Celtic exit Champions League

Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League at the last-sixteen stage after goals in each half from Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella earned Italian champions Juventus a 2-0 victory in Turin.

That completed a 5-0 aggregate triumph for the long-time Serie 'A' leaders, who were always in charge of the tie following their emphatic win at Parkhead last month.

In-form home striker Matri was on hand to open their account in the 24th minute after Fraser Forster blocked from Quagliarella, who then took advantage of Arturo Vidal's ball across to add a second following the break.

The Hoops were showing four changes from the weekend and began strongly with their Welsh midfielder Joe Ledley drilling narrowly wide.

But a slip from Gary Hooper midway through the half allowed their opponents to break and the predatory Matri slotted in after Quagliarella had been denied.

Celtic went close to a reply with Kris Commmons' shot diverting off Hooper and being turned aside by Gianluigi Buffon, while fine work from Georgios Samaras on the left resulted in an inviting cross which only just evaded top scorer Hooper.

Back came the visitors with Buffon gathering a Beram Kayal header from an Emilio Izaguirre cross just ahead of the interval.

Manager Neil Lennon made a change at the break when replacing Victor Wanyama with Efe Ambrose, while James Forrest soon took over from the injured Adam Matthews.

His keeper Forster then came to the rescue when Quagliarella threatened a second goal from around eighteen yards, although he could do nothing as Chilean international Vidal set-up the same player to beat the offside trap on 65 minutes.

Celtic striker Samaras responded with an 83rd minute shot that cleared the target before Kayal saw a later effort blocked by Buffon.

Juventus: Buffon, Barzagli, Marrone, Bonucci, Padoin, Pirlo (Giaccherini 69), Vidal (Isla 67), Pogba, Peluso (Asamoah 59), Quagliarella, Matri

subs (unused): Storari, Chiellini, Giovinco, Vucinic

Goals: Matri (24), Quagliarella (65)

Celtic: Forster, Matthews (Forrest 52), Wilson, Wanyama (Ambrose 46), Izaguirre, Kayal, Ledley, Mulgrew, Commons (Lassad 73), Samaras, Hooper

subs (unused): Zaluska, McGeouch, Miku, Stokes

Ref: Aydinus

Att: 35,000

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