Celtic have had their fair share of famous European nights, and Barcelona in 2012 is right up there.
The day after the club’s 125th anniversary, Neil Lennon’s men faced a home glamour tie against a side almost identical to that which is widely seen as one of the greatest football teams ever.
Competing in the Champions League for the first time in four years, it was a major occasion for Lennon’s side – and goals from Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt made it one of the most special in the club’s history.
Fans and players alike will all have their own stories from that night, the likes of which we haven’t really seen since.
Charlie Mulgrew was among the Celtic players involved in the incredible victory, and he has now revealed one stat which gives a brilliant picture of how the game went.
Lionel Messi stat revealed by Charlie Mulgrew
The most famous stat from the night is, of course, the possession – we know that it was dominated by Barcelona, but the exact numbers are disputed.
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The night also marked Lionel Messi’s first goal as a father – his first son, Thiago, was born five days before the encounter.
This perhaps had an impact on Messi’s fitness, as Mulgrew recalled to TalkSPORT on Friday, reflecting with Alan Brazil and Gabby Agbonlahor.
He said: “We played Barcelona that night, and for the first ten minutes, we did not actually touch the ball.
“Messi was playing, it was that great Barcelona team with the Tiki-Taka stuff, Pep Guardiola had just left. And we never touched the ball for about ten minutes.
“We got a throw-in inside our half after about ten minutes and the whole place erupted. I remember thinking… ‘we’re doing alright here!’
“I did 14.5K that night, and Messi done six. Just from an athletic running ability. But listen, what an amazing night, European nights at Celtic Park.. there’s not much better.”
Messi isn’t exactly known for his running distance, but for him to run less than half the distance of someone else does on the pitch puts that even more into perspective.
It also highlights the effortless genius of the Argentine – despite his lack of running, he racked up 111 touches and six shots.
What is Celtic’s best European night since Barcelona?
Celtic’s European performances since that season have broadly left a lot to be desired. But which has been the best?
While there haven’t been many wins, there have been respectable home draws against Inter Milan, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid.
In terms of wins, a couple against RB Leipzig in 2018 and 2024 stand out, as do a 5-1 thrashing of Slovan Bratislava and 3-1 win over Rennes.
Away from home, a 3-0 Champions League win against Anderlecht in Brussels stands out from Brendan Rodgers‘ first season.
But the best of the lot probably came in Rome in 2019, when Olivier Ntcham’s 94th minute winner against Lazio sent the away end wild.
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