Two iconic British football clubs, Celtic FC and Manchester United, are set to clash in a thrilling showdown at Celtic Park.
Both are European Cup winners but Celtic FC were the first British club to win the trophy, beating Inter Milan in the 1967 European Cup final. The Scottish club’s peak occurred during the late 1960s and early 70s. The Lisbon Lions were the greatest team in Celtic’s history, reaching another European Cup final three years later in 1970, only to lose to Feyenoord.
In the UEFA Champions League era, Celtic's objectives are much more humble. They regularly qualify for the Champions League group stage, but rarely finish in the top two. Notable moments from recent years include back-to-back Round of 16 losses to AC Milan and FC Barcelona in 2006/07 and 2007/08, and another exit in the same stage against Juventus in 2012/13.
Manchester United’s first major European trophy came one year after Celtic’s famous victory, beating Benfica 4-1 in the 1968 European Cup final. Yet, the period between 1969 and 1993 was marked by Manchester United's absence from the competition due to their lack of domestic success. This situation changed with the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson, who steered the club to a UEFA Champions League Final in 1999. In a dramatic final, they secured a historic victory, coming from behind to defeat Bayern Munich with two late goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in injury time.
Nine years later, Manchester United won their third Champions League trophy, overcoming Chelsea in Moscow with a penalty shootout. However, their return to the final in Rome in 2008/09 saw them succumb to FC Barcelona with a 2-0 defeat, and two years later at Wembley Stadium, they faced another loss to the Catalan giants, this time with a 3-1 scoreline.
Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and, in the years that followed, Manchester United have struggled in the UEFA Champions League. However, they did win the UEFA Europa League trophy under Jose Mourinho in 2016/17.
Celtic vs Manchester United Head to Head
Celtic remain unbeaten at home against Manchester United. The inaugural clash between these two teams occurred during the 2006/07 season when they were drawn in the same group. The historic match at Old Trafford was a thrilling affair. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink opened the scoring for Celtic after 20 minutes before Manchester United's Louis Saha answered with a brace. Shunsuke Nakamura, the stylish Japanese midfielder, levelled the score in the 43rd minute before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer secured the victory early in the second half.
The return leg at Celtic Park resulted in a triumph for the Bhoys. Nakamura's exquisite free-kick found the back of the net with just ten minutes remaining, sealing a memorable victory for Celtic.
Two years later, these teams were once again drawn into the same Champions League group. Manchester United emerged victorious with a 3-0 win at home, thanks to Dimitar Berbatov's double and a goal from Wayne Rooney. In Glasgow, Scott McDonald put Celtic in the lead, but Ryan Giggs equalised late on to secure a valuable point. Sir Alex Ferguson's side went on to win the competition that season, notably thanks to John Terry's infamous penalty miss in Moscow.
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Celtic vs Manchester United Connections
There’s a strong connection between these two clubs. Numerous players have represented both Celtic and Manchester United, including Brian McClair, Dion Dublin, Liam Miller, and Lou Macari.
Henrik Larsson is a legend at Parkhead and the Swedish striker enjoyed a short loan spell at Manchester United late in his career. At the age of 35, he scored on his debut against Aston Villa and was a huge hit at Old Trafford.
Roy Keane is a legend at Manchester United and the Irish midfielder quit the club in 2005 after falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson. He joined Celtic, the club he supported as a child, and stayed for six months before announcing his retirement from football.
