When this draw was made, Valencia were fighting relegation from La Liga and we consoled ourselves with the thought that they had greater priorities than the Europa League. Two months on and they are a single point off a qualification spot for Europe next season, a result of a significant improvement in form.
The Spanish side dropped to the Europa from this season’s Champions League, where their only away defeat came in a 1-0 loss at Juventus. A draw at Young Boys and at Manchester United tells its own story. This team can travel. They beat Manchester and Young Boys in Valencia and only failed to progress to the knockout round on account of dropping the ball against Juventus.
By any measure, Celtic are underdogs, but there is reason to hope.
The squad was unquestionably improved during the January transfer window. Each game since has been won easily without a goal conceded. Oliver Burke, Timo Weah and Jeremy Toljan added genuine talent. This is one of those occasions when we really don’t know how good this Celtic team is. Neither do Valencia, as they will have learned little from our repeated humbling of St Johnstone.
Tonight we need to find the form that swept aside Leipzig in the group stage. Do that, and we will travel to Spain with a sporting chance.
36 Comments
Hail Hail
come on the Celtic ….
smiley speed speed speedy thing
Braw
weel Toscana loon …..could have been a braw night …
smiley have you Jimmy Jinxed it thing ?
Braw
2-0 good guys. Burke and Sinky.
hankray on 14th February 2019 4:05 pm
Invariably teams coming from the big leagues to Celtic Park in European competition can destroy you with pace however on this occasion with the advent of young guns like Christie, Burke,Toljan and Weah, who I expect will make an appearence sometime during to-night’s match, in addition to Jamsie and Sinky, Celtic are very much capable of giving these continental flash-Harrys a taste of their own medicine. Come on ye Bhoys in green.
The follow up to,
“Happy Administration Day.”
Is…..
“What date is ‘Out of Administration’ day?”
Team sheet latest………………………………James Forrest
This is a Valencia team that are on an upward trajectory
This are a Valencia team who are miles better than relegation fodder Villareal
Its a Valencia team that don’t score many. But also barely concede.
Heart says 1-0 victory to the bhoys
Head says 1-1 draw
Either way, the tie will be alive for the 2nd leg
Hi Paul67,
That is very true, the bhoys have come in and did brilliantly but we just don’t know how good this Celtic team are…
They will be tested this evening and An encounter to really look forward to…
COYBIG
Hail Hail
……….and I read the article.
I am disgusted by the treatment of Mcgregor by the SFA. Allan brought his foot up in order to defend himself against braking the other guy’s leg and ending his career which he failed to do. If it was a celtic player’s leg which wasn’t broken, nothing would have happened but the mhedia would have dragged him onto the dirt. All the real rangers man did was break the rules and get caught but the appeal should have sorted that out. Levein was right about brown; without brown, those tackles would be tolerated!
madasfuggcsc
Ooooooooo daddy take me to paradise ooooooooo daddy
Kerrydale Bar now open
evening soupy….Herrenhauser Pils is ma poison the night …
smiley slips doon brawily thing
Braw
lets take a fighting chance to Spain….
Valencia are playing well now, at times really well. An open game finishing 2-2 would be my guess. This will be the best team we have played this season. Better than RB.
NEUSTADT
Braw ?
Good luck Celtic
A hard shift tonight Celts
Onto a Celtic victory
Go to work lads
:-)
HH
Enjoy the match Celts
I’m really looking forward to the game tonight just as a one-off occasion. I’d love us to give a really good account of ourselves, similar to the 3-3 with Man City.
I won’t be too disappointed to go out over the two legs as I wouldn’t want this El run to interfere with our treble bid. When you look at the team’s in this round tonight success could mean another two midweek games against the likes of Chelsea or Arsenal.
Not for me.
I have been reading that Valencia are not a great team as they sit eighth in La Liga, what utter bollix, considering the top half of La Liga is about three divisions above the SPL, eighth is pretty dam good imo, they are a very decent team on the up, I would snap your hand off for anything that ends in Valencia 0.
Play to our best and we will have a chance, but we have to perform else it’s by by.
Billy Bhoy – I don’t think we will get through but if we could, I’d love to play the likes of Arsenal again. Those are the kind of games that Celtic players live for, media attention goes through the roof and we get the chance to show the EPL what they are missing :)
2 hours to go and Hoose Pies being devoured!
No comments for 20 minutes – where is everyone?
Well I was cooking. Pies.
Jobo
Think u mean heating ?????
Kikinthenakas
Hibs v Celtic SC tie Saturday 2nd March 5.15 ko
Nakas – no, cooking. No different to, for example, cooking my bowl of cornflakes each morning. Preparing a meal is cooking.
I’m nervous ;-)
Who ate all the pies?
COYBIG. Hoping for the best but alas mainly fearing the worst. Prove me wrong Bhoys.
Right, no chances with the traffic tonight, there’s a light show scheduled for 7.40pm. Might catch some of you at The Corner.
European Doors to Automatic….
Big game head on Bhoys.
COYBIG
On Iron Horse heading to Paradise.
Hail Hail…..Cheers Jobo :-)
BR’s presser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57XJ7gEnb10
one change from the weekend, izzy for hays
Bain
Toljan
Izaguirre
Simunovic
Boyata
McGregor
Brown
Christie
Forrest
Sinclair
Burke
Paul67 et al
Is this the same Valencia that took four points off Josey’s Manchester team? It surely is. That said, if we can improve on our best CL/EL performance, ie Leipzig, then we have a chance of a result.
I always back Celtic to win, tonight is no different.
LIVE UPDATES UP
Big test for the players and the coaches, that’s why we play in Europe:))
Come Celtic into these Fan Dancers:))
HH