Celtic have had many great moments in the Champions League ever since the tournament was revamped by UEFA over 25 years ago.
This season we witnessed a great European night in Paradise as Brendan Rodgers‘ side outplayed Atletico Madrid for much of the 2-2 draw against the Spanish giants.
We have also seen Ange Postecoglou go toe to toe with Real Madrid as Celtic eventually lost that match 3-0 last season.
However, it was under Neil Lennon, Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan that the Celtic fans witnessed some of the biggest results in our history in Europe’s top-tier competition.
Continental giants like Juventus, AC Milan and Benfica all rolled up to Paradise expecting to win only to be sent back home humbled and dazed by the Celtic and the Parkhead crowd.
But there is one particular Champions League memory that will live long in the minds of the Celtic fans and one that will be passed down for generations to come. And UEFA shared the most iconic moment from that match on social media.
UEFA share Shunsuke Nakamura Celtic moment vs Man United
This goal holds significant importance for Celtic in the Champions League. With the scores tied at 0-0, Celtic knew they had to beat Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United if they wanted to qualify for the last 16 for the first time ever.
And on the 81st minute, Celtic won a free kick 30 yards out when Shunsuke Nakamura stepped up to do this:
It was a free kick that infuriated United boss, Ferguson as he witnessed Nakamura do the exact same thing against them at Old Trafford in the opening game of the campaign in a 3-2 defeat at United.
It was a result that helped Celtic into the last 16 where Strachan’s men narrowly lost out on a place in the quarter-finals after losing 1-0 to AC Milan at the San Siro after a 0-0 draw in the first leg at Celtic Park.
It was a special goal to create a special memory from a genuine world-class player.