Celtic on this Day – Salzburg at Paradise, Craig Burley breaks Hearts

The Celtic Star

·13 December 2024

Celtic on this Day – Salzburg at Paradise, Craig Burley breaks Hearts

Celtic on this Day – Reprieve after defeat to Salzburg, two vital wins over Hearts and goals for Moi Elyounoussi and Shane Duffy during that dreadful behind closed doors Covid season – Football without fans…

Celtic v RB Salzburg, 13 December 2024. Photo The Celtic Wiki

13 December 2018

Six years ago today, Celtic 1-2 RB Salzburg. It may have been a defeat, but it definitely felt like a victory on the way out of Paradise as Brendan Rodgers’ side squeezed through to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

OneFootball Videos

Despite the Austrians toiling with Celtic and comprehensively beating the Scottish champions, the Hoops went through courtesy of Rosenborg defender Tore Reginiussen’s late equaliser in Germany versus RB Leipzig in the other group stage tie that Celtic fans were keeping a close eye on.

During a year of fraught Brexit negotiations in Britain, it was quite fitting a Norwegian Tore kept us in Europe. Amazingly, Rosenborg who Celtic had played a ridiculous six times in 15 months picked up their only point during that group phase campaign when Celtic needed them most.

Celtic and RB Salzburg at Celtic Park on December 13, 2018. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Marco Rose’s Salzburg side were excellent in Glasgow and controlled majority of the match, they were unquestionably one of the best teams to have visited Celtic Park in recent seasons. However, who can forget Craig Gordon’s absolute clanger and Karius-esque mistake to allow Salzburg to put the game out of sight which everyone in the stadium thought would end our European campaign for another season.

In that Europa League group stage campaign, Celtic won three of their six encounters which had been as many as they had won in their previous 18 Europa League outings. Our record against RB Salzburg since their inception in 1933 is not pretty – it still stands at three losses and one draw. Rodgers’ men would go onto face Valencia in the knockout stages of the competition and would be beaten with relative ease over the two legs.

13 December 1997

Celtic v Hearts, Scottish Premier League,Celtic Park, Glasgow – Celtic goalkscorer Craig Burley (right) celebrates his goal alongside Paul Lambert and Harald Brattbakk. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Celtic 1-0 Hearts. Craig Burley’s late winner would prove to be a crucial goal in the frantic title race that ensued between Celtic, Rangers and Hearts in the first half of the iconic 1997/1998 season . The Jambos had actually come to Paradise knowing that a victory would extend the gap to eight points between themselves and Wim Jansen’s men.

It was an incredible run Jim Jefferies side had been on; they had won 12 matches from their opening 15 in the league and looked serious title contenders. In the end, Celtic performed excellently well and put the Tynecastle club in their place.

50,000 Celtic supporters turned out in their numbers and the noise when Burley chested the ball down and finished calmly felt like a psychological lift and a turning point for the Hoops. Eventually winning the league by two points, this result stands out as an important victory on our way of reclaiming the title for the first time in 10 years.

13 December 2020

Moi Elyounoussi scores Celtic’s first goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on December 13, 2020. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Shane Duffy scores Celtic’s second goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on December 13, 2020 . (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Four years ago today, Celtic 2-0 Kilmarnock. You probably won’t remember it and neither do I as it was during the horrendous ‘Pass to Paradise’ days throughout the tortuous and easily forgettable COVID-19 season.

Neil Lennon’s side had only won one of their previous five Scottish Premiership matches heading into their 2-0 victory over Killie courtesy of loan duo Mohammed Elyounoussi and Shane Duffy. It would be the start of a decent run that lulled the Celtic board into not dismissing Lennon which would have given the club the best possible chance of mastering some kind of fightback.

Moi Elyounoussi of Celtic celebrates with Odsonne Edouard after scoring during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on December 13, 2020. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Shane Duffy is congratulated by Greg Taylor after he scores during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on December 13, 2020. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Hoops went onto win four games on the trot in the league before arriving at Ibrox for the first match of 2021 in a win or bust Glasgow Derby contest. With that ending badly, Celtic’s season was all but over in January and would endure a painful few months.

Thankfully, it ended up being one of the best things to happen as subsequent to that season, Ange Postecoglou became Celtic’s 19th permanent manager.

13 December 1980

Celtic 3-2 Hearts. The Jambos had struggled badly in the 1980/1981 campaign but seemed to raise their levels when visiting Celtic Park for the first time that season. Amongst Hearts’ ranks were Alex MacDonald and Alfie Conn.

MacDonald, who was not given the most pleasant of receptions from the Jungle opened the scoring in the game. The former Rangers man along with Tommy Burns were easily the best performers on the pitch, 44 years ago, today.

Over the same weekend, Aberdeen had beaten Rangers 2-0 at Pittodrie all but ending any hope of the Ibrox club challenging Celtic for the league title. It was now a battle between the reigning Scottish champions and Alex Ferguson’s side for who would win the Scottish Premier Division. Strikes from Roddie MacDonald, Frank McGarvey and George McCluskey secured an important victory for Billy McNeill’s men.

Conor Spence

Celtic in the Thirties – Have you ordered your copies yet?

Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books. ORDER NOW!

By popular demand, both volumes of Celtic in the Thirties are now available on Amazon Kindle, with the links to order below. Signed copies of both volumes are available on hardback from Celtic Star Books and if you would like author Matt Corr to add a special Christmas dedication to your copies please let us know. Postage deadline for Christmas is next Wednesday. Order hardback copies HERE or for Amazon Kindle click on the links below…

Click to order Volume One

Click to order Volume Two