The Big Thread of Celtic's Adventures in the Champions League!

If somebody had offered us this position at the start we would have taken it . Spartak have nothing to play for , with Victor and Brown out, will we move Ambrose into midfield ???

 

If we don't get through we are a shoe in to win the europa thingy

 

hOPEFULLY. tHAT MEANS WE'RE NOT PLAYING mULGREW THERE JUST TO ACCOMODATE HIM FOR HIS SET PIECES

 

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Given that I thought we would amass only five points and finish bottom of the group, having football after Xmas, even if it is the EL, is a real bonus. However, I think we'll make it to the last 16 of the CL (how's that for tempting fate?!?)

A full crowd at Celtic Park, Spartak have nothing to play for and Barca have, I think, an amazing home CL record they wont want to see come to an end.

 

-----------------------------Forster

Lustig-------------Wilson----------Mulgrew-------Matthews

--------------Kayal-------Ambrose------Ledley

Commons----------------------------------------------Sammy
----------------------------Hooper

probable ream for spartak, possibly forrest for commons if fit

 

A club with the pedigree of Benfica are under pressure to qualify and perform as well.

Barca losing would still give them top spot.

 

pedigree is nothing - they are an average side from what I've seen of them

Barca won't lose

 

I think they're a good side.

Aimar, Cardozo, Luisao, Lima are all real quality players and they play a fairly attacking and possesion-led sort of game.

 

With these players how were thousand upon thousands of empty seats last night ??? Their ground was half empty, hopefully for the champions league sake we go through !!!

 

i am with BD on this. benfica are a good team. they will give it a good go in barcelona. lets not forget barca are pretty pish at the back.

i would have bitten hands off after the draw to be in this situation.

 

I'll be surprised if you don't better Benfica's result.

LMG though

 

Guranteed European football after Xmas ... an amzing achievement for Lennon and his (young) team!

Building up vast amounts of European experience.

I would have taken 3rd when I saw the group!

I do think Barca will rest their top players but there subs (Villa/Fabregras) are still a very strong outfit and no way will it be acceptable for them to lose at the Nou Camp, so I think it'd not a done deal that Benefica will win.

All Celtic can do is take care of Spartak and be winning the game with plenty of time to spare...

Hopefully, an early goal or two and that may filter through to Benefica - added pressure.

 

nowhere near a done deal, quite the opposite infact. people seem to think that barca's reserves are a poor team

 

I'm only guessing but seeing as how this is the Celtic board I assume he was talking to Celtic fans?

 

I don't think Barca's reserves are a poor team - I'm sure they'd walk most leagues.

I also don't think Benfica are anything less than a very good team.

Under O'Neill or Strachan (much as I love both managers), we would've lost 3-0 last night.

Lennon got the tactics right and he has got the personnel right in the likes of Forster (who I thought was ****e when he was on loan), Hooper, Matthews etc etc etc

We were the length of Gary Hooper's boot away from qualifying last night - against a team worth double ours in their patch.

It's been a brilliant ride this year in the CL - we might still go through but, even if we don't, Europe knows who we are again and most of Europe knows who Wanyama, Watt and Forster is now - we've done brilliantly.


While I'm blethering, did you see the Shaktar goal last night?

Still the sleekit bastards they were when we last played them.

I reckon drop balls where sportsmanship is supposed to take over should be done away with.

Just ask the ref to ensure the ball goes to the correct keeper and don't rely on the "sportsmanship" of players under the type of pressure to win there is in the CL.

 

Same here, I predicted 7 points and that's where we are just now. Europa league football is a huge bonus.

 

61%

 

I would love more posts like this

Right up my statistical street