Celtic are out of the Champions League for another season after a narrow but comprehensive 1-0 defeat by Barcelona in the second leg of their last-16 clash in the Nou Camp.
The Catalan club had led 3-2 from the first match in Glasgow and Xavi's goal from a Sylvinho cross after three minutes effectively ended any hopes of a Celtic comeback.
Gordon Strachan's side did well to contain Barca's superstars for the rest of the game but the home side cruised into the quarter-finals on a 4-2 aggregate with plenty to spare.
The gulf in class between the two sides was evident in both legs of the tie but the Hoops can feel no embarrassment at losing out to a side packed with a wonderful array of talent, even if it was not exactly in full throttle in this match.
Celtic, who had been knocked out at the last-16 stage by AC Milan last season, knew they had to win their first away game in the competition if they were to go through to the quarter-finals.
Barca had changed half their side from the Parkhead game but the firepower of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o promised another tough test for the Scots side and that was the story of the first half which started in disaster for Gordon Strachan's men.
A far from full Nou Camp witnessed the rampant home side take the lead in the third minute after playmaker Xavi fed Ronaldinho on the left-hand side of the Celtic penalty area.
The Brazilian flicked the ball on to the overlapping Sylvinho and when he cut the ball back, he found that Xavi had continued his run to flick the ball past Hoops keeper Artur Boruc.
The tie was effectively over with that strike.
More news from SportingLife.com



