Source: Team_Talk
Bhoys' victory over Braga in vain
Celtic could only beat Braga 2-1 on the night at Parkhead at Wednesday and therefore suffered a 4-2 Champions League qualifying aggregate loss.[LNB] First Hoops goals for Gary Hooper and Efrain Juarez proved to be the only highlights of the club's Champions League campaign after Paulo Cesar's first-half away goal killed off any slim hopes of a comeback.[LNB]Slack defending from new full-back Cha Du-ri allowed Cesar to put Braga four goals ahead on aggregate midway through a disappointing first half for Neil Lennon's men.[LNB]Hooper and Juarez salvaged some pride to win the game but Celtic never built up the attacking momentum needed to prevent them dropping into the Europa League play-off round.[LNB]Celtic manager Neil Lennon handed striker Hooper a competitive debut, the introduction of the recent signing from Scunthorpe the only change to the team that lost 3-0 in Portugal in the first leg of the third qualifying round.[LNB]Midfielder Ki Sung-yueng made way for Hooper, whose goalscoring appearance against Lyon on Saturday was his first pre-season match action.[LNB]With Aiden McGeady considering a move to Spartak Moscow, Celtic started with Shaun Maloney and Efrain Juarez out wide.[LNB]They twice threatened from inswinging corners by Charlie Mulgrew in the opening stages.[LNB]However Georgios Samaras glanced his header wide from the first and the second broke to Joe Ledley, who sliced over from 16 yards.[LNB]But the early pressure soon dissipated and Celtic's task, already tough, grew even more difficult when Braga snatched an away goal in the 21st minute.[LNB]Alan was allowed room to cross from the right and Cesar ran across Cha before glancing a header beyond the outstretched arm of Lukasz Zaluska and inside the post.[LNB]The away goal left Celtic needing five to progress but one was looking unlikely as they struggled to break their visitors down.[LNB]Samaras stretched his leg towards a Juarez cross but could not turn it on target and Celtic almost fell further behind when they were exposed down their left side.[LNB]Matheus got away from Jos Hooiveld but Zaluska narrowed the angle and blocked at his near post.[LNB]Hooiveld was beaten for pace on another break and was booked for pulling back Paulo Cesar as Celtic limped towards half-time.[LNB]Mulgrew was taken off after struggling in the first period with Ledley moving to left-back and Marc-Antoine Fortune coming on.[LNB]Cesar played a poor ball across goal as Celtic were outnumbered on the counter-attack and the reprieve was soon followed by a 51st-minute leveller.[LNB]Fortune's power and skill won him space on the right side of the box and his excellent low cross was bundled home by Hooper.[LNB]The goal lifted the crowd and the team but they soon needed a saving tackle by Cha to prevent Leandro Salina converting after a back-post cross.[LNB]Maloney limped off in the 65th minute with former Sunderland forward Daryl Murphy coming on.[LNB]Celtic needed to follow up Hooper's goal quickly to put Braga under any sort of pressure but they failed to produce any sustained attacking sequences.[LNB]Samaras curled a 20-yard free-kick just wide and then headed a Juarez free-kick just beyond the post, but Zaluska was forced into a smart parry to deny Elderson's powerful shot from the left channel.[LNB]Celtic went ahead in the 79th minute when Juarez's deft header flashed in following an inswinging cross by Samaras.[LNB]They pushed Braga back for the remainder of the tie but could not threaten again as their Champions League campaign ended at the qualifying stage for the second season running.