ANDRES INIESTA fears Celticâs Euro talisman Georgios Samaras will shatter Barcelonaâs fragile defence. The Greek hitman is in a rich vein of scoring form ahead of Tuesdayâs Nou Camp Champions League crunch clash. Samaras has netted in his last three European away ties â banging in goals against HJK Helsinki, Helsingborgs and Spartak Moscow. Barca superstar Iniesta revealed Samiâs Russian exploits didnât go unnoticed as manager Tito Vilanova battles with a defensive crisis. Skipper Carles Puyol and French ace Eric Abidal are definitely out, while Gerard Pique is edging back after a four-week absence. Midfield enforcer Sergio Busquets is banned for the upcoming double-header with Celtic after being sent off against Benfica in the last game. Iniesta is worried Samarasâ strong running could cause Barcaâs makeshift backline huge problems in the wide open spaces of the Nou Camp. He told SunSport: âCeltic are a strong team. Their biggest asset is the collective strength of the players. âBut Samaras is the one player who can make the difference. He is very direct, fast and powerful. âCeltic have many dangerous players. We know about Miku but Samaras stands out for me. He is the main threat and we will have to watch him closely. âHe scored the winner against Spartak Moscow in the last game and is playing with a lot of confidence. âTeamwork has been the key to Celticâs success so far in the Champions League â but Samaras is a special player. âIt wonât be easy against Celtic on Tuesday. Itâs difficult because we donât know everything about the team. âItâs different from playing teams in La Liga as we are familiar with them and know their strengths. âWe donât know every detail about Celtic and any mistake you make can cost you dearly.â Pique could yet return in time for Tuesdayâs Group G contest but Iniesta admits Celtic wonât face a full-strength Barca back four. He said: âWe have had bad luck and lots of setbacks in defence. We havenât had any stability but we have to get on with it. âAll our injuries seem to have come in defence and losing Pique and Puyol at the same time has been unlucky.â Iniesta has emerged as one of the best players in the world over the last few years and will be a huge danger to Celtic. The midfield genius already has three Champions League medals and five La Liga titles to his name. He also scored the winner for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final â sandwiched in between two European Championship triumphs. Itâs not bad going for a 28-year-old but there is not a hint of arrogance as he looks ahead to the Hoopsâ visit. Iniesta is instead full of admiration for the way Neil Lennonâs side have approached their first Champions League campaign in four years. Drawn against Barca, Benfica and Spartak Moscow â few people across Europe gave the Hoops much chance. But after taking four points from two matches Celtic are in contention to prolong their Euro adventure. Barca at the Nou Camp is a daunting task for any side and Lennonâs men must punch above their weight to get any kind of result. But Iniesta believes Celtic must be taken seriously as they bid to defy the odds and reach the knockout phase. He said: âThey have put themselves in a strong position with the first two results and are currently our main rivals. âDrawing against Benfica and then winning in Russia was a positive start, especially in such a tough group. âWe have a lot of respect for Celtic. They are a famous club with a lot of tradition and we know that it will be difficult for us.â Iniesta â a driving force in the best Barca team of all-time alongside midfield sidekick Xavi â is no stranger to Celtic. The two clubs have met six times since 2004 â with the Hoops winning one, drawing two and losing three. Iniesta featured in three of those clashes and twice played in front of 60,000 fans at Parkhead. And he revealed Barca are expecting a massive test of character when they pitch up in Glasgow in a fortnight. He said: âCeltic are especially strong at home. They have a fantastic record in the Champions League. âIt will be a very difficult game for us. The crowd always get behind Celtic from start to finish and make it hard. âItâs a different game from the Nou Camp and you have to be very focused when you play in Glasgow. âHowever, we know if we win these games that puts us in a great position to qualify for the last 16.â The last time Barca played in Glasgow, a certain Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-2 last-16 win. The bad news for Celtic is that Iniesta believes the best player in the world has got even BETTER since then. He said: âIt is almost impossible for Leo to play a bad game. For me, he is the absolute best. He is even better than he seems to be at first sight. âIt is very difficult to make the difference like he does and make everything look so natural. Itâs just great to see him play. âHe always does the unexpected. The best thing about him is that he always comes up with something special, something surprising.â Barca No1 Victor Valdes also agrees with Iniesta â and warned his team-mates that Celtic could pose the awesome La Liga leaders some problems this week. The Nou Camp goalie thought the SPL champs were going to be group whipping boys â until he saw THAT result in Moscow. He said: âWe only consider victory because failing at home just does not ever come into our thinking. âThe matches against Scottish clubs are always intense and full of emotion â but it is necessary for us to close the match out quickly. If we win then the main objective to win the group is closer. âBut if the people believed this group would be a stroll for us then they must change their point of view. âNormally Celtic plays a defensive system and that would be difficult enough. But they beat Spartak Moscow in Russia â and they gave us enough problems at the Nou Camp in our first group match. âSo there will be no easy matches in the group. We need to control the ball, stop them from playing. We must own the ball from the first minute. âAt first I wouldnât have given Celtic a chance of qualification. But their triumph in Moscow was a fantastic achievement. âYes, there is a big difference between us â but it shows that there can still be surprises in the Champions League. âWe have analysed videos of Celtic against Benfica and Spartak and they have improved their level and now control the ball with a better style. âWe need the three points to make sure there is no extra pressure on us.â
You might as well come out now Rebel. With your signature quoting a gay hurler and your description of our Greek player as handsome, and with your girlish preciseness, people are talking about you. I am afraid you may damage the good reputation Irish Celts have.
Its nothing new rebel, people have a nasty habit of talking about half wits and idiots especially behind their backs.
Well it is a good job you are addressing your concerns about me directly to me. That means I must be a full wit.
Super Hooper what a boring troll Super Hooper nowt to say at all Super Hooper sad ****wit. Ok, that last part didn't scan. So ****. BR. Stupid Hooper.
Just shows you are poorly Rebelbhoy is seen to be doing when "thatsNoExcuse tries to help with a meaningless few lines of foul mouth dribble. Its obvious that low life finds its own level.
I stuck you on my ignore list, yet every time you post i still click 'view post' to reveal what utter garbage you're talking.
There is something about that boy Samaras. Reminds me of someone, for the life of me I can't place him
Jiffy, I don't care if you put me on your ignore list, I really don't but it reflects very poorly on your character that having made up your mind to ignore me, you then give into your curiosity. It reflects far worse that you haven't the wit to keep your weakness and love of my posts to yourself. A poor example of a man.
