Fifa yesterday banned Benfica and Brazil central defender Luisão from all football activities until November for knocking a referee unconscious in a preseason game against Fortuna Dusseldorf in August.
Benfica didn’t expect Luisão to be available for tonight’s Champions League game against Celtic but the decision, coming a day before kick-off, will do nothing for morale. While they lost midfielders Javi Garcia and Axel Witsel to Manchester City and Zenit late in the transfer window, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Benfica spent well over £20m this summer. The new guys will no doubt eventually prove their worth, but right now they remain very much the new guys. Celtic have to make them feel a long way from home tonight.
During our last successful Champions League group stage in 2007 we concluded that it was more important not to make mistakes at this level than to try to score the perfect goal. If we get a solid performance from Scott Brown and Victor Wanyama in front of a defence which clears its lines and takes no chances, the stage will be set for James Forrest and Gary Hooper. I expect both to hurt Benfica.
It was interesting to hear our chief executive take questions on the subject of EBTs and the health of our club yesterday. More on this after the matter in hand has passed.
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The Battered Bunnet17:05 on19 September, 2012
:-) The nicest thing anyone’s said to me all week
“Fifa yesterday banned Benfica and Brazil central defender Luisão from all football activities until November for knocking a referee unconscious”
What do you get for “CHEATING” Scottish and European football for twenty years,ya shower of mankie huns?
In fact who am I kidding – all week? The nicest thing anyone’s said to me in aaaaages.
TBB
“When Sparkleghirl laughs, the World sparkles”
Have you been shaving again? :-)
Celtic need to go 2 goals up before the Portugeezers have caught their breath.
Yes, I’ll settle for a draw.
I’m already worrying about the shipping an early goal scenario.
Maybe the time for drink has come ?
Bada Bing,
“Haste ye back” indeed as regards Sammi. We need him as the outball in Moscow!
Honestly think we can get a result over there – history repeating itself and all that….
I wish I was in Tenerife, but I’m not.
SkySports3 for us tonight. I had no option but to sign up. Even a place in this effin’ backwater called The Shamrock Sports Bar is not showing the match. wtf? right?
Plus, all the pubs round my way are full of meatheads or posh yahoo students…or both….and all they want is Chelsea or Manure and to fight…..no thanks.
And the place where the wannabe CSC used to convene is closed tonight.
So what am I supposed to do?
And the broadband speeds around here are not all that reliable. Sure, you can get a stream, but you can bet your patience that just as it gets all heated up….freeze…judder…buffering buffering….it comes back…..GOOAAALLLAAAAZZZOOOO! and you’ve missed it. Wall headbutted….mrs. all concerned. Result? SkySports on a month to month basis.
I got CelticTV, but the picture’s rotten. Just use it for the huddle etc., so that’s that.
Rant over.
===========
Paddy Brennan @PaddyBrennan7
22 buses on the Belfast – Cairnryan ferry for the Celtic game tonight. Us Irish don’t get the credit we deserve
==========
HH
Victor 33/1 in Corals worth a wee interest.
Best of luck to the bhoys tonight.
Give the bhoys the full backing from before first whistle until the end.
It will not be easy but that is why it is the Champions League.
Mon Ra Hoops!
I see a few worrying that Karma will bite back at us for laughing at Sevco last night.
Sevco lost at home to QOTS in a diddy competition.
Even if we lost to the CL 2nd seeds Benfica, we would be losing to a great team in a great competition.
There is no comparison.
BTW- the bookies have it that Benfica are 17th favourites to win the CL and we are 21st so they do not see a wide gap in quality.
For the match tonight Benfica are rated at around 6/5 while we are 5/2 with a draw around 9/4 so, if the bookies predictions come true, it should not be portrayed as a shock, surprise or disgrace.
I fancy our chances of a nervy win.
Ha!
When TBB shaves, the world laughs!
Live updates article will be up at 19:15, could someone leave a note here?
Thanks.
Podium?
Getting beyond this group – what are we looking at?
For me we have to beat Benfica and Spartak at home – essential.
We need to take a point at either Benfica or Spartak – not impossible by any means!
A point against Barca at home and I reckon we’ll be through. This latter result might not even be necessary taking into account goals scored/goals conceded etc, etc.
All ifs and buts but here’s hoping fellow brothers/sisters in arms!
COME ON BHOYS!!!!!
Oh please yourself missus !
Somebody said, ” If Celtic lose tonight.”
A). Stop that thought.
B). Repeat.
C). Express thoughts with cojones and repeat A).
Big UP to The Bhoys in Hoops tonight! Go on lhads….do the bizzo and fry them lads fae Lisbon.
I mean, what team was called The Lisbon Lions? Not Benfica. That’s for sure. That is our history. Our Legacy. Our claim to eternal fame.
Come On You Bhoys In Green! A win tonight. Bet on it.
HH!
rothbhoy-FWIW-I think Benfica and obviously Barca are a cut above.Would take a point tonight gladly,and the head to head with Spartak will decide our fate.HH
Rothbhoy
Ideally imo, Barca will gub every team home and away, leaving effectively a 3 team league, with 2 from 3 progressing to one competition or the other.
In that scenario, two home wins and a draw in Moscow wins a prize.
Victor 33/1 in Corals worth a wee interest.
Might be worth a wee flutter Bada!
miki67
I consider the possibility of a win, draw or defeat before every match. Only thinking of a win and blotting out the thought of defeat can betray a weakness in dealing with reality, the idea that you have to NOT think about it otherwise it cannot be real. Well it IS real and it DOES happen. Sportsmen have to think about it and deal with it.
Of course, by the time the match starts, all of the players thoughts should be on how I can hurt my opponent by applying footballing skill.
Work was a treat today.
I even tried to cheer some huns up.i used a wee analogy of how long it took Andy Murray win his first major tournament.
It didn’t go down very well,prob ma big smirk:-))
Here’s hoping for a win tonite. C’mon the hoops.hh
Trying to get hold of Queen of the South away kits proving somewhat difficult in Sheffield/Rotherham it has to be said!
Dinner is ready – but I’m not hungry. Too bloody nervous – even at my age!
CYBIG!
‘Mon the Hoops!
Do yourselves, and us, proud!
HH!!
Come on Celtic-make us all proud tonight-never thought id be dreading missing big Sammi-
give the bent media a story to make em choke on the lamb-and a headache in trying to put negative spin on the beautiful CELTIC-bring it on-HH
See – I told you I was nervous!
CYBIG = COYBIG!
HH!!
leftclicktic17:09 on19 September, 2012miki67
what about the hun giving his bank details :))))
I thought surely that has been AW NAWED SURRRRRRRRRLEY
stupid stupid sevconians
>>>>>
Aw….that was priceless…between that competition and las night on here I’m dehydrated p******g myself laughin’ so much.
>>>>>
by the way…..I rarely gamble,but I’m off tae the bookies tae stick a tenner on the hoops.
I am no happy clapper, but I am totally confident and a wee bit of free money is a gift from Celtic F.C.
Ah’m a believer.
TheMonkees CSC
Soooo…..The Romans used currency based on gold and silver….
A bit inconvenient to hump about the place…
Especially if you’re running along to the January Sales….
Not very efficient either,having to transport the bullion about the place….
Deploying a whole Legion to guard it…
Which otherwised could have been deployed cultivating cucumbers….
Or bringing civilisation to other benighted parts of the Middle East….
Of course,the very sensible and enlighted Chinese had already started using ‘paper money’ by this time….
For reasons including those given above….
But the novel idea had yet to be taken up by the West…
If Miliband’s Monkeys get back in again,I forsee us turning the clock back….
And Multi-Coloured Co-op Tokens becoming the currency of our sad and emasculated realm….
With the ‘Farthing’ being re-introduced..
With the nickname,the “Dennis Skinner”, the Pound becomes the “Tony…..
And the Twenty Pound Token Will now be referred to as the ‘Tony Benn’….
Because he’s a rich,hypocritical B******!
And the Hundred Pound Token will now be referred to as the ‘Billy Bragg’….
Because what is true for Tony Benn is equally true for ‘The Big Mouth Of Barking”…..
Multiplied Fivefold….
(ThumbsUp?)
Just how long can McCoist hang on to his job?
The longer the better.
For what it’s worth….
I don’t feel confident about a win for us tonight. A scoring draw would do.
Let’s hope I’m wrong.
Rothbhoy
Ideally imo, Barca will gub every team home and away, leaving effectively a 3 team league, with 2 from 3 progressing to one competition or the other.
In that scenario, two home wins and a draw in Moscow wins a prize.
Battered Bunnet,
Funny feeling we’ll get a draw at home against Barca. Sammi will be back by then and he could hurt ’em big time! They are NOT invincible defensive-wise IMHO. Jamie too will cause ’em problems by the way he plays. BRING IT ON!
Just waiting for mio figlio the young Don to appear from work . A quick bite to eat then over to the ground
Park the car and wait for the brother and brother in law and the nephews. Six of us a Tim family going to support our team in the CL .A great night in prospect!
Forza Celtic!!!!
rothbhoy at 17.32
I actually stuck a fiver on Vic to score first with Betfair at 33-1 earlier. I also had a fiver on Celtic to win 2-0. The latter bet has worked for me in Celtic’s last two CL games. So on the Vic bet, go ahead, as at least if he doesn’t score first you know you will not be alone :-)
I’m on my way to Paradise – enjoy tonight Bhoys, “I’ve gotta feeling, that tonight’s gonna be a good night”, as someone really should say in a song….
HH
settin free th bears:
>>>>
I know I know…..I’m just on a Lucozade and endorphine high…y’know? And I have a great deal of confidence in this young team and NL’s ability to set them up right for the huge challenge tonight. I’m not dissing anybody’s more measured thinking. Exuberance is a rare emotion for yours truly and I’m surfing it.
: > )
Incredible atmosphere building around Glasgow, with Celtic fans all over the city and arriving near the ground as early as 5.00pm
miki67
Hope to catch up with your high sometime in the next hour or so