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Europa League | Group Stage
Oct 2, 2014 at 8.05pm UK
 
Dinamo Zagreb

1-0

Commons (6')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Live Commentary: Celtic 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live text commentary of the Europa League match between Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb at Celtic Park.
2

Celtic picked up their first win in the group stages of the Europa League by beating Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 at Celtic Park.

Kris Commons scored the only goal of the game with a low finish into the bottom corner after exchanging passes with Anthony Stokes.

Wilson Eduardo saw a long-range effort crash off the bar for the visitors, who wasted a number of chances to level the scores.

Find out how the action unfolded below.


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Good evening and thank you for joining Sports Mole for live text commentary of the Europa League match between Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb at Celtic Park.

It's the second game of the group for both of these teams as they bid to reach the knockout stages. Celtic were pegged back twice in their previous European outing and had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Red Bull Salzburg.



Their opponents this evening are a Dinamo Zagreb side who stormed to a 5-1 win over Astra Giurgiu in their first group match. The Croatian champions are in good form domestically too and lead the table after winning eight of their opening 10 matches.

We're not too far away from kick off at at Celtic Park, so let's have a look at the players who will be starting for each side.

CELTIC XI: Gordon, Ambrose, Denayer, Van Dijk, Izaguirre, Brown, Johansen, Tonev, Commons, Wakaso, Stokes

DYNAMO ZAGREB XI: Eduardo Carvalho, Pinto, Sigali, Simunic, Pivaric, Ademi, Borzovic, Antolic, Soudani, Cop, Wilson Eduardo

CELTIC SUBS: Zaluska, Fisher, O'Connell, Kayal, Berget, Griffiths, Henderson

DYNAMO ZAGREB SUBS: Jezina, Iturra, Machado, Pjaca, Dos Santos, Coric, Vukojevic

TEAM NEWS: Kris Commons and Jason Denayer have both recovered from injuries to start for the hosts this evening. Aleksandar Tonev is also back in the side, but Callum McGregor and Stefan Scepovic are ruled out.

Meanwhile, Dinamo have named the same team that started their last European fixture. It means that El Arabi Soudani continues to lead a line after bagging a hat trick in that match against Astra. Ante Coric could also make an appearance from the bench, after the 17-year-old became the fourth youngest goalscorer in the Europa League on the first matchday.

It's been a shaky start to the season for Celtic, but they warmed up for tonight's clash by beating St Mirren at the weekend. Two goals from John Guidetti gave them the three points that saw them climb up to fourth in the table, but the they are unable to call on the Swede who is ineligible for European matches.

Tonight marks the fifth time that these two sides have met and it's two wins apiece as things stand. The last time they face off was in the second qualifying round of the Champions League back in 1998, where Dimano dumped Celtic out courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate win.

PREDICTION: With kick off fast approaching it's time to make a prediction of how this game will end. Celtic have started to find some form in the past month, but this will be a difficult match against very good opposition. Dinamo showed the quality they have in attack in their last match and they should cause problems tonight. I am going to go for a 1-1 draw, which will see both teams preserve their unbeaten run in the group.

The players are making their way out onto the pitch and we are now just three minutes away from kick off in Glasgow.

KICKOFF! We are underway at Celtic Park!

We're yet to see a chance on goal, but the game has started at a frantic pace. At the moment neither side has really able to get the ball down and keep a sustained spell of possession.

GOAL! Celtic 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb (Kris Commons)

What a start for the hosts. It's a fine goal as Commons plays the ball into Stokes on the edge of the box and continues his run. He is then slid in by the Irishman, before firing a low strike into the bottom corner. That's just the start that Deila would have wanted from his team.

That goal has certainly given Celtic a huge boost and they look full of confidence. Their fans are in full voice and Tonev has their second strike with a long-range effort that ends up going wide of the post.

Celtic have another good chance to put pressure on the Zagreb defence as the win a free kick by the left-hand touchline. Brown whips in a dangerous cross, but keeper Eduardo comes off his line to punch the ball clear.

Dinamo look shaken by conceding a goal so early on and they are finding it hard to get the ball forward to their attacking players. They are not being given any time on the ball, with Celtic putting a great deal of pressure on their backline.

Over the past few minutes the visitors have just started to see the ball in more advanced positions. They still haven't been able to test Gordon and are yet to register a shot on goal.

CHANCE! Dinamo do manage to have an attempt on goal and they waste a decent opportunity to get back on level terms. Pinto is found in space on the right and he whips in a great delivery that finds Eduardo unmarked in the middle, but the striker can only put his effort over the bar.

Wakaso enjoyed a great start to his Celtic career by netting in their last Europa League match against Salzburg and the Ghanaian looks to threaten again as he tricks his way to the edge of the box, before driving a shot just wide of the post.

It's all very even at the moment with the ball spending a lot of time in the midfield. Celtic have been able to break quickly whenever their opponents have lost the ball, with plenty of players getting forward in support.

OFF THE BAR! Edurado comes within inches of finding the net for the visitors as he wins the ball in the midfield, before firing in a strike from range that comes crashing off the bar. It was a wonderful effort and Gordon was beaten all ends up.

YELLOW CARD! Antolic picks up the first booking of the match for a late challenge from behind on Stokes.

CHANCE! Dinamo keeper Eduardo is a very lucky man that his side are not two goals behind. He is played the ball back by Simunic and tries to take it past Commons, before giving it away. Commons then goes for a first time shot, but gets it all wrong, when perhaps he had more time to get a decent effort away.

At the other end of the pitch Dinamo break quickly with Pinto receiving the ball on the right. He then fires in a strike aiming for the near post, but it goes just inches over the top corner.

Both teams are starting to create a lot more goalscoring opportunities and just moments after Eduardo lashes a shot over the bar, Tonev sees a decent low strike from the edge of the box saved by the keeper.

CHANCE! It's another chance for Dinamo as Celtic fail to deal with a ball into the box and it comes to Eduardo. The striker then fires in a powerful effort that is beaten away by to safety by Gordon.

With just a few minutes left of the half Celtic will be desperate to take their lead into the break. The visitors have looked the more likely to find the net over the past 10 minutes, with Eduardo in particular posing the biggest threat.

Dinamo have been playing with 10 men for the past couple of minutes, with Sigali off the pitch receiving treatment for a cut. It happened in a clash with Stokes, but there didn't seem to be anything malicious about the incident.

Celtic must surely be encouraged by the performance of the Dinamo keeper, as Van Dijk fires in a strike from range that should be comfortably saved, but Eduardo chooses to beat it away.

There is going to be just one added minutes at the end of the half.

HALF-TIME: Celtic 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb

The first half at Celtic Park comes to an end, with the home side leading 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Kris Commons. Dinamo have come close on a few occasions, with Eduardo's fantastic strike smashing against the bar.

It's actually Dinamo who have seen more of the ball, with 55% of the possession in the first half. Both teams have had six attempts on goal, with Celtic seeing three of their efforts hit the target as opposed to just one for the visitors.

In the other match taking place in Group D this evening, Salzburg have come from behind to take a 2-1 lead over Astra. If the scores stay the same then the Austrians will top the group on four points, with Celtic in second by virtue of goals scored.

There were definitely signs of Dinamo coming back into the game towards the end of the half, but Celtic had some decent chances of their own to add a second. The match has been played at a very good pace and if it stays the same then we could be in for a couple more goals after the break.

Both sets of players are starting to make their way back out onto the pitch and the second half should be getting underway in just a few moments.

Celtic take the kick off and get the second half underway.

It's almost a perfect start to the second half for Celtic as Commons plays the ball into the path of Johansen who charges towards the edge of the box. Just when it seems as if he is through on goal, Sigali gets a vital touch on the ball to get it clear.

Dinamo have seen plenty of the ball in the opening minutes of the half and Antolic has their first effort since the break with a low strike from just outside the box, but it is comfortable for Gordon who makes an easy save.

SAVE! Huge moment for the visitors to get back in the match. They break quickly from a corner, with the keeper picking out Soudani with a long ball forward. Three Celtic players try to close him down and he plays the ball into Eduardo who is unmarked in the middle. The striker has just Gordon to beat, but the keeper makes a fantastic save to push the ball behind and keep his side's lead intact.

This is a good spell in the game for Dinamo, who are creating more of the chances and Brozovic fires wide, before Soudani sees a header from Antolic's corner go over the bar.

SUBSTITUTION: The visitors make their first change of the evening, with Henriquez coming on for Cop.

Dinamo are pegging Celtic back now and they win a free kick by the touchline on the left. They get plenty of men forward for the set piece, but Brozovic's delivery is fired straight at Gordon who punches the ball clear from danger.

It's Celtic's turn to threaten from a set piece as Tonev sees his shot deflect wide for a corner. However, the delivery from Commons is not the best, with the goalscorer unable to beat the first man. The set pieces from both teams have been a disappointment so far this evening.

After Dinamo's good opening to the half, Celtic have gained a measure of control in the past few minutes. They still look a threat on the counter, but their final ball has been poor on a number of occasions.

CHANCE! The visitors have another chance on goal as Brozovic receives the ball in space just outside the box and looks to bend an effort into the corner, but Gordon is there again to turn the ball behind.

SUBSTITUTION: Celtic make their first change, with the goalscorer Commons replaced by Kayal.

You get a feeling that Celtic could do with a second goal to close this game out. Dinamo are still posing a threat and they work a chance for Ademi to shoot from the edge of the box, but his effort takes a deflection and ends up rolling comfortably through to Gordon.

SUBSTITUTION: It's a second change of the evening for Dinamo, as 17-year-old Coric comes on for Antolic.

YELLOW CARD! Sigali goes into the book for a sliding challenge on Stokes, that has given Celtic a free kick in a promising position to the left just outside the box.

From the resulting set piece the hosts almost grab a second, as the ball in from Stokes hits Sigali, but fortunately for him rolls straight into the gloves of his keeper.

SUBSTITUTION: Celtic make another change, with Griffiths replacing Wakaso.

I have already mentioned that Dinamo keeper Eduardo hasn't looked convincing this evening and he is slow to come off his line to claim a loose ball in the box. He then looks to distribute the ball quickly, but gives it away to Stokes who tries to chip it over him, but can only end up putting his effort over the bar.

Gordon has had a solid night in goal for Celtic and he is called into action to hold onto Soudani's low drive from the edge of the box.

CHANCE! Dinamo will be wondering how they have lost this match if they don't score in the remaining minutes, as another big chance goes to waste. From a free kick, the ball is eventually played into the box and lands at the feet of Soudani. He then swivels on the ball and has the whole goal to aim at, but fires his effort wide of the target.

SUBSTITUTION: Dinamo make their final change of the evening, with Pjaca replacing Eduardo.

YELLOW CARD! Ademi is the third Dinamo player to pick up a card for a late challenge.

YELLOW CARD! Denayer is booked for bringing down Henriquez and gives away a free kick just outside the box. However, the hosts are unable to make the opportunity count, as Brozovic fires the set piece straight at Gordon.

SUBSTITUTION: The hosts make their third and final change of the evening, with Berget replacing Tonev.

Celtic are being pegged back inside their own box as Dinamo push everyone forward in search of a late goal. The home defence are holding strong and are blocking every shot that comes their way at the moment.

There are going to be three minuets of stoppage time.

Dinamo keep up the pressure with a string of corners that have all been cleared by the home side. Celtic are then able to break down the other end, with Griffiths able to waste some valuable seconds by taking the ball to the corner flag.

FULL-TIME: Celtic 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb

It's all over at Celtic Park, where the hosts have managed to hold on and claim a 1-0 victory. A fine early goal from Kris Commons has given them three crucial points. Salzburg have beaten Astra 2-1 in the other Group D match, which leaves the Hoops second in the table.

That's all we've got time for here. Please stay with us for all the reaction and reports from this evening's other Europa League ties. I hope you have enjoyed our coverage. Goodbye!

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Celtic midfielder Kris Commons celebrates after a goal against Shakhtar Karagandy on August 28, 2013
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