Last-gasp Samaras fires Celtic through

The Hoops had never won a European tie after losing the first game at Parkhead but Scott McDonald's header a minute from the break in the Arena Khimki levelled the tie 1-1 on aggregate.

And a sensational last-minute strike by substitute Georgios Samaras, on for McDonald, sent Tony Mowbray's side into the next round.

Celtic started brightly, passing the ball well, but their first real attempt on goal did not arrive until the 26th minute when midfielder Shaun Maloney tried to power in a drive from 30 yards but watched it skip harmlessly through to Vladimir Gabulov in the Dinamo goal.

But there was drama in the 44th minute when McDonald was unmarked at the far post to head home from Andreas Hinkel's cross.

There was still time for Hinkel to clear an effort from Dinamo captain Dmitri Khokhlov off the line as the host responded.

Celtic emerged fired up after the break, but a moment of slackness in the visiting defence after 52 minutes, when they failed to deal with a Khokhlov cross, allowed Dmitry Kombarov space at the back post, only for the Dinamo man to fire wide.

As the tension mounted, the Hoops refused to sit on their lead and in the 62nd minute McDonald almost grabbed a second when he drove inches wide of the far past from 20 yards.

With substitute Scott Brown driving Celtic forward, the Hoops went for the second goal and Maloney should have scored when he was sent through by the Scotland midfielder but thwarted by Gabulov.

But the drama was not over and in the final minute Samaras took a long Hinkel pass inside the box, weaved past three Dinamo defenders and slotted in the most dramatic of goals.