Champions League: Celtic payback for old boy Brattbakk

Paul Lambert reckons former team-mate Harald Brattbakk has proved the critics wrong but is hoping he can still become a Celtic hero in Porto next week.

The Rosenborg striker was hounded by some fans despite sealing the championship and ending Rangers’ 10-in-a-row dream in 1998.

But he came back to haunt them last night with a well-taken double which could kill off Celtic’s hopes of making the second group stages of the Champions League.

Martin O’Neill’s men are still a point behind Porto in Group E before next week’s final game against Juventus at Parkhead while Brattbakk takes his side to Portugal where Celtic were crushed.

Lambert had no hard feelings with his former team-mate last night and exchanged shirts with him at the final whistle.

But he is hoping that Brattbakk can do him one last favour by continuing his lethal streak next Wednesday.

‘‘He asked me to swap shirts at the end,’’ said Lambert. ‘‘I just said well done to him. I played with the guy so I’m not going to dislike him.

‘‘He got a lot of stick from certain people, but we knew what a good player he was and on the night he scores two goals.

‘‘I hope he does it next week, but we have to win and you can’t really look to anyone else to do you a favour. We have to win our game.’’

Juventus have already reached the second group stages following their 3-1 victory over the Portuguese side.

But the former Scotland international does not think the Italians are necessarily going to ease up in Glasgow.

‘‘I don’t think it’s going to be easier,’’ added Lambert. ‘‘It’s going to be very hard game.’’

The former European Cup winner reckons Celtic have been taught another Champions League lesson after the mauling in Porto - but is already focusing on next week’s crunch night.

‘‘It was very disappointing,’’ admitted Lambert. ‘‘But we know we’ve got to win our last game and see what happens elsewhere.

‘‘That’s football and they got their two goals against the run of play and Harald took his first goal well.

‘‘It’s disappointing to lose, but we go into the last game knowing we’ve got to win and hope something gives in Porto.’’

His manager certainly believes that the Norwegians can stun Porto while his own side can bounce back from their second consecutive European defeat to beat the Italian giants.

O’Neill said: ‘‘I think we can win that game and that will make it very, very interesting.

‘‘Unfortunately this result has taken it out of our hands.

‘‘But we are capable of winning our game and if Rosenborg show the same application they did last night they are capable of getting something in Porto.

‘‘The players are still upbeat because we had a lot of possession in the first half without being perhaps incisive enough.

‘‘We were better in the second half and we went for broke.

‘‘It was always possible that we would lose another goal, but we should have scored maybe once or twice.’’

Rosenborg coach Nils Arne Eggen believes Celtic could still make the second group stages.

The Norwegian was being deadly serious when he said his side could beat Porto next week to secure a place in the UEFA Cup while backing the Glasgow side to topple Marcello Lippi’s side.

Eggen said: ‘‘We were very happy to win this game because we are a little club. It shows we can still compete at the highest level.

‘‘Now I think we can go to Porto next week and win and take third place in the group.

‘‘Celtic will be fighting against Juventus and I think they can manage a win.’’