Celtic vs Internazionale match report: Guidetti strikes late to earn battling Celtic a draw

Celtic 3 Internazionale 3

Celtic’s substitute John Guidetti is congratulated after earning his team a draw (Getty Images)

Substitute John Guidetti gave Celtic a dramatic Europa League lifeline with an injury-time leveller last night.

The Scottish champions came back from two down in the first-half after early strikes by Xherdan Shaqiri and Rodrigo Palacio, with goals from Stuart Armstrong and an own goal from Hugo Campagnaro within the space of a minute.

Celtic keeper Craig Gordon had looked at fault for Inter’s opener and another mistake a minute from the break gifted Palacio his second.

Both sides swapped attempts on goal in an open second-half but in the third minute of four added on, Guidetti, on loan from Manchester City slammed the ball high into the net to send the Celtic fans into raptures.

Celtic Park rocked with noise in the build-up to kick-off but the home supporters were stunned when the Roberto Mancini’s side took the lead in the fourth minute.

Midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic chipped the ball into the Celtic box to Shaqiri whose left-footed volley appeared to be going wide of the post before Gordon parried it back into his path. At the second attempt the Switzerland international deftly steered an angled shot into the far side of the goal.

There was worse to come for the home side less than 10 minutes later when Shaqiri knocked a cleared corner back into the packed penalty box.Emilio Izaguirre cannoned his clearance off Virgil van Dijk and it dropped kindly to Palacio to rifle in.

The tie looked all but gone for Ronny Deila’s men, even at that stage, with the Celtic supporters fearing a third goal. However, they watched their side battle their way back. After Stefan Johansen sent Adam Matthews scurrying into the box the Wales right-back pulled the ball back for Armstrong, making his European debut, to drive in from 14 yards, thus giving the home fans some hope.

That hope turned to belief a minute later when Johansen’s lobbed ball into the Inter box was turned past keeper Juan Pablo Carrizo by Campagnaro.

However, Gordon endured further distress in the final minute of the first-half when he misjudged a skidding through pass by Chilean midfielder Gary Medel, the ball falling to Palacio to roll into the empty net. However, courageous Celtic’s night was far from done.