Celtic will face Israelis Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the Champions League playoff round later this month, with the first leg due to take place at Celtic Park.
Hapoel, carrying a Uefa coefficient of 4, eliminated Olympiakos, coefficient: 70, in the last round – a bigger shock than Dundalk’s win over BATE. They put on two backs-to-the-wall performances, drawing the first leg in Greece 0-0 before winning the return 1-0. In the earlier round they shot the Sheriff Tiraspol from Moldova, winning 3-2 in Israel before securing another 0-0 away.
The positives: the Israeli league hasn’t started yet, so Hapoel will be no further into their season’s preparations than Celtic. It also looks like the play on grass.
In recent seasons Celtic have found new and innovative ways to bow out at this stage but we know what’s required and will be strong favourites to progress.
Bring it on.
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for those driving to the away leg, remember you aren’t allowed to drive into israel from syria so you will need to take a short detour of about 400 miles
;-)
I agree Bobby and hope that enough of the hoops can go to Israel and experience something very different. If the home game is in beer Sheba it will be a new experience for the hoops. Wilderness of Zin is nearby and some cool Nabatean ruins. Nesherbeer is the local and then there is raki which is dangerous stuff. Be open minded and you will have some experiences and explore a very special small piece of real estate. Old City Jerusalem is unique. On the home game I expect the GB to spend a fortune on Palestinian flags but that is OK. Been there myself. We should win this one over two legs. Home win as it will literally be hot in the Negev. Nir Bitton will be a wealth of knowledge. Dream on champions league. Do us proud Celtic and Celtic men and woman. Hail Hail.
Vespacide on 5th August 2016 11:41 am
Petec I agree I would Love to visit Israel, it’s a fantastic country. I would rather live there than the UK but then I would miss Celtic too much.
Hail Hail.
………………………………………………………………………
I know nothing but I do know they are preparing to be attacked. Terrible way to Live.
Right wing ding ding dingalong.
I’m delighted we have filled out Celtic Park every game this season.
Kojo.CSC
The Olympics start today.
It’s about hard work for years,not drugs. Dedication.
And sometimes it all goes wrong when your hamstring pops.
And you try to hop the last yards-just so you can finish,looking like a guy whose heart has just been shattered.
And then,your Dad comes out of the crowd,sod the security,and just helps his boy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dYQ2IyMuPes
http://uk.soccerway.com/teams/israel/hapoel-beer-sheva/1205/
http://uk.soccerway.com/teams/israel/hapoel-beer-sheva/1205/
They went 29 league games unbeaten last season between October-May
Portuguese defender, Romanian MF and two Nigerians middle/front.
No mugs but come on Celts, lets do this.
Team for qualifiers
Gordon
Lustig or Erik
Toure
Tierney
To be filled or Bitton
Roberts
Brown
To be filled or McGregor
Sinclair
Griff
Dembele
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 5th August 2016 11:48 am
Thank You.
I got stick for running onto the pitch after Barry Fergusons Son attacked my bhoys knee, I got reported. It wasn’t the first Time he had put Aidan out of the game.
He done the Coaches Son in a later game. A total rocket of a player, I don’t blame the boy, I blame the Parents.
Airdrie are not good.
The Jim Chapman guy is a Great dude. I found it very harsh that his team was being criticised for being agricultural. :((
I’d have no qualms about any Young Celt going to play for Annan for a Season. A really considerate coach, the worst thing to happen to Dumbarton was him moving on.
Hapoel Beer-Sheva play ON GRASS in the Turner Stadium which has a capacity of 16,126.
3 hours ahead and temp at night will still be high 20’s (80 to 85 in old money).
Great draw
Just seen the draw we could have got much worse than this team
Going for a Sheva-Beer and by the end of the day I will be Hapoel as a pig in Sh… Hehe
In my opinion we must strengthen our midfield I felt against Astana Broonie was asked to do to much Armstrong and Mcgregor dont impress me I much prefer Biton and Rogic we should also wrap Roberts in cotton wool and have him fit for the Beer game. H.H.
they are 2 hours ahead i think so might be an early KO
A front 4 of LG and Dembele,Paddy and Sinclair from the wide areas, a few goals in there……
MurdochauldandHay & Wee Oscar on 5th August 2016 11:42 am
Paul67 I think you will find Beer Sheva play on an artificial pitch not grass like lee wallace :) Also they have 3 Bitons in there side Amit, Ben , & Dan any relation to Nir I wonder
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Can big Danny Bitton play for Ireland?
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 5TH AUGUST 2016 11:38 AM
MACJAY
You and I both know we have pretty much the same goals. But with different ideas on how to get there.
It would be interesting if we were both on the same QUIZBALL team!
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Compromise.
Great word
“mutual acceptance of terms—often involving variations from an original goal or desires.”
Team . You bet. Guinness all round.
Good Draw.
Bring it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Really enjoying VFR800 contributions to the site. Keep them coming.
KLV
Deepest Sympathy to the the Carmichael family on the loss of their dad Tommy. He was an absolute gentleman.Still got the photo when he played in the white shirt green sleeves,big shamrock.He was never a man to blow his own trumpet.Loved his sons and Rhebel wife. God Bless HH
Good to see Catman back on with some news. Welcome back man.
Couple of players in for Monday and we are Golden.
Hail Hail!!!!!!!!!!!
KLV
Beer Sheva’s home leg this week v Olympiacos kicked off at 9pm local time, 7pm our time and temperature was around 20 C.
Big weekend coming up too. With teams lying down and Mibbery coming our way it’s important we take something from Sunday given that we have no league game due to fixture against Milan in Limerick the following weekend (13th August).
Maybe the Limerick game is a financial blessing and and opportunity to rest key players before the CL games?
We don’t want to be playing catch up against Aberdeen with our CL Qualifiers on 16 or17th and 23rd or 24th August.
And Motherwell on the 10th of August.
Seemingly very difficult to break down as witnessed by their results so far.
Would have taken this draw a few weeks ago, Mon The Hoops!
Also UEFA have posted dates :
Home tie on Wednesday 17th August
Away tie on Tuesday 23rd August
Win this tie, and the numbers add up pretty substantially:
€2M for winning the tie (€3M if we loose, plus €4M EL participation)
€12M Participation fee
€10M approx from the Market Pool
€500,000 per group stage point
> €6M gate receipts
Assume a difficult group, 6 points won, that’s €36M income total, or in excess of £30M at current exchange rates.
Roberts has a grade 1 hamstring injury by all accounts, a 3 week recovery, making it unlikely he’ll play in the tie, certainly not the first leg.
If Brendan Rodgers wants Sinclair, today’s the day to close the deal and get him in. Ditto anyone else in that category.
I’m not suggesting we spend the UCL money before we qualify to earn it, but the risk:reward calculation is now highly skewed towards reward in terms of immediate signings.
Time to back the manager.
kevinlasvegas on 5th August 2016 12:05 pm
Good Draw.
Bring it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Really enjoying VFR800 contributions to the site. Keep them coming.
KLV
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Cheers mucker!
Biggest two games of the year are against the beer shebans so please please do not read anything into the first few league game other than preparation. Hope we win them all but eye on the prizebhoys. Zombies will be spewing when we get into the CL. Championees.
My memories of beer she are hot dry town, chickens, Bedouin market, hot. Bedouins are cool been in that place for millennium and don’t know borders. Might be a grass park, the Israelis do wonders with water and desert. An interesting game to go too Tims. Keep the faith. We will win this one. Olympiakos must be Aberdeen.
Currently 33° C in Beer’sheeva apparently.
HH!!
TBB
We have a spare £10 mill floating about, Pedro reckons that we were losing £10 mill a season without the huns, so we don’t have to spend money we don’t have, do we.
And if you add in all them extra season books, a couple off the wage bill, no spend on transfer fees, we are minted :-)
HH
Taurangabhoy on 5th August 2016 12:30 pm
It is a grass park – UEFA Grade 4 stadium with grass.
big wavy on 5th August 2016 11:32 am
Catman,
With that analogy I’m visualising one of those staggering marathon runners out on their feet type images as far as this saga is concerned.
____
I’m visualising one of those walking races in the Olympics. Back in the stadium with the crowd cheering, heading towards the line and then you get disqualified for having two feet off the ground.
I imagine the players will have a healthy bonus for qualifying
THE BATTERED BUNNET on 5TH AUGUST 2016 12:22 PM
Thanks for a clear assessment of the financial advantages of progress in the C.L.
Signings ?
I`ll leave that to the guys who know.
Taurangaboy,
Agreed it couldn’t have worked out better. A free pass on the weekend before (virtually) a bit of serious money made too and then a favourable draw in the CL, first match at home on the 17th.
Probably better to see the league games as preparation as you say.
HH
Tallybhoy mid summer now so will be hot as. I was on a kibbutz near beer Sheba in the wilderness of Zin which is like a miniature Grand Canyon. It will be a dry heat so need lots of h2o and for the travelling fans plenty of sun cream as dry heat doesn’t feel that bad but can do some major damage.
Just heard the draw. I called it the other night so Hapoel Beaver Shavers it is. As Starry said it will be a bit hot down there as it is in the middle of the Negev desert.
Have we signed anyone yet?
Thought not.
THE EXILED TIM
Similar point from myself on the last thread. I even got some kudos for spelling curmudgeonly.
Pity about Arriva,mind-anyway,here it is.
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BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 5TH AUGUST 2016 10:03 AM
PAUL67
As you say,no point in a wish list if it’s based on a perception of who we can beat,who we might struggle against.
We’ve all supported Celtic long enough to have seen some unbelievable results.
Amazing and shocking!
It’s why we love it,why we wonder why we bother,why we always will.
I just delighted that our new management team have taken us this far. They have stepped up to the plate,assessed how best to get the most out of players with a history of letting their head go down in adversity.
The fans,too,have shown their support. In numbers rarely seen in this competition at this stage and in friendlies here and abroad. These have raised the profile of our club again.
And a virtual house full sign on the ticket office for the season tickets.
I’m sure that no-one would want to jeopardise the feel-good zone we are currently in. That would be curmudgeonly.
Further to Paul’s comment… “We should be careful for who we wish for”:
I don’t know if anyone else clocked this, but the first tie out of the pots in the Europa League draw was…
Drum roll
Astana (KAZ) v BATE (BLR)
So for all those who were wishing for Celtic v Dundalk, you’d have got your wish if only both teams had lost their latest CL qualifying ties.
Just saying like!
SMSM talking our opponents up already: “Midfielder Ovidiu Hoban was excellent at Euro 2016 for his country Romania”.
Naw he wisnae. Romania were pish with no standouts. If that’s their opinion of outstanding, I’m amazed!
…in an alternate (losers) universe that would have come out as:
We now commence the draw for the 2016-17 Europa League Play-Offs…
Celtic Glasgow…
…will play…
…Dundalk.
Just like that!