On November 7th, 2012, under Neil Lennon’s guidance, Celtic delivered one of the club’s most remarkable European victories, beating Barcelona 2-1 at Celtic Park—a result that remains etched in history.
This win came just after Celtic’s 125th anniversary celebrations, which included a special mass at St Mary’s Church in Glasgow. As both teams took to the field, Celtic’s Green Brigade produced an iconic tifo that ranks among the best in football.
The victory against Barcelona, arguably the greatest club side of the era, raised the question of whether it was Celtic’s finest European result since Lisbon. With stars like Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta, all at their peak, the answer seems to favor it.
Barcelona’s manager, Tito Vilanova, tragically passed away in 2014, but on this night, it was his side that suffered a rare defeat. Celtic ended a six-year unbeaten run for Barcelona in Champions League away games.
Despite a lengthy injury list—including key players like Emilio Izaguirre, Gary Hooper, James Forrest, and captain Scott Brown—Lennon masterminded this unforgettable triumph.
The match saw Victor Wanyama score early, powering in a header from a Charlie Mulgrew corner in the 21st minute. As the game neared its end, Tony Watt, just 18 years old, capitalized on a mistake by Xavi to score Celtic’s second. The crowd erupted, creating an atmosphere that’s hard to describe—pure, uncontainable joy.
While Watt became the hero, goalkeeper Fraser Forster’s performance was equally legendary. Known as *La Gran Muralla* (“The Great Wall”), Forster produced a series of incredible saves, stopping 14 shots on target from Barcelona, many of them world-class efforts. It was, in the words of many, the finest goalkeeping display ever witnessed.
Though Messi managed to score late, his effort came too little, too late. The victory lifted Celtic to second place in their group, which also included Benfica and Spartak Moscow. Celtic would go on to qualify for the knockout stages after a 2-1 win over Spartak in their final group match.
Ironically, Celtic’s domestic form took a dip afterward, with a 1-1 draw against St Johnstone and a 1-0 loss to Inverness following the Barcelona triumph. Football can be unpredictable.
Nevertheless, beating Barcelona remains the pinnacle of Celtic fandom for many, and it’s a result that will be tough to top.
Post-Match Reactions:
-Marca newspaper: “There may be no greater home advantage in football than Celtic Park, as Barcelona learned the hard way in their 2-1 defeat.”
– Tito Vilanova: “I don’t like to lose, but if we have to, I’d rather lose this way. I’ve been to many stadiums in my career, but I’ve never seen anything like it.”
– Xavi: “The stadium was magnificent, the fans were incredible—Celtic Park is an example for everyone.”
– Paul Hayward, Daily Telegraph: “Somewhere between madness and love, this fanaticism did for Barcelona. Money can’t buy that.”
– Lionel Messi (April 2015): “The games against Celtic were special. Forster’s performances were legendary. There was one game in Scotland where he was practically invincible. It was the best goalkeeping performance I’ve ever seen.”
– Neil Lennon: “I’ve never had a better win than this over Barcelona.”
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