The Spanish city of Seville holds a special place in the hearts of Glasgow’s Celtic supporters. The Andalusian city was the site of the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in which an unfavored Celtic side, managed by Martin O’Neill and captained by the legendary Henrik Larsson, faced off against Porto, led by “The Special One”, Jose Mourinho.
Moves like the rabona are usually the domain of the Lionel Messis and Cristiano Ronaldos of the world. In the past, Pele and Socrates might have tried the trick.
But a defender? And a Swedish one no less?
At Celtic, Swedish striker Henrik Larsson was known as the King of Goals.
Call 20-year-old Frenchman Moussa Dembele the Prince.
For the second consecutive week, Dembele, on whom the Hoops have reportedly slapped a £40 million price tag in response to interest from EPL clubs like Chelsea, netted a hat trick, this time against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a fifth round Scottish Cup tie on Saturday. The haul brings his season total in all competitions to 26.
Here’s goal No. 1:
In the lead-up to Saturday’s Old Firm derby match between Celtic and Rangers at Ibrox in Glasgow, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers talked up his striker Moussa Dembele’s knack for scoring goals in “big games.”
And, once again, the young Frenchman signed by Rodgers over the summer from Fulham has lived up to the hype.
In three matches against Celtic’s (big and bitter) rivals, Dembele has scored five goals. He netted a hat trick in his first-ever Old Firm match in September, scoring with his left foot, his right foot and via a header.
It’s Christmas-time, and the Green Brigade — the “ultras” that pack the safe-standing area in the northeast corner of Celtic Park — just keep on giving, with new songs to show their support for their team, and keep the rest of us entertained.
Celtic’s Karamoko Dembele, the 13-year-old prodigy who made headlines when making his debut for Celtic’s U-20 side, has triggered an international arms race between England and Scotland as both countries look to secure his services at the youth level.
We interrupt you mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook feed to bring you this very important tweet about a man throwing a hamburger at a police horse.
Celtic fan arrested for throwing a hamburger at a police horse in Piccadilly Gardens. Male started kicking about in the van! #nightinacell
— GMP City Centre (@GMPCityCentre) December 6, 2016
Celtic may have had a roller-coaster week, what with their being eliminated from European competition with a loss to Barcelona mid-week before coming back to defeat Aberdeen 3-0 in the League Cup final on Sunday.
Barcelona defeated Celtic 2-0 in Scotland, the Hoops providing a better account of themselves following their 7-0 drubbing in the reverse fixture at the Camp Nou. Barcelona’s victory made them Group C winners with Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach battling to a 1-1 draw in the group's other fixture.
Any Barcelona goal yields a plethora of astounding statistics, and Lionel Messi’s opener in the 24th minute was no different. Neymar provided the assist, and it was already his seventh of this Champions League campaign, equalling the all-time mark for a single season.
Moussa Dembele’s latest goal for Celtic — in the 87th minute of Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against arch rival Rangers — sent the green end of Hampden Park, Scotland’s national stadium, into a frenzy.
It also sent Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops side into the final, with a 1-0 win, his second in as many games against the Ibrox men.
But as happy as Celtic supporters were with the goal, and the result, Dembele’s countrymen, it seems, are barely able to contain themselves.