Barcelona capitalized on the needless sending-off of Celtic captain Scott Brown to overcome the plucky Scottish champions 1-0 in the Champions league on Tuesday, with Cesc Fabregas grabbing a 75th-minute winner.
Missing the injured lionel Messi, Barca produced a flat performance at a ground where it memorably lost in last year's group stage. The game turned on the straight red card given to Brown in the 59th minute for kicking out at Neymar, moments after fouling the Brazil forward.
Celtic's overworked defense failed to hold out for the final half hour as Fabregas headed a cross by substitute Alexis Sanchez into the corner, earning the Spanish giants a second straight victory in Group H, having already beaten Ajax 4-0. Celtic lost its first group match, 2-0 at AC Milan, and already has an uphill battle to reach the knockout stage.
Barca's win will help partially erase the memory of last season's shock 2-1 defeat at Celtic Park but the result was in the balance before Brown's red card, despite the wealth of possession the visitors enjoyed as usual.
At first glance, the decision seemed harsh, with Celtic having men behind the ball when Neymar was hauled down in full flight.