versus the Ukrainian champions, but praised the influence of his manager Roberto Di Matteo for their form
Oct 22, 2012 8:45:00 PM
By John Christodoulou
Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata expects a tough encounter against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but believes the team are playing well and can come away with a positive result.
The Blues face the Ukrainian champions, who currently boast a 100% domestic record and with both clubs on equal points at this stage, the match could decide the eventual winner of Group E.
However the 24-year-old believes his team are in just as strong a position and if they can continue to play with the same verve they have been exhibiting in the Premier League, they can come away with all three points.
"I think it is going to be a fight for the ball," said Mata. "They are a team with quality players, quality in the midfield area and in their league they always have the ball and a lot of chances to score.
"So tomorrow we will try to play our football as we did in the last two months, enjoy ourselves and the level we are playing at. We expect a rival team always wanting the ball."
The Spain international also reserved special praise for his manager Roberto Di Matteo, lauding the influence and insight the Italian brings to the team and their preparation for every game, and believes the former assistant manager deserves more credit.
"Robbie knows very well the team, and the club as well. He used to be a legend here and now as a manager he connects very well with the team. In every meeting he goes deep inside each one of us, talking about every game, and it's very important to be ready for every competition.
"He knows how important it is for the club to play these games, to win the Champions League like last season, so for us he is the perfect manager."
The Chelsea boss spoke of his enjoyment in his current managerial position and reserved praise for the footballing philosophy of Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu, who managed in Serie A during the former midfielder's time at Lazio.
"I remember watching his teams a lot in the past and he has always played with the same philosophy,' said Di Matteo.
"Quick, possession football and you can see Shakhtar Donetsk want to play out from the back with the goalkeeper and with a lot of tactically good and fast players. He is an excellent coach with a lot of experience and he has done extremely well here at Shakhtar.
"I am just happy to be leading this group and working with these players and working for the club that I have in my heart,' added the Chelsea manager.
"The players deserve all the credit as it has been extremely difficult last season and also this season with integrating players and our system of play. I am just here to help and do my job well as I can and hopefully we can continue for a long time."
Shakhtar boss Lucescu: Chelsea made a big mistake in not signing Willian
The two clubs face off in the group stages of Europe's top competition on Tuesday, and the Ukrainian side's manager has backed his star player to shine against the Blues
Oct 22, 2012 8:11:00 PM
By Andrew Kennedy
Shakhtar Donetsk boss Mircea Lucescu has urged star man Willian to make Chelsea pay in Tuesday's Champions League clash after confirming that the Blues had been knocked back in attempts to sign the Brazilian in the summer.
Despite Roberto Di Matteo having completed moves for the likes of Edin Hazard, Oscar and Marko Marin before the transfer window slammed shut, Lucescu revealed that the Champions League winners also tried to sign Shakhtar's gifted midfield playmaker.
The Ukrainian side's manager insists that Chelsea's offer was too low and, ahead of the crucial Champions League Group E clash at the Donbass Arena on Tuesday, Lucescu has called on Willian to show Di Matteo he made a "big mistake" in not completing a deal for the 24-year-old Brazil ace.
"Willian was far away from Chelsea," Lucescu told reporters.
"They didn't even get anywhere near to our requirements, having done nothing to make my promises to Willian come true.
"Speaking specifically about the amounts, they officially offered the sum for which we had bought him young.
"I would really like them to highly appreciate his true value tomorrow and realise that they made a big mistake."
Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo insisted he had no role in negotiations to sign Willian, but did hail the former Corinthians man as a "fantastic player".
"As an assistant [at the time] I wasn't involved in those conversations but Willian is a fantastic player with good qualities," the Italian commented in his pre-match press conference.
"We have a good squad with good players and I don't know where his future is, but the way he is playing here he looks quite happy."
Lucescu also noted that Chelsea showed an interest in defender Darijo Srna during Carlo Ancelotti's reign at Stamford Bridge, while also joking he was keen for club owner Roman Abramovich to show an interest in all of his players at Shakhtar.
He concluded: "Several years ago, I had a conversation with Ancelotti, and he was interested in Srna.
"My wish is that, after tomorrow's match, Chelsea get interested in all of our players."
Lennon: Celtic will enjoy ultimate challenge against Barcelona
The Bhoys’ boss claims that his side’s incredible 3-2 win over Spartak Moscow last time out has set them in good stead to face the Blaugrana in their next Champions League game
Oct 22, 2012 3:30:00 PM
By Alfie Meekings
Celtic manager Neil Lennon believes that his side's 3-2 victory over Spartak Moscow in their last Champions League encounter has prepared them well for their upcoming fixture with Barcelona.
The Bhoys came from behind in Moscow with an injury-time winner from Georgios Samaras which clinched their first away win in the competition in 19 attempts.
And the 41-year-old has claimed that the nature of the victory has prepared them well for a tough test at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
"The performance in Moscow was probably even beyond my expectations," Lennon told The Times.
"We've got a lot of young players and they played very well that night. Tactically, and in terms of the bravery and spirit they showed, they were excellent and that has given us a platform to go to Barcelona.
"I don't think we've got the mentality or the players just to sit in and defend, like Chelsea did against Barcelona.
"We have to try to create chances, like we did in Moscow. It won't be easy - it's the ultimate challenge for the players and for me, too - but we're going to enjoy it."
The former Leicester City player also stated that the relegation of Rangers from the Scottish top-flight, intimating that the lack of Old Firm rivalry has made his life easier.
"With Rangers not around, the stress levels have diminished a little bit," he added.
"But for the whole of Scottish football - for the glamour, the energy, the exposure - it would be better if it hadn't happened."
Ribery relishing return to Lille for upcoming Champions League clash
The France international is looking forward to facing a team he spent three years at as a youth, with the European clash taking place near to where he grew up
Oct 22, 2012 4:15:00 PM
By Chris Kvesa
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has expressed his motivation leading into his side's upcoming Champions League match against Lille, while also reflecting on the 3-1 loss against BATE Borisov.
The 29-year-old Roten star has been in excellent form so far this season, playing a big part in helping his club to a record-breaking start of eight consecutive Bundesliga wins.
And the next fixture sees the Bavarian outfit travelling to northern France – near to where Ribery grew up and played youth football during the late 90s.
"I know my family and a lot of friends will be there," he told reporters at a press conference in Lille ahead of the match.
He then went on to say that the Bavarians could have a difficult task at hand in facing les Dogues, although the 29-year-old winger made reference to the French outfit losing a key player in the summer.
"With the departure of Eden Hazard [to Chelsea], the club has lost its best player of the last few years," he explained.
"Lille lost their first two matches and they will give everything to beat us in front of their fans, so as to keep their chances of qualifying alive."
The Frenchman then reflected on Bayern's loss to the Belarus champions BATE on matchday 2 of Europe's premier club competition.
"We were surprised to lose to BATE Borisov. Because of that we've got a bit of pressure on our shoulders in the Champions League. So we have a clear objective: win the match in France and the return match in Munich. That will put us on the way to qualifying.''
Bayern Munich lock horns with Lille on Tuesday evening at 20.45CET.
The Poland striker is wary of the Madrid centre-back's behaviour, but has stressed that BVB go into the match without fear
Oct 22, 2012 10:25:00 AM
By Stefan Coerts
Borussia Dortmund attacker Robert Lewandowski has insisted that he does not fear any of Real Madrid's defenders, and hopes that Pepe will play it fair in Wednesday's Champions League encounter.
The BVB star will have to deal with either the Portugal international, Sergio Ramos or Raphael Varane, but he's focused on the task in hand and does not let the reputation of his potential opponent distract him.
"I don't fear Madrid's defenders, I can guarantee you that. I know perfectly well what kind of defenders they are, and I'm not afraid. I just hope Pepe plays fair. I don't have any problems with him then," Lewandowski told AS.
The Poland international then went on to voice his admiration for Madrid, but added that Dortmund are focused on their own performance.
"It will be hard to say whether Madrid are a more difficult opponent than Manchester City. They are an absolute top team and it will not be an easy game.
"They have some of the best players in the world, and they can all be dangerous. There's no reason to fear them, though. I hope that it will be a nice show, with us coming out on top."
Wednesday's encounter in Dortmund is scheduled to kick off at 20:45CET.
Chelsea captain Terry asked to wear anti-racism armband by Uefa
The Champions League's governing body requests that all captains wear 'Unite Against Racism' armbands during a fortnight of European matches, with the Blues traveling to Donetsk
Oct 22, 2012 5:45:00 PM
By Alfie Meekings
Chelsea captain John Terry has been asked by Uefa to wear an anti-racism armband during his side's Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
The move comes as part of a week of action by European anti-racism body Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE).
A Uefa spokesman told reporters: "The captains will be asked to wear a 'Unite Against Racism' branded armband."
Terry accepted in October a four-match ban and £220,000 fine from the FA for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand last year.
However, the former England skipper is still eligible to play for his club in European matches as the ban only applies domestically.
The FARE campaign will be promoted at 40 matches across the Champions League and Europa League between October 16 and 31.
Uefa will be hoping for a more united response than was seen from the domestic Kick it Out campaign across England on Saturday and Sunday, as 32 players – including Rio Ferdinand and Jason Roberts – refused to wear a T-shirt supporting the initiative.
Manchester United must solve defensive deficiencies to join Europe's elite once more
The Red Devils have collected six points from six in the Champions League group stage so far but their questionable back line will cost them against the competition's finest sides
Oct 23, 2012 6:29:00 AM
It has been difficult for Sir Alex Ferguson to rely on the fitness of his defenders in recent seasons. and his unconventional solution has been to stop relying on them at all. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have joined Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in making regular visits to the medical room this season, but Ferguson splashed out on Robin van Persie anyway.
The results of the new caution-to-the-wind policy have so far been mixed. Sure enough, Manchester United are the Premier League's top goalscorers after eight matches, having found the target 21 times. Unfortunately, they have also conceded 11 - nearly double the amount they had allowed this time last season.
At home they have been particularly shaky, conceding seven times in four games. Nevertheless, they have come through each test at Old Trafford, aside from the 3-2 defeat against Tottenham. On Saturday, they handed Stoke City the lead, when Wayne Rooney scored an own goal, and a route back into the game, when Michael Kightly beat David de Gea in the second half, but Rooney was on hand to put their nerves to rest.
The last time United played a world-class team in European competition was when they faced Barcelona in the 2011 Champions League final. Since then they have failed to progress from a straightforward group and were extremely fortunate to beat Ajax over two legs in the Europa League. They were simply outclassed by Athletic Bilbao, the 10th best team in Spain last season.
This year they have dispatched their first two opponents, Galatasaray and CFR Cluj, although they could only muster a one-goal advantage in each game. Victory over Braga on Tuesday would put them on the verge of the second round. There, they could face one of the continent's powerhouses, and it would be fascinating to see how Ferguson's current squad would fare in such a match.
United badly lack mobility in defence and their gung-ho approach does not help to mask those failings. All too often, opposition midfielders and forwards counter-attack into vast amounts of space, and that allows them to gain the kind of speed that can cause the likes of Ferdinand and Jonny Evans serious problems. Once they have been able to accelerate over 10 or 20 yards, players like Gareth Bale and even Kightly are difficult to stop.
The interplay of Bilbao's Markel Susaeta, Iker Muniain, Oscar de Marcos and company proved too much for United to deal with. That makes the prospect of facing Real Madrid or Barcelona at some point in the near future a daunting one. They will eventually encounter such a team if they wish to make any kind of an impact in the Champions League.
A 3-0 victory over Newcastle United was encouraging evidence in support of Ferguson's new diamond formation, but hopes should be tempered by the narrow victory over Cluj that preceded it and, despite beating Stoke, the same old rearguard deficiencies were exposed. Adding a third midfielder to the centre of the park would seem to be a sensible step but Antonio Valencia, Paul Scholes and Tom Cleverley are not built to offer defensive assurance.
In short, this is an issue of personnel and not one which can be erased by any simple tactical switch. If United wish to continue fielding such a wealth of attacking talent they must find defenders and midfielders more able to track their opponents in the spaces they leave behind.
"It does bother us having to come from behind because we are losing those early goals," Rooney said after the Stoke match. "It is not nice and it is something that we have to stop because we cannot afford to keep letting teams get a head start on us, especially in the Champions League because it is difficult to win the game anyway."
In their group stage opponents, at least, United should have an opportunity to make some progress in finding their feet again in Europe. Braga, although led on the break by the experienced winger Alan and emerging Portugal striker Eder, should not provide a challenge more significant than the Red Devils regularly face domestically. The trip to Istanbul to face Galatasaray is never an enjoyable one but enough points should be collected prior to that match to make it relatively unimportant.
Once the knockout ties come around, United will need to find improvement for somewhere. The goals of Rooney and Van Persie will keep them in the title race at home, but Ferguson has enough experience in the Champions League to know that Europe demands more.
Barca boss Vilanova admits he is scared of Celtic's threat on the counter
By JOHN MCGARRY PUBLISHED: 22:10 GMT, 22 October 2012 | UPDATED: 22:10 GMT, 22 October 2012
Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova has admitted he fears being picked off by Celtic’s pace on the counter-attack and their strength at set-pieces.The Spanish giants enter Tuesday’s Group G clash as clear favourites, with maximum points from their opening matches against Spartak Moscow and Benfica.But while the Catalans have also started their La Liga campaign in record-breaking fashion — eight wins and a draw — concerns over their defence were heightened after their 5-4 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
Wary: Tito Vilanova is watching out for Celtic's counter-attacking threat
Worried? Lionel Messi (right) with Sergio Busquets
And, having watched Celtic take four points from their corresponding games against the same Champions League opponents, the man who succeeded Pep Guardiola this season fears Neil Lennon’s men might again exploit their apparent Achilles heel.‘Celtic drew at home to Benfica then won in Moscow, so they have done very well,’ said Vilanova. ‘They’ll wait for us at the back and then try to get us on the break. They have pace and will be good on set-plays.
Threat: Star man Gary Hooper
‘If Celtic were able to tie with Benfica and win in Moscow, they are doing things well. Maybe people didn’t take into account that Celtic could go through but, with four points and two games to come at home, they have a chance. So we’ll see how it goes.‘They are dangerous and good aerially. They are very strong. I’m worried about Celtic being fast up front as they proved against Spartak.
‘And their good crosses — I’m really worried about that side of their game, too.‘I like that Lennon liked our game on Saturday. I said it before, tomorrow will be a champions match and we have to win it.’Vilanova believes that not only can Celtic qualify for the last 16 with them, there is every chance they can emulate the remarkable achievement of Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia last season by going one stage further.‘There are four games left and we’ll see in them which two teams can get through,’ he added. ‘No one is in, no one is out. It is still very qualified.‘But Celtic have already four points so, at this moment, they have a better chance than the other two sides.‘Also, Apoel made the quarters last year when no one expected it.’
UEFA Champions League Group E wrap: Chelsea go down in Donetsk
24 October 2012
Shakhtar Donetsk extended their unbeaten run at home with a 2-1 victory over European champions Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Goals from Brazilian duo Alex Teixeira and Fernandinho sealed the result for Shakhtar, who have not lost at the Donbass Arena since November last year.
Oscar netted a late consolation for the lacklustre visitors, whose path to the knockout phase looks far more perilous after failing a stern test away from home.
The Ukrainian side took the lead three minutes in when Luiz Adriano's attempted shot struck Chelsea captain John Terry and broke for Teixeira, who calmly slotted the ball beyond a helpless Petr Cech.
Chelsea tried to rally following the interval but fell into further trouble when Eden Hazard gave the ball away cheaply, allowing Adriano to find Fernandinho, who struck past Cech in the 52nd minute.
Roberto Di Matteo's men gave themselves faint hope of a comeback on 88 minutes when Branislav Ivanovic crossed low for Oscar to tap home, but the goal arrived too late, as Shakhtar ran out worthy winners.
In the other Group E fixture, Danish champions Nordsjaelland claimed their first ever Champions League point with a 1-1 draw at home to Juventus.
Mikkel Beckmann put Nordsjaelland in front after 50 minutes with a brilliant free-kick before the Italian champions equalised with nine minutes to go courtesy of Mirko Vucinic's sharp volley.
Shakhtar are on top of the group with seven points, followed by Chelsea on four and Juventus on three after three matches played.
UEFA Champions League Group F wrap: Away wins for Valencia, Bayern
24 October 2012
Group F of the Champions League remains wide open after Valencia won 3-0 at BATE Borisov and Bayern Munich edged Lille 1-0 on Tuesday.
Spanish side Valencia did not have an easy time of it against BATE before the break in Minsk, but Roberto Soldado's converted penalty in the dying seconds of the first half helped them on their way, before the striker netted twice in the second half to claim a hat-trick.
The away side started the match the better of the two teams and came close to opening the scoring five minutes in.
Fernando Gago reached Soldado with a superb pass, but the Spain international's powerful strike was kept out by Andrey Gorbunov.
Soldado again caused the BATE defence all kinds of trouble shortly when he nut-megged Egor Filipenko before setting up Andres Guardado.
However, the Mexican winger's shot was too weak to trouble Gorbunov.
BATE then took the initiative and created a number of chances, with Vitali Rodionov among those to threaten.
The striker hesitated after being set up by Alexander Hleb, allowing Ricardo Costa to make a last-ditch clearance, while Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves only just intercepted a low cross from the left, preventing Rodionov from converting a tap in.
Alves also gathered a tame header from the striker off Maksim Bordachev's excellent cross.
It was the visitors who eventually broke the deadlock, when Marko Simic pulled down Soldado inside the BATE area.
The referee had no other choice but to award a spot-kick, Soldado stepping up to take it himself, and easily slotted home.
Rodionov threatened again minutes into the second half, but Alves proved to be in fine form.
Valencia then broke on the counter-attack, and Soldado doubled his side's lead with a well-taken volley after a Guardado cross from the left wing.
Both Guardado and Soldado could have made it 3-0 immediately after second goal, but the former's attempt was blocked by the goalkeeper, while the latter's shot was cleared off the goal-line.
The BATE defenders were unable to contain Soldado, and the striker appeared to have claimed his hat-trick after he slammed home a rebound from close range.
However, the linesman raised his flag and the goal was disallowed for offside.
Soldado would get his third of the evening only minutes later though.
Tino Costa managed to reach the prolific attacker despite the duo being outnumbered by the BATE defence, and the 27-year-old again showed his class with a calm finish.
Valencia and BATE have both collected six points from three games played, and share top spot with Bayern Munich following their 1-0 win away to Lille.
A penalty from Thomas Mueller in the 20th minute at the Grand Stade Lille Metropole secured maximum points for the Bundesliga team, leaving Lille bottom and without a point.
UEFA Champions League Group G wrap: Barca edge dogged Celtic
24 October 2012
Jordi Alba's injury-time winner saw Barcelona snatch a 2-1 win at home to a stubborn Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Scottish champions took a surprise lead in the first half at Camp Nou, with Javier Mascherano heading past his own goalkeeper after a superb delivery from Charlie Mulgrew wide on the right.
The hosts levelled the scores shortly before the break, when Andres Iniesta stabbed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net following a neat exchange between Xavi Hernandez and Lionel Messi.
With the game nearing its conclusion, Alba broke Celtic hearts by prodding home at the far post after beating his man for pace on the outside and latching onto Adriano delivery.
The hosts should have taken the lead as early as the second minute when a cute pass in behind the back four from Lionel Messi saw Alexis Sanchez miss a one-on-one chance, dinking his effort just past the left-hand post.
It was the unfancied visitors who took a shock lead in the 17th minute, though, with Mulgrew's viciously whipped free-kick from the right wing proving too difficult to defend.
Mascherano was the man left red-faced after nodding into his own net under pressure from Georgios Samaras.
After finding themselves frustrated for the majority of the half, struggling to break down a stubborn Celtic defence, Barcelona drew level right on the stroke of half-time through Iniesta, who latched on to a magnificent through-ball from Xavi to poke past the onrushing Fraser Forster.
It was Celtic who managed to create the first chance of the second half, though, when Barcelona's weakness from set-pieces was almost exposed again, with the impressive Victor Wanyama planting his header just wide after another superb Mulgrew centre.
With Barcelona pushing for the lead, it took a world-class save from Forster to deny Messi, who looked odds on to tap home from what looked like an offside position just six yards out after some good work by both Sanchez and Pedro Rodriguez.
Moments later, it took another save of magnificent quality to keep out a Messi header from point-blank range after Forster launched himself at a delicately clipped ball over the top from Xavi as the game headed into the final ten minutes.
With the clock ticking down David Villa, on as a substitute, struck the post with an angled drive from within the box and with Forster well beaten.
But Celtic resolve was broken in the 93rd minute when Adriano's cross into the far post saw Alba steal in ahead of his marker and poke home to hand Barcelona all three points on a night where the visitors had defended vigorously.
Earlier, Spartak Moscow bagged their first points of the group stage with a 2-1 win at home to Portuguese side Benfica.
Rafael Carioca opened the scoring for the hosts just three minutes into the match at the Luzhniki Stadium, with Lima levelling for the visitors on 33 minutes.
A Jardel own-goal with two minutes left in the first half restored Spartak's lead and proved to be the deciding goal, with neither team able to find the back of the net in the second 45 minutes.
Barcelona are firmly in charge of Group G on nine points from three matches played, five points ahead of second-placed Celtic.
Spartak occupy third place on three points, with Benfica bringing up the rear on one point.
UEFA Champions League Group H wrap: United stage Braga escape
24 October 2012
Manchester United came from 2-0 down to beat Braga 3-2 at home on Tuesday and go five points clear in Group H of the Champions League.
Alan scored in the second minute of the match at Old Trafford and again 18 minutes later to rock United but Javier Hernandez's double, either side of a Jonny Evans equaliser, rescued all three points.
With Rio Ferdinand rested, Michael Carrick started at centre-back and the makeshift nature of the defence showed when Alan rose to head home from Hugo Viana's cross.
The visitors had arrived fearless and they doubled their lead on 20 minutes.
Eder beat Carrick on the left touchline and darted inside to cut a pass back into the box, where Alan stabbed home for his second.
Braga's two-goal cushion lasted all of five minutes and it was thanks to a smart piece of refereeing that United were able to respond.
Serbian official Milorad Mazic indicated an advantage when Robin van Persie was fouled on the left flank but Shinji Kagawa picked up the loose ball and dinked in a cross for Hernandez, onside at the far post to head it into the net.
Both teams pushed forward, Van Persie firing wide with his right foot at one end before Alan nearly exploited more uneasy defending by volleying just past the post.
Kagawa's movement saw him break beyond the back line but, just as he rolled it to the unmarked Hernandez, the Japan international was harshly flagged for offside.
Needing to seize control of an open contest after half-time, United had to replace the injured Kagawa with Nani, but found penetration hard to come by as the Braga rearguard held their own.
The crucial breakthrough ultimately came from a poorly cleared corner, which fell to Evans.
The defender scuffed his first attempt but it bobbled back to him and a scruffy finish was enough to beat Braga goalkeeper Beto and make it 2-2.
Buoyed, United pushed on and, after setting Nani up for a saved stinger, the excellent Hernandez got further reward for a superb performance, the Mexico international powerfully heading home from a pin-point delivery by Tom Cleverley.
Braga had looked deflated ever since Evans' equaliser and never really threatened to get back into the contest, even when David de Gea's risky pass to Cleverley threatened to let the visitors back into it.
Ruben Amorim's first touch deserted him, however, and the opportunity fell flat.
Also on Tuesday, Galatasaray collected their first point of the group stage with a 1-1 draw at home to CFR Cluj.
A Dany Nounkeu own-goal gave the Romanian visitors the lead in the 20th minute, but they lost Matias Aguirregaray to a red card eight minutes later.
Felipe Melo could have levelled the scores but missed a penalty for Galatasaray on 35 minutes, and the hosts had to rely on a 77th-minute equaliser from Burak Yilmaz to claim a share of the spoils.
United lead Group H on nine points, five ahead of Cluj, who are second on four points.
Braga sit a point further back in the third, with Galatasaray bottom, having recorded a draw and two defeats from their three matches played.
Banega rues lengthy Valencia lay-off
The Argentine centre-mid has admitted it has been difficult for him being unable to play football but concedes it has made him more mature as a person
Allegri: Malaga match not my last
The Milan trainer believes he will continue in the dugout after the European encounter and says his side need to stop thinking about their position and begin to act on it
Vilanova's smooth transition to coach has helped Barcelona, insists Van Bronckhorst
The ex-Holland defender believes his former club are lucky that their new coach has worked at the Liga giants for a number of years
Ribery: I was too small for Lille
The France international admitted that his youth coaches believed his size would be a hindrance to his career, but he is happy to see that Rudi Garcia's team are now prospering
Caballero: Malaga must respect AC Milan
The Argentine shot stopper feels the Rossoneri remain a big team for what they have achieved over the years, and is confident that his side can progress
Mkhitaryan: Shakhtar could have scored more against Chelsea
The Armenian midfielder was quite satisfied with the Miners' win, but feels they could have inflicted even more damage on the Premier League side
'I have nothing to prove to Italy' - Eliseu is Malaga's man of the moment following Serie A failure
The Portuguese has taken to Champions League football like a duck to water this season, but has had a long, rocky path to the top
Barcelona's seven sins: Catalans have been behind in over half their games this season
The Blaugrana have suffered this term but have managed to turn it around in all but one game despite defensive problems which have already threatened to derail their campaign
Kroos: Bayern always in control against Lille
The Germany international acknowledged that the Bavarians were by no means impressive on the trip to France, but feels they did enough to deserve their win
Iniesta: It would have been unjust had Barcelona not beaten Celtic
The attacking midfielder has insisted that the Hoops did not deserve a draw at Camp Nou, and added that the Blaugrana are well on their way to the knockout stages
Chiellini: Juventus deserved more against Nordsjaelland
The Italy international struggled to comprehend how the Turin giants failed to bag the full three points against the Danish champions after playing out a 1-1 draw
Classy Shakhtar hand Chelsea a dose of Champions League reality
The Blues may yet become the first club to retain Europe's premier club competition, but Tuesday's humbling highlights that they remain a talented team in transition
Madrid contest is a good day to deliver something extraordinary, says Ricken
The German titleholders crashed out of Europe at the group stage in 2011-12, but the club legend believes that they have taken something from the experience
We are happy to be off the mark, admits Nordsjaelland's Hjulmand
The Danish coach wasn't satisfied with his side's performance against the Serie A champions, but admits relief over getting a point on the board
Kompany: Manchester City's past Champions League results irrelevant
The Belgian defender has called for his team-mates to forget about their sluggish start in Europe and go into their remaining games targeting nothing less than a win
Mancini confident of Manchester City progression in Champions League
The Italian believes his side will qualify for the knockout stages of Europe's premier cup competition but insists they must improve defensively if they are to do so
Victory over Chelsea proves we're on the right track, says Shakhtar coach Lucescu
The Romanian trainer was delighted with his side's victory over the reigning European champions, who he believes have improved since last season
'I want to play high-level football' - Buttner delighted by Champions League debut
The left-back was handed his maiden appearance in Europe's premier cup competition on Tuesday evening, as Manchester United secured a 3-2 victory over Braga
Chelsea must win last two home games, insists Di Matteo
The Italian manager expressed confidence that his side can progress to the Champions League knockout stages should they win their remaining fixtures at Stamford Bridge
We will strive for a win on Wednesday, says Schalke's Lewis Holtby
The highly-rated youngster believes that his side have a good chance of grabbing the three points against the English opposition, and has bought tickets for all of his family
Soldado: It was a must-win game
The Spain striker has talked up the importance of Los Che's win, and believes that his team should treat the remaining group games as 'finals'
Heynckes: We did the job against Lille
The German coach praised his side for an efficient performance, but rued Franck Ribery picking up an injury, which he claims is just a "small muscular problem"
These players keep on trying until the end, says Tito Vilanova
The Blaugrana boss was delighted with his side's last-gasp win, after dominating the game, and spoke of how his faith his been repaid by Marc Bartra
We've got to have faith in the coach and ourselves, says Milan's Ambrosini
The Rossoneri veteran believes that their campaign can still be salvaged, despite their recent results, but only if the players believe in themselves and remain united
Di Maria confident of securing three points against Borussia Dortmund
The Argentine is aware of the tough test his side will face on Wednesday, but believes that their form suggests that a win is a distinct possibility
V.I.Pea Chicharito is still invaluable at Manchester United
The Mexican scored two goals to help overturn Braga's shock 2-0 lead in the Champions League on Tuesday evening and put himself firmly in Sir Alex Ferguson's thoughts
Crash and learn: Proud Celtic will emerge stronger for their Barcelona heartbreak
Jordi Alba's stoppage-time effort denied Neil Lennon's side a famous result that would have been thoroughly deserved after a magnificent display
One of the most humiliating European nights in Juventus' history
The Bianconeri were expected to wipe the floor with the Danish minnows, but they struggled to a draw which leaves them staring down the barrel of Champions League elimination
Casillas: It is always hard to play in Germany
The Spain number one believes that his side face a tough test in Dortmund on Wednesday, as the shot-stopper aims to surpass his 400th victory with the club
'We matched them' - Wilson hails Celtic's resolve against Barcelona
The defender admitted he found it tough against the likes of Lionel Messi, but was thrilled with his side's performance despite the heartbreak of losing in stoppage-time
Oct 23, 2012 10:15:00 PM
By Alex Young
Celtic defender Kelvin Wilson has praised his team-mates' performance, despite his side conceding a stoppage-time goal to lose 2-1 to Barcelona on Tuesday night.
Javier Mascherano turned in Charlie Mulgrew's free-kick to give the Scottish champions a shock lead at Camp Nou, only for Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba to score at the end of each half to break the hearts of the travelling fans.
It could have been worse for Celtic, though, with the visitors' defence repeatedly thwarting Barcelona's probing attacking threat.
"We defended with our lives all game," Wilson told Sky Sports. "We thought he has done it [secured a draw], but it is never over until the final whistle against Barcelona and they proved it.
"Any team that comes [to Camp Nou] doesn’t get many chances or possession, so that wasn’t a surprise. I think we matched them.
"It is more of a concentration game against these type of players. One minute [Lionel Messi] is walking, the next minute he spins and he is in [on goal]. You need to concentrate for 90 minutes."
Fraser Forster was Celtic's stand-out performer on the night, pulling off a string of saves to deny the Spanish giants as they became increasingly frantic in the second half.
And, when asked his opinion on whether he rated Forster - who recently earned his first England call-up - as a world class player, Wilson was unequivocal in his reponse.
He continued: "In my eyes, yes [Forster is world class]. He showed it again tonight. Joe Hart is amazing, but Fraser is up there."
Celtic remain second in Group G thanks to Spartak Moscow's 2-1 win over Benfica earlier in the day and are one point ahead of the third-placed Russians.
Barcelona need just a point to guarantee progression to the next stage, but Wilson believes his team are capable of holding out for the full 90 minutes in the return game.
He concluded: "Why not? We are at home and our fans love European nights."
The veteran goalkeeper was enraged by the manner in which his side conceded the first goal, and states that they must do everything they can in their remaining group fixtures
Oct 23, 2012 10:25:00 PM
By Simon Harrison
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has spoken of his anger in the aftermath of the Serie A champions' draw to FC Nordsjaelland in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
The result gave the Danish minnows their first point in the competition, after they lost their first two games in convincing fashion, and they took the lead courtesy of a goal from Mikkel Beckmann.
Despite an equaliser from Mirko Vucinic in the last ten minutes of the match, the Italians still feel as though it is two points dropped, rather than a point salvaged.
"I am angry for the result and the way we conceded the goal," raged the Juve shot-stopper, speaking to reporters.
"We conceded a very avoidable free kick on the edge of the box and that was frankly the only way they could possibly score against us. The free kick was perfect and I couldn't do anything about it.
"The first half was balanced, but after the break there was only one team on the field. Never more than tonight was the result down to a single incident.
"There are no easy games in the Champions League and Nordsjaelland played on a par with Chelsea for almost 75 minutes. Now we have to do everything possible to win the next few games," he said.
Juventus assistant coach Angelo Alessio shared Buffon's sentiments, and admitted he was baffled over how the Turin giants failed to win the game.
"We had so many chances, but were unable to score and in a game like this that complicates matters," he explained, speaking to reporters.
"We certainly allowed our opponents too much in the first half, but came out of our shells in the second, created many opportunities and their goalkeeper had to perform several great saves.
"Clearly we have to win the next game in order to stay in the running and then get a result against the top two as well," he conceded.
