CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan insists he was pleased with much of his side's performance, despite watching them slump to another away defeat in the Champions League against Villarreal in El Madrigal last night.
Marcos Senna's wonderful free-kick winner in the 67th minute, after Paul Hartley had fouled Joseba Llorente 25 yards from goal, means the Scottish champions have taken only one point from a possible 48 away from Celtic Park in this stage of the compe
tition.
Strachan employed a new-look 4-5-1 formation – with Georgios Samaras leading the line – and although Villarreal dominated possession, the big Greek striker missed a glorious chance just before the break when his effort was saved by Diego Lopez.
After drawing with Danish club Aalborg in their Group E opener, Strachan's side have only a single point going into their trip to Old Trafford in the next group game.
But the former Coventry and Southampton boss, who questioned the crucial free-kick awarded by referee Viktor Kassai, praised his players.
"It was the most comfortable I've been away from home since I came here," he said.
"We worried them when we had the ball.
"I asked the players to go out to perform and I think the first-half performance, plus ten minutes of the second half, was excellent against a right good side. I actually enjoyed watching a game away from home."
Strachan refused to discuss Celtic's now slender chances of qualifying for the last-16 of the tournament for the third season in succession.
Saying only "we'll let it pan out", he was also reluctant to expand on the question of Samaras' miss – which was arguably the turning point in the game.
"It looked like a wonderful save," was Strachan's verdict.
Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini, who insisted Kassai was right to give Senna the chance to fire home the winner, claimed his side deserved the victory that keeps them behind Manchester United at the top of the table only on goal difference.
The Chilean said: "I don't think the scoreboard reflected the way we dominated the game.
"They obviously came for a result but they didn't get the result they wanted – they didn't do a lot in our side of the pitch."
Samaras, meanwhile, will not allow his miss to affect him.
He said: "It was one of the best chances. But I didn't score – and I am now looking forward to the next game.
"I am disappointed, but my confidence is not affected at all. That's football.
"We had good discipline; we defended really well and made chances when we broke on the counter.
"We kept the ball well and deserved something more from the game."
The full article contains 455 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
