Villarreal 1 Celtic 0

HELLO and welcome to www.celticfc.net for tonight’s UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and Villarreal in Spain.
The SPL champions arrive at El Madrigal Stadium looking for their first win in this season’s group stages following the 0-0 draw with Aalborg in their opening match. Villarreal are also on one point after drawing with Manchester United.
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan seems likely to set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and has named an offensive line-up for the tie.
Aiden McGeady, Shaun Maloney and Shunsuke Nakamura all start and will support Georgios Samaras, who looks set to play as a lone striker. Gary Caldwell also returns to the side after missing Saturday’s 3-2 win over Aberdeen through suspension.

TONIGHT’S TEAMS:

CELTIC: Boruc; Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor; McGeady, Hartley, Brown, Nakamura, Maloney; Samaras
Subs: Brown, Loovens, Caddis, Robson, McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Crosas

VILLARREAL: Lopez; Rodriguez, Godin, Lopez, Capdevila; Pires, Eguren, Senna, Cazorla; Llorente, Rossi
Subs: Viera, Edmilson, Cani, Ibagaza, Venta, Fuentes, Bruno

Kick off is at 7.45pm.

With the warm-up complete, both teams head for the dressing rooms as the atmosphere builds inside the stadium

Stephen McManus leads Celtic out of the tunnel with kick-off just minutes away. The Celtic supporters have been warmly welcomed by their Spanish hosts.

Celtic kick off. McGeady has started on the right, Maloney on the left and Nakamura in a central position

Llorente has the first shot of the night for Villarreal. It soars over the bar

Villarreal probe but Celtic defend well and McGeady leads a break but the home side deal with the threat

Brown finds Wilson on the right but Villarreal defend well as Samaras threatens. At the other end, Caldwell tackles Rossi

Penalty shout for Celtic after Godin appears to handle a Naylor cross

Good passing from Celtic as they switch play and probe at the home side. Maloney's cross has no takers but it's been an encouraging start from Celtic.

Maloney intercepts and races past Senna into the Villarreal half before earning a free-kick 32 yards out. Maloney takes it but Lopez saves easily

Caldwell blocks Pires' shot and sets up a counter attack. McGeady plays the ball to Samaras, who cuts in from the left and blazes a shot over the bar

Pires feeds Rossi 25 yards out. He fires a shot towards goal but Boruc is never troubled as it whistles wide

Senna crashes a thunderbolt just a yard wide of target from 30 yards.

Great save from Boruc. A routine punt upfield leaves Rossi clean through but Boruc saves with his legs and Llorente blasts the rebound over. Let-off for Celtic

Superb effort from McGeady swerves narrowly wide after good work from Brown and Maloney.

Samaras concedes a free-kick 35 yards out. Caldwell clears with a header but the offside flag is up anyway

Celtic continue to look bright going forward but Villarreal are also looking dangerous

Nakamura picks out Naylor on the left wing. His cross is too high for Samaras

Naylor does well to clear Senna's deep free-kick and is injured in the process.

Cazorla's cutback finds Rossi, whose shot is tipped over by Boruc. Bizarrely, Celtic get a goal kick

McGeady wins a free-kick deep on the right flank after a superb challenge from McManus breaks up a Villarreal attack. Nakamura takes the free-kick but it's too deep

Celtic again do well to work the ball over to the left flank but Naylor's cross is too deep

Superb chance from Samaras is spurned. Wilson's long ball is missed by Godin but the Greek's shot is saved by Lopez from 12 yards

McManus is alert to foil a Villarreal attack and concede a corner. The Hoops captain, outstanding up to this point, heads clear and Hartley then produces a superb tackle

HALF-TIME: Villarreal 0 Celtic 0 - Good display from Celtic in the first half sees Celtic go in level at the break. Samaras missed arguably the best chance of the game so far

In the other Group E game, Man Utd lead Aalborg 1-0

Villarreal kick off the second period.

Maloney finds McGeady, who races through the centre circle and almost releases Samaras.

McGeady slips a pass to Samaras inside the box but Samaras is crowded out as Villarreal defend

Rossi races through the middle and fires a shot inches wide

McGeady whips a cross to the front post and Lopez takes the ball of Samaras' head

Caldwell makes a magnificent interception and Samaras is sent clear on the left. He is clearly fouled but play is waved on

Double save from Boruc as Villarreal press the Celtic defence

McManus times his tackle to perfection as the hosts threaten on the right. Villarreal work the corner well but Hartley again steps in to tidy up

Boruc dives low to his right to save Senna's low strike.

Senna win a free-kick with a dubious fall. From 30 yards, he whips a shot past the post

Celtic sub. Maloney off. McDonald on.

Celtic sub. Robson on. Nakamura off.

McDonald almost grabs a leveller for Celtic. Naylor's long ball is cushioned into the path of the Aussie and his volley is inches over

Brown's shot is blocked after good work from Robson

Celtic sub. Vennegoor on. Hartley off.

McDonald almost gets on the end of a Robson pass

Boruc produces a superb save to deny Cazorla

FULL-TIME: Villarreal 1 Celtic 0 - Marcos Senna's second-half free-kick gives the Spanish side a narrow win over the Hoops.