Celtic should to plan to score in Lisbon

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Benfica enjoyed a 0-2 away win on Friday evening to remain joint-top of the Portuguese league with Porto.  They will have enjoyed a day off while Celtic played on Saturday and will two days training before tomorrow’s game.  By contrast, Celtic player will have rested yesterday and will get no more than a run out inside Estadio da Luz tonight.  With games coming thick and fast at the moment, hopefully rest is the most important requirement for the players.

Benfica shredded Spartak for most of the second half in Moscow but contrived to miss what chances they created, allowing the Russians their only win of the group so far.  The return game in Lisbon was a comfortable win for the home team.

Neil Lennon has some major tactical decisions to make.  He will surely acknowledge the danger Benfica pose but has to find a way of scoring an away goal or two.  Match day one between Celtic and Benfica brought a 0-0 draw, ostensibly a good result for the visitors, but the group has matured since then.  Both teams played that game as though it was an away game; Benfica were happy to defend and Celtic, in their first Champions League game since 2008, were keen to feel their way back into the tournament.

This time Benfica will attack with speed and hope that Celtic open up a little more than they did against Barcelona.  It’s important also to acknowledge that while Benfica are no Barcelona, they will also be less predictable than the Catalans, we will not have it all our own way in the air.

It’s going to be a game tiring 90 minutes where the use of fresh legs could be crucial but an early Celtic goal would allow Neil Lennon to set his stall out clearly.

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878 Comments

  1. TTR, and teams in trouble have never won??? Crazy foreigner;)

     

     

    I felt extremely negative the day of The barca game….

     

     

    And that didn’t turn out too badly.

  2. See this 2 leagues of 12 then three of 8 a load of nonsense.

     

     

    We are 14 games into the league so would need another 8 to complete the fixtures

     

    Remember a couple of years ago Killie in December was only game played that week

     

    even with undersoil heating some teams were 5 games behind by Christmas.

     

     

    What do we do hold up league until all fixtures complete ?

  3. Doc

     

     

    I agree, bias only occurs when we are involved, the rest of the time it’s incompitance.

     

     

    Remember a couple of season ago at St Johnstone, I can’t recall his name, but he had his hands on the ball in the penalty area, two hands, looking at Brines, and he just waved play on, how the ef did that man ever get to referee another game…..oh, wait a minute….

  4. Good evening CHAMPIONS

     

     

    I find it hard to believe, given the subjects being talked about here, that we have a MASSIVE game tomorrow night. One point, is Vic not suspended for tomorrow night’s game?

     

     

    Weefra HH

  5. Canamalar,

     

     

    ‘I’m sure that supporter has had previous similar actions against him dropped or found not guilty’.

     

     

    What is the supporter doing to be charged so often?

     

     

    You are correct of course on banning orders. Folk are found not guilty as the supposed law is not enforceable.

  6. sipsini

     

     

    Totally agree, Izzy isn’t fit, Matthews has played very well at left back against the best team in the league, and Aberdeen. Lustig has been a top performer in Europe, Wilson and Ambrose at the back.

     

    From there on I wait and see what Neil puts out, well except Sammy and Miku up front, Brown, Wanyama in the middle, Commons on the right, moving in and forward when Sammy drops wide left, and Ledley on the left, moving in and back when Sammy moves wide.

     

    Other than that I’ll leave it to Neil Lennon;-)

     

    Concentrating on the game now.

  7. Geordie Munro

     

     

    Felt the opposite on barca game even said celtic close to two points

     

    of barca. Its all positive for me. I feel it in ma waater.

  8. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Forster :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

     

     

    Lustig :::::::::::::::: Ambrose :::::::::::::::::::::: Wilson :::::::::::::::Matthews

     

     

    Kayal:::::::::::::::::::: Wanyama ::::::::::::::::::::: Ledley::::::::::::::::Mulgrew

     

     

    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

     

     

    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Brown::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

     

    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Samaras:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

     

     

    Make any formation around your strongest first team players and score

     

    on the break. Celtic have defended against the best side in Europe, repeat

     

    the formula, and Tony Watt and the bench players will play a part.

  9. Dead and Loving it on

    I think that 99% of what the Green Brigade do is brilliant, since the start I don’t think that the GB and the Celtic board have been happy bedfellows.

     

    I think what PL needs to do is investigate the claims made by the GB and have regular dialogue over this issue.

     

    As far as the police are concerned , I don’t think they need much encouragement from anybody with regards the Celtic support and harassment..

     

    I have got to say that I find the story of the guy in Govan police station getting that info off them about information coming from Celtic, a wee bit far fetched

     

    As for Tuesdays game Benfica 1 Celtic 1

  10. TET, do you also remember when the Dundee U player handle at CP, Levin was still manager, when asked about it he said the player was disappointed he didn’t hold onto the ball.

     

    Incompetence in other games does allow them to do as they want in our games.

  11. Forster

     

    Matthews

     

    Wilson

     

    Ambrose

     

    Lustig

     

    Mulgrew

     

    Samaras

     

    Wanyama

     

    Kayal

     

    Commons

     

    Miku

     

     

    Don’t know if Miku is fit. if not it will need to be Lassad.

  12. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    mullet..,

     

    sheesh this isnt hard, what age are you

     

     

    What is the supporter doing to be charged so often?

     

     

    Being a member of the Green Brigade or a season ticket holder in section 111 is what he is doing,

     

    Seems you can read all these statements, select quotes to support you misunderstandings but it seems impossoble for you to follow the story.

     

    Gonnae go back and read all the things you’ve found your quotes from, apologies if you suffer from ADD but I expect if you want to discuss stuff you at least pay attention to the material we are discussing.

  13. Ellboy - I am Neil Lennon, YNWA. on

    For anyone condemning Israel consider the following.

     

     

    If Hamas was called Al Queada would you be so quick to criticise?

     

     

    Different name same M.O. and how exactly do you negotiate for your own existence?

  14. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Just found out the couple who bot my house 6 years ago the lady of the couple is Tony Watts auntie. So me and Tony are kin!!! lol

     

     

    <:o)

  15. ellboy – i am neil lennon, ynwa.

     

     

    You need to read more mate. Hamas are defending their people in an ever decreasing homeland. Constantly, and I mean constantly under attack from an enormously powerful neighbour who want to destroy them. They are not fighting for religious reasons, they are fighting for survival. Hamas have invaded nowhere, Israel cannot say the same.

  16. sipsini

     

     

    I just think Ledley has more experience, which may be important. But Matthews at LB would be fine by me.

  17. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Ellbhoy..,

     

    The Isreali govt was born the exact same way, whats the difference, a criminal terrorist organisation who ascended to govt, like many many govts before and after them, why is it ok for them, even when they continue to terrorise the region

  18. Hiv any o’ You Guys.. who are Plumping fur..

     

     

    No Playing Tony…as a Starter..

     

     

    Evah..

     

     

    Seen Tony, Play?

     

     

    Ah know that is a Daft question..

     

     

    Howevahhhhh…

     

     

    If You Guys..hiv.. well.. Seen HOW TONY… Shakes Up the Opposition’s Defensive set up.. like Carmen Miranda used tae Shake…her .. Maracas..

     

     

     

    Then…

     

     

    It defeats…Uncommon Sense, ye still of the Opinion..

     

     

    that..

     

     

    Tony, Must Be oan the Bench.. and No be a Starter.

     

     

    Heck…

     

     

     

    Tony, MUST… Start..

     

     

    ‘And.. well..

     

     

    That’s That!

     

     

    Kojo

     

     

    Still, Laughin’

  19. Had my cocoa, off to bed in a good frame of mind.

     

    European games make me feel like a kid again.

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    Weefra

     

     

    Vic not suspended

  20. Al-Qaeda

     

     

    Being a betting man, I would wager that 90% of the population in the west had never heard of them until the day after 9-11.

     

     

    And funnily enough, the self same day after 9-11, when all the planes in the good old US of A were grounded, the only non military flight out of the good old US of A was a plane bound for Saudi containing members of the Bin Laden family.

     

     

    Well I never.

  21. Celtic_First

     

     

    Maybe you should ask the board about ‘Old Firm TV’ or even the ‘Old Firm Road Show’.

     

     

    Did they ever come out and admit to that?

  22. And always remember the terrorist doesn’t write history, the winner does, if that happens to be the terrorist so be it. How did Israel become a State, need a reminder here.

     

     

    Ellbhoy, don’t mean to have a go at you personally, but that comparison is risible.

     

     

    Goodnight all, work in the morning.

  23. I tend not to get involved in politcal debates here on CQN, opinions always seem to be well entrenched.

     

    However i feel moved to comment on rhe Israeli action against the citizens of Gaza.

     

    Israel have, in my opinion, quite deliberatly created a Palestinian ghetto in gaza that, from the point of view of its inhabitants, would bear comparison with the ghettos created by Nazi Germany.

     

    The thing that i struggle with most in this conflict is trying to reconcile Israels treatment of the Palestinians with the Jewish History.

     

    The Jewish people should know better than anyone what it is like to be treated in this way by a more powerful group. That being the case, why do they treat the Palestinian people the way they do.

     

    Is it any wonder that Palestinians rebel against Israeli control of their lives.

     

    Watching and hearing of the situation in Gaza makes me truly despair for the future of humanity.

     

    On a Celtic related note, i think we will amass 10 points in our campaign and qualify for the last 16, where i hope we face Borussia Dortmund.

     

    Can you imagine the atmosphere, with the GB in attendance, at CP for that game?

  24. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    I’m hoping tommorow brings two score draws

     

    that will require benfica to chase at camp nou a draw there would give us the chance to top the table and get one of the diddy second placed teams :oD)))

  25. Ellboy - I am Neil Lennon, YNWA. on

    doc is neil lennon

     

     

    No wish to argue but you’re not correct Hamas is not a moderate group. Read their charter and remind yourself to how they came to power in Gaza. If you this was a rational group then yes by all means negotiate a settlement but even many of their own people. Good Palestinians are petrified by this radical group.

     

     

    On a side note the rhetoric is Israel has the people of Gaza hemmed in but people seem to forget there is another country which borders Gaza, Egypt. Why not open the border at their end as surely freedom of movement with their brothers would solve much of the hardships and relieve a lot of tension?

  26. Ah am a Staunch Supporter o’ Israel… No quite a Fan.. but… a Definite

     

     

    Fervent Supporter..

     

     

    fur.. Ah am no DAFT..

     

     

     

    Ye see…

     

     

    Ye kin bet yer Sweet Booty…that

     

     

     

    The Next Terrorist Attack .. Right There in.. Pompey..

     

     

    Wull.. NOT be, by.. Oor Guid Friends.. the Israelis..

     

     

    No.. It WULL BE.

     

     

    By Oor … Bad Freens..

     

     

    The Fundamentalist Muslims..

     

     

     

    The same Clique..

     

     

    who are Running the Bizness …right noo.. In Gaza..

     

     

    Look.

     

     

    Ye wull nevah go faur wrong.. in living by this code…

     

     

    “Friends o’ Ma Friends…. are.. Ma Friends..

     

     

    While..

     

     

    Enemies o’ Ma Friends.. Are… Ma Enemies..”

     

     

    But,if ye happen tae be .. well….Daft..

     

     

    then..

     

     

    Ah kin see that Ye wid Prefer tae. Favor.. The Enemies of Yer Friends..

     

     

    rather than.. the Friends of Ye Friends..

     

     

    Fur .. Like Ah said… Ye ur Daft.

     

     

     

    Kojo

  27. After trying to catch up I now can’t sleep.

     

     

    I think the GB will draw with Benfica and qualify for the Palestinian Cup.

     

     

    Think that’s about it!!

  28. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Ellbhoy,

     

    “On a side note the rhetoric is Israel has the people of Gaza hemmed in but people seem to forget there is another country which borders Gaza, Egypt. Why not open the border at their end as surely freedom of movement with their brothers would solve much of the hardships and relieve a lot of tension?”

     

    very sinister, just open the border and chase them out of whats left their own country, very good, ethnic cleansing I think that comes under, no

  29. If it wasn’t for the Egyptians turning a blind eye to what is going across their border with Palestine, they would most likely all be dead due to starvation, the lack of water and medical supplys.