Champions League opportunity for Celtic with Astana draw

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Celtic will face Kazakhstan Champions, Astana in the Champions League play-off round later this month, with the first leg at home. The teams faced in the same qualifying competition last season, with Celtic progressing, winning the second leg 2-1 after a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan.

Astana eliminated Legia Warsaw in the last round, securing a 3-1 victory in the first leg, before holding on for a 1-0 defeat in Warsaw after 8 minutes of added time.

Although Brendan Rodgers will know what to expect, the enormous journey, the heat and the fact that Astana are 21 games into their league season, will give him cause for concern.

On the positive side, our man in Warsaw tells me there is a new pitch at the Astana Arena, which Legia report was excellent and a near-grass experience. He also tells me Legia should have done better in this tie, were the better team home and away, but were caught by Astana’s counter-attack.

They “parked the bus” in Warsaw and showed signs of indiscipline against Legia, which Celtic may be able to exploit.

Strikers Kwumasi and Kabananga, and midfielder, Maevski, are their danger players, while their keeper is “awful”.

It’s there for you, Celtic.

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  1. embramike supporting Res 12 on

    THETIMREAPER on 4TH AUGUST 2017 8:22 PM

     

    EMBRAMIKE SUPPORTING RES 12 on 4TH AUGUST 2017 8:20 PM

     

    Throw in business class flights and a night in a 4 star and i’ll go.

     

    Think seat next to me is empty ,,,

     

    Maybe one of our 3 scouts will take in the away game – more instructive to how they might play in 1st leg. I spotted John McGlynn on TV coverage of a Beer Sheva game before we played them last season.

  2. Gene

     

    As if I would :-)

     

    He was just a young fella, even had a tattoo on his shoulder, from what I gathered was quite passionate, great to see, the fact his lady and mine got on was the icing on the cake, supermarkets arny the best places to discuss footy right enough, but they are great meeting places.

     

    HH

  3. Want us to be invincible all season in Scotland. That means win every game. Shove it up the Rangers supporting MSM. European progress be it CL or EL beyond Christmas would be a sweet bonus.

  4. Thebhoyfromu.n.c.l.e @7:48pm

     

     

    Give that cheat-rewarding, mythchief-making, rule-ignoring, double standards-applying, sporting integrity-destroying, piss-taking, Sevco-loving clown SPFHELL.

     

     

    Please.

  5. One more sleep and then see the Champions

     

     

    cant wait

     

     

    goodnight Timland

     

     

    next stop Paradise

     

     

    HH

  6. theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E on

    BEATBHOY on 4TH AUGUST 2017 9:23 PM

     

     

    I’m very vocal on matchday at the best of times……………..looking forward to tomorrow.

     

     

    nikilouder csc

     

     

    HH

  7. English football amazes me, they are so far up their holes they can’t see what’s staring them in the face, their football is pish, that is the bottom line, they have tried to buy cups and leagues without any real success, yet they still throw away mega millions on pure pish players.

     

    Take Hull for example, they have wasted well over 500 million in the past few years and they still get relegated, I have been critical of Pedro over the years, rightly so in many respects, esp when he was playing at championship manager, but someone saw the light and got in a proper football man who can see what is what.

     

    Jeezo, just imagine if we had the cash those wasters in england have wasted, the last 16 would be on the cards every single season so it would.

     

    Sam Allardyce, Steve Bruce, Harry Redface et all, these blokes should be sent out to graze instead of lauded as managers ffs.

     

    Thankfully we have one who is a fair bit away from grazing….IMO

  8. THE EXILED TIM on 4th August 2017 9:36 pm

     

    ———–

     

    You could’ve picked a better club than Hull to use an example, £500mill in a few years? Didn’t they go into last season with a squad of less than 20 players, same with the season they got promoted.

  9. Though Hull so have Sam Clucas in their squad, resulted in the funny online exchange.

     

     

    Clucas – just accept it and change your name to Lucas

     

    He can’t he’s a proud member of the Clucas Clan :O)

  10. Delaneys Dunky on

    TET

     

     

    When you are a teenager, you take their money then run at first opportunity. Barrie the Tim took their money and ran. Good luck to him.

  11. THE_HUDDLE

     

    It’s over 500 mill in reality what they have wasted, I was being conservative, fire away if you can enlighten the blog where I am wrong.

  12. Delaneys

     

    As I said he is allowed :-)

     

    I hope he does well down south, he is a decent player who needs a chance to play football outwith the hammer throwing crap scotland has to offer.

     

    HH

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