Celta Vigo (0) 5 - Red Star Belgrade (1) 3

Celta: Cavallero; Coira (Vagner 46'), Cáceres, Yago, Velasco; Doriva (Jesuli 46'), Giovanella; McCarthy, Mostovoi, Gustavo López (Noguerol 77') Catanha. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 14. Drulic. Ran on to Bunjevcevic's through ball and steered past keeper.
1-1. 22. Catanha. Steered ball into net after Benni knocked it past keeper.
1-2. 38. Drulic. Got in on bad back pass from Yago to beat Cavallero
2.2. 50. Gustavo López (penalty). After foul on Catanha.
3-2. 54. McCarthy. Drove ball past keeper after cross from Vagner on left.
4.2. 65. Gustavo López (penalty). After foul by defender on Mostovoi.
5-2. 70. Catanha. Took pass from Jesuli in own half, ran on and chipped keeper.
5-3. 92. Drulic. Took pass from left, turned and shot past keeper.

A remarkable come back by Celta, including four goals in a 20 minute period in the second half, turned around a tie which appeared to be lost. Things had started badly for Celta, with Drulic, scorer of the only goal a fortnight ago in Belgrade, once again beating Cavallero with a goal which was almost a carbon copy of the one on that night. Catanha got one back, his first goal in six weeks, but Drulic nipped in again to take advantage of a defensive mix-up to restore the lead. Celta have been suffering from injuries recently with seven of their first team squad missing for this game, and their makeshift defence appeared to have let them down. Víctor Fernández only had five defenders available, and with Cavallero only playing European games, Velasco out of position and Coira and Yago drafted in, their lack of co-ordination was evident.

With a 3-1 scoreline against them, the home side had to score three goals to win, and Víctor decided therefore that he would have to go for broke. On came another winger Jesuli for full back Coira, with Vagner replacing Doriva in midfield and McCarthy going further forward in a copy of Barcelona's 3-2-3-2 formation. The effect was immediate, with Catanha winning a penalty which Gustavo López converted. McCarthy, who has only scored in European matches this season, added a third, and when Mostovoi went down (rather too easily) in the penalty area the crowd started to believe that they could do it. Italian referee Cosimo Bolognino pointed to the spot, and when the protests of the Red Star players had subsided Gustavo López placed the ball past the despairing Kocic. The Argentinian took off his shirt and waved it around in delight, an act which surprisingly in this day of silly rules and regulations didn't even win him a yellow card (remember Djalminha got sent off last season for doing so).

There was still 25 minutes to go however and Celta dropped back to defend their lead as Red Star threw on an extra forward. However that left them open at the back, and a through ball from Jesuli in the Celta half sent Catanha forward, and after a long gallop he produced a delightful chip which left the result in no doubt. Noguerol came on as Víctor went back to his original formation, and although Drulic completed his hat-trick in injury time Celta had done enough to go through. The 150 or so Red Star radical supporters were for once quiet, having been shepherded since they arrived in Spain and attacked by baton-charging police early in the game when they got out of hand, and they left with their heads hung low without further problems. Celta take their fifth scalp of European champion sides in three years, having beaten Aston Villa, Liverpool, Benfica and Juventus over the last two seasons, and they are hoping to improve on their quarter final placings in the last two editions of the competition. Their next opponents will technically be a Champions League side, although Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk are not the most difficult team they could have been drawn against. On today's showing they should still be in the competition when the winter break arrives.