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Back to Astana, hopefully with fewer mistakes

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

capture-20160722-115551A few months after that win over Barcelona and being eliminated in the knock-out stages of the Champions League by Juventus, Neil Lennon took his Celtic team to Astana, where Shakhter Karagandy elected to play their home tie in the 2013 qualifiers, while sacrificing a sheep for good fortune on the pitch a day earlier.

We lost 2-0 before performing an heroic rescue a week later to snatch victory in stoppage time, but some of the detail from the defeat in Kazakhstan has been lost.

In the opening stages at the Astana Arena we looked miles ahead before Shakhter scored a 12th minute opener. We continued to dominate possession – 61% overall – but failed to put the ball in the net, before conceding a late second, which must have delighted and surprised the Kazaks in equal measure.

A 2-0 loss away in Europe is a bad result, but the nature of the game gave plenty of room for encouragement. We were clearly a better team, but didn’t have our act together, especially in defence.

This game was the one and only start for that urban legend, Steven Mouyokolo, who partnered Charlie Mulgrew in central defence to give new guy, Virgil van Dijk, his second start, making a very unaccustomed appearance at full back. What did we expect? It wasn’t a surprise that we did enough in the return leg with a more conventional look at the back (Mouyokolo and van Dijk were both dropped).

Astana have several things in their favour. They are fully fit, 21 games into their league season, and 10 points ahead, so they’ve had the luxury of resting players as the qualifiers approached. Shakhter Karagandy have also agreed to postpone their scheduled game on Saturday, so Astana won’t play until they face Celtic next week. By contrast, Brendan Rodgers still needs game-time to work his players up to full fitness.

Last season Astana reached the Champions League group stage, eliminating Maribor (cough), HJK Helsinki and APOEL Nicosia along the way. Their group performances against Atletico, Benfica and Galatasaray were more than credible – two defeats and four draws, achieved by defending in numbers across all six games.

Listen carefully to the confidence the Shakhter manager who faced us three years ago has in his fellow Kazaks. Astana will be buoyed by last season’s achievements and will have watched the debacle in Gibraltar. They think they are the stronger team and, unlike their group stage games last season, will attack Celtic at home.

The last time they attacked at home in Europe was a year ago against HJK Helsinki, who scored three on the counter-attack but conceded four. There will be space to exploit on that bumpy plastic surface in central Asia. Defend, forget faux comforts like 61% possession, and have Leigh, Patrick, James and Callum hit them on the break.

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  2. Tambourine Bhoy of 1967 on

    PETEC

     

     

    I’m sure they are. I really do believe that.

     

     

    Oh, Kojo and Philvis the podium-king. I do remember them. I lurked for a long time and used to scroll past Kojo because he was like a puzzle, an enigma….. and then it clicked. Bhoy made sense.

     

     

    I’m sure these Legends are still smiling on this place one way or another.

     

     

    -Tambo

  5. petec on

    TBO1967,

     

     

    I’m sure philvis is still on the Planet. I think Kojo died.

     

     

    Brutal Honesty is Always for the best.

     

     

    God Bless you.

  7. AKBW1888 on

    FOXY on 23RD JULY 2016 2:51 AM

     

    Mack the knife – Bobby Darin

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEllHMWkXEU HH Tommy Burns requiesce in pace

     

    Amen to that Foxy. That song was one of TB favourites bless him

     

    A real Celtic Legend & a Gentleman as well.

     

    I hope he is looking down on us & wishing us future success from Heaven

     

    HH Foxy. :-) :-)

  12. Foxy on

    AKBW1888 on 23RD JULY 2016 2:59 AM

     

     

    Heard him practicing it live one day at his house along with Jóhannes Eðvaldsson. Long story lol

     

     

    HH

  15. AKBW1888 on

    FOXY on 23RD JULY 2016 3:04 AM

     

    AKBW1888 on 23RD JULY 2016 2:59 AM

     

    Heard him practicing it live one day at his house along with Jóhannes Eðvaldsson. Long story lol

     

    HH

     

    With Big Shuggy he was not a bad player as well.

     

    He also liked that tune by George Benson entitled

     

    The Greatest Love of All

     

    I seen a vhs tape years ago when the hoops played Liverpool

     

    I’m sure it was Tommy’s Testimonial Day

     

    & that was the tune they played @ the end of the recording

     

    so I would imagine he liked that song as well. HH Foxy :-) :-)

  21. AKBW1888 on

    Good night & sweet dreams all I’m off to the Land of Nod

     

    Up tomorrow & off to the match

     

    Hopefully the Bhoys get a positive result & I’ll be saying

     

    to them they should be heading off tomorrow to get over

     

    the jet lag & adjust to the time difference & the heat

     

    out there & of course the plastic playing surface pitch which

     

    should be better than the one on the Rock

     

    HH All & God Bless Sincerely AKBW1888 :-) :-)

  27. 'GG on

    For any USA posters, visitors or lurkers

     

    Tomorrow’s game will be shown on ESPN at 12:30pm EST

  33. ciarans dad 2 on

    Thanks GG.

     

    Have set my DVR to record it.

     

    Watched the first half of Wednesday’s game on Celtic TV at the gym. Think a few Americans were surprised at this guy gesticulating as he was on the exercise bike and treadmill.

  34. 'GG on

    CIARANS DAD 2 on 23RD JULY 2016 4:32 AM

     

    It will be too hot for exercise tomorrow here in the Garden State.

     

    Temps forecast to be in high 90s even at beaches

  35. ciarans dad 2 on

    GG,

     

     

    I know the feeling, it’s around 100F every day at the moment in Houston. I go from my air conditioned house to my air conditioned car to my air conditioned office, only 2 steps outside. It is 20 steps from the car to the gym though….

  36. 'GG on

    I know your discomfort with the Houston climate, having spent over a decade traveling there regularly.

     

    Stayed usually at Westchase Hilton on Westheimer near Sam Houston.

     

    Even managed to visit the Bobby Lennox along Westheimer.

  37. 'GG on

    Tomorrow I hope we give the first team a wee run out for 45 minutes and then let the young dudes carve out a place in Brendan’s plans.

     

    Let’s see if O’Connel can play as a stopper CB.

     

    Let’s see if Allan, Christie or Henderson can stake a claim for a starting spot on Wednesday.

     

    Give Calvin Miller a chance to carry over his recent development team goal scoring form.

  38. ciarans dad 2 on

    GG,

     

     

    Yes, I am a member of the Bobby Lennox CSC, really good bunch of guys.

     

     

    Re the heat, you can take the boy out of Glasgow, but you can’t take Glasgow out of the boy.

     

     

    The Astana game is a 9am kick off in Houston, not sure how I am supposed to work all day without being distracted and wait to watch on Celtic TV when I get home in the evening..

  42. antipodean red on

    GG,

     

     

    Fancy Calvin and the rest of the young Bhoys will still be in Ulster for their Cup Final against Everton in the SupercupNI

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