For years we’ve analysed Celtic performances, wins and losses, in the rarefied Champions League environment with a recurring theme: more often than not at this level, mistakes, not great play, determines the outcome.
Last night’s top match, Juventus v Real Madrid, was no different. Real lost two goals, one from a penalty after a reckless challenge inside the box by Varane, another when the same player turned his back on the ball to watch Llorente, instead of attacking a 40 yard cross. The worst mistake came from Juventus. Instead of clearing the ball long, a defender put teammate Caceres under pressure, who could have put his laces through the ball and conceded possession 50 yards downfield, but chose to attempted to reach his keeper with a back-pass, which found Christiano Ronaldo instead.
The ‘schoolboy error’ metaphor is way overused in the game, but is never more apt than when watching the Champions League. Perhaps a bountiful source of individuals with rock-solid Superiority Complexes.
These are two of the most professional teams in the game. Their market knowledge, sports science, mental strength and tactical awareness will be as good as anyone in the game, but still this result was determined by a wayward and pointless back-pass, an equally pointless penalty box lunge and forgetting that crosses into the box take priority over watching your man.
Celtic know this well. We make fewer mistakes in Champions League games than we do in domestic football, while our recent wins benefited from opposition mistakes (penalty against Ajax, penalty against Spartak, Xavi kung-fu kick missing the ball, Spartak player red carded). Scott Brown’s off the ball indiscretion, which cost us a point, and Nir Biton’s ‘challenge’ are notable exceptions.
Ajax think they are the better team – which gives Celtic a great advantage. They think they can overwhelm us tonight, that they failed to make the most of their chances at Celtic Park and that we benefited from a couple of fortunate moments. This is a reasonable assessment based on last month’s game but know better as we’ve been watching re-runs of this script for years. Celtic’s win had nothing to do with fortune or missed chances, it came about as planned – deny the opposition space in dangerous areas, clear your lines and exploit their mistakes.
The Champions League is not about your best 89 minutes play, it’s about your worst minute, just ask a few sore-feeling footballers in Turin this morning. If Celtic avoid unenforced errors and wait patiently to exploit those a self-assured Ajax will make (no one does self-assured like Dutch footballers), they have nothing to fear. Keep 11 players on the field, don’t give away penalties (evidence elsewhere last night suggests unscrupulous players dive inside the box) or free kicks around the box, block shots from outside the box, and most of all…. clear your lines.
Do this, and our clever players will ensure that the result will take care of itself.
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Hi mind
Myself tiny Tim Johann Murdoch are in the square can you see us we’re the ones wearing the colours. Ha ha
Tiny Tim wants Hamilton Tim to contact him regarding dingwall
Malorbhoy
Johann
You boys take care….if you had only paid for the hookers the trouble widnae hav kicked off…been trying to contact Johann, just to check, glad you are all well. Stop doing tv interviews! Perfect shape for radio!
Kikinthenakas
asonofdan, thoughts and prayers for you and your father.
Bobby Lennox, probably my favourite Celtic player, never gave other than his best for his beloved green and white hoops. Hopes and prayers for a speedy recovery.
For the Celts in Amsterdam, show no fear and give us the spirit of 67!
Hail Hail
AR
Ment to say minx
One concern i have is , who is going to score our goals . Not confident on that aspect . Hope all the troops stay safe . This is a bad crowd there facing .
“Aye – THAT Ajax………..
……we’ll wipe the floor wi’ thum!”
Kikinthenakas
Did it on Dutch tv in the pub the attack took place didn’t realise you got it back home
We are just finishing our pre meal drinks at the square then heading for restaurant for dinner just met Rubicon and his family
Cqn on tour
Asonofdan
Hope and pray all goes well for your dad. 3 points in Amsterdam, would be a wee boost.
Feeling positive about tonight, think we can win but a draw would be a very credible result imo. We have given ourselves a great platform and if we were to win then ACMilan will be very nervous coming to Glasgow given how lucky they were in Milan. To qualify would be up there with the top achievements in our 126 year history given how we stumbled into the group stages from qualification. To get into the Europa League and have Euro football after Christmas would exceed my expectations and have something to look forward to.
All credit to NL & the team for again punching above our weight and giving us something to be proud of, however credit to the fans as without us particularly at home the magic wouldn’t be there!!!
Warming up – see the ‘olde hoofball’ has now started in the square.
HOOOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY to boabyevans and The famous Glasgow celtic :))
Looking forward to having my nerves shredded tonight with the roller coaster that is celtic ,another fine performance from Fraser “the wall”Forster will be called for but I have every faith in him and his team mates to deliver.
Deidco cancel match at Ibrokes v Forfar
“With Lee Wallace, Lewis Macleod and Fraser Aird representing Scotland at various levels, and Arnold Peralta in the Honduras squad to face Brazil, McCoist’s men will sit out action on international weekend for the second time this season.”
67 Heaven
yorkbhoy
12:39 on 6 November, 2013
Did you decide to have a wee snooze..?
People at work interrupting me… Don’t they realise we have a game tonight?
Haarlemmerstraat
Have just seen a crew of Ajax Channel 1 hoolies .Some of them were speaking Italian and are probably Juve Ultras who are based in Amsterdam.
Take care y’all !
Any gud lookin’ burds in the Celtic support today? Juding by the live link we only have the wee roly poly ghirls CSC in attendance.
frankymcavennieCSC
Oglach -behave ;/)
Great webcam footage fae the Dam.
`Feed the square’ haha!!
Hope the German/Turk ref is strong, however, i didn’t think there was much shenanigans fae the first game. His record is 3-4 yellows per game, with very few reds.
Therefore, it should all be about the players and how they shape up on the nite. Anything but defeat would be very welcome.
HH
PS. How good a salesman is Big Peter L – selling image rights of `The Wall’ to China. Some mhan :-)
hoofeball in the DAM .what price someone puts a windae in ????
JC2
That’s because they couldnae pay the win bonus (if they were lucky) or MIB
Thoughts and prayers with Bobby “buzz bomb” Lennox as he prepares for his operation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4vYNaRqSKQ
Have we ever had an English referee for any of our games in Europe?
The roof will be closed tonight. I imagine that will only make the atmosphere better.
Malorbhoy – glad you are still talking to us now you are a big TV star :-) Tell Tiny Tim I will let him know but will be later on before he will be in touch – Stay safe!
Morrissey
It would be open if Ajax thought it would be to their advantage.
Will DeBoer ‘Van der Valk’ away if his team get pumped tonight?
DBBIA-Agree from earlier,sometimes you have to shut up shop and take a point,Milan for example.We can’t get an English ref as they are deemed to be from the same Association as Scotland…?
Bournesouprecipe apologises for missing the lunchtime shift, but he’s having a bit of trouble with his house elf.
It would be good if Bill Oddie has a son called ‘Showaddy’.
Bada- are they?
We could get an English team in the group stage,as the FA and SFA are seen as different.
Obviously we never had ole Jeff Winter for any of our games, or we’d have lost 10-0 and finished with eight men.
it would be good if Bill Oddie ended up on the wrong end of an ole eagle owl.
TBB
I’m on the the train and just been given into trouble for showing my rail ticket upside down, – * in case anyone was wondering how ‘the pits’ felt *
minx1888 praying for Wee Oscar 13:31:
Sent HT a text and TT, the latter acknowledged. Appreciate HT will be busy right now.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
If you want to talk to me in the future contact my agent(:-)
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
‘ just been given into trouble for showing my rail ticket upside down’
-the ole thug life doesn’t get an easier.
Having a party in Amsterdam, The Huddle & The Conga
The Battered Bunnet @ 13:31
Forecast heavy rain. Nae excuses.
Morrissey
Suppose it’ll keep the spliffs dry…