Celtic glory as win over Spartak Moscow seals final 16 spot
A delighted Celtic secured their place in the final 16 of the Champions League tonight when they beat Spartak Moscow 2-1 at Parkhead.
The Scottish champions’ triumph came as group rivals Benfica could manage only a 0-0 draw against Barcelona in the Nou Camp, leaving Celtic two points ahead in second place in the qualifying group.
Their decisive goal came in the closing stages when Giorgios Samaras won a soft penalty and Kris Commons smashed the spot kick home off the crossbar.
Neil Lennon was unable to watch the moment. He had previously said victory could be the highlight of his managerial career, and relied on the roars from the crowd to tell him the good news.
Watching from the stands again were Rod Stewart, who famously burst into tears when Celtic defeated Barcelona last month, and Celtic legend Kenny Dalglish.
Gary Hooper had given Celtic the lead in the first half, but Ari equalised for Spartak, leaving a packed Parkead with a nervous second half.
