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. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Beatbhoy

     

     

    Wont be long before Celtic need their own space shuttle.

     

    If you think sevco are bad, wait till you see the team from Saturn, Orange strips and boots, and they use hoverboards on the pitch. UEFA should be ok with that:)

     

     

     

    HH

  2. Treble Winning Captain

     

     

    Was Terry Butcher censured/fined for stating that Aberdeen only made an effort against rangers?

  3. TGM

     

     

    Space Shuttle? Why not, indeed?

     

     

    The SPFHell have shown over the past 5 years that they’ve got a Tardis!

     

     

    115 major honours. C’mon, please Neil, Stoap it!

  4. TWC

     

    Developing story ? Really, has something been uncovered about this game and that Big Chris might not have just been expressing his frustration.

  5. Walker at it as usual.

     

     

    Walker said on Sky Sports News HQ: “In reality, success for Rangers this season will be getting second place, getting closer to Celtic and possibly winning a cup.

     

    RELATED NEWS STORIES:

     

    This Is Most Important Thing – Rangers Director of Football On Key Focus

     

    Rangers Confirm Rob Kiernan Departure, Defender Sold To Southend

     

    Neymar Makes Difference – Rangers Boss Pedro Caixinha Backs Deal

     

    Rangers Star “Confident” Gap To Celtic Will Be Closed

     

    Rangers In Best Moment Since I Arrived – Pedro Caixinha

     

    “We’ve seen a great number of cup winners in the domestic trophies in Scotland over the last number of seasons.

     

     

    “It’s not unrealistic to expect Rangers to pick up one of the main domestic trophies now”, he added.

     

     

    Rangers start their Premiership campaign this coming Sunday with a visit to Fir Park to take on Motherwell.

     

     

    Then Caixinha’s men are in cup action in midweek, when Dunfermline Athletic provide the

  6. Dear CQN Magazine.

     

     

    Omitted quotation marks alert.

     

     

    Rangers had ‘won’ 6-1 against Dunfermline at Ibrox to ‘win’ the title on goal difference. Coming just days after the huge disappointment in Seville it was a tough day for the Celtic players and support.

     

     

    There you go!

     

     

    As for the photie. . . . Children read this blog!

  7. Concession at 18 pound ok for disabled, usually discounted tickets price to begin with.

     

     

    If you get esa on support group and get enhanced care, enhanced mobility get housing benefit and massive council tax rebate you’ll be better off than most living wage workers if you live alone can apply for severe disability premium whigh is another 60 bucks a week

     

     

    The price for ordinary workers actually more harsh tbh

     

     

    Still attendance is optional and before anyone starts I have been there, done it, got the t-shirt

     

     

    Unless whole system change the working class man iseeking always hit hardest

     

     

    HH

  8. From TTR’s link

     

     

    “The Rules of the Scottish Professional Football League provide that Unacceptable Conduct is conduct which is violent or disorderly.”

     

     

    They have rules???

     

     

    Did they have any as the SPL saying you can buy a club, history and all, but not its debts?

     

     

    Did they have a rule about 3 years of audited accounts before joining their league?

     

     

    Did anyone say anything?

     

     

    Oh, aye, the supporters!

  9. Delaneys Dunky on

    TTR

     

     

    With Yorkston and Masterton running the Pars, nothing would surprise me. Rank badyins.

  10. STEPHBHOY on 4TH AUGUST 2017 5:46 PM

     

    Concession at 18 pound ok for disabled, usually discounted tickets price to begin with.

     

     

     

    If you get esa on support group and get enhanced care, enhanced mobility get housing benefit and massive council tax rebate you’ll be better off than most living wage workers if you live alone can apply for severe disability premium whigh is another 60 bucks a week.

     

     

    …………….

     

    STEPHBHOY,

     

    Thanks. All that you state above applies to me now, as I got a phone call from DWP today ( That was my great news that I posted earlier), following my medical last week.

     

    Backdated money also from mid May, when I applied.

     

    This will make such a difference to my life.

     

    HH

  11. prestonpans bhoys on

    These changes to 3pm kick offs are a pain in the…….going to the pub, too early in the morning for me. So Volunteered to collect for Kano instead, so give generously to the buckets tomorrow!

  12. What about FFP? Does the SPFL follow those rules?

     

     

    UEFA Value 8

     

     

    Financial fair play and regularity of competitions

     

     

    UEFA supports fair play both on and off the pitch. Financial fair play means that clubs operate transparently and responsibly, to protect both sporting competition and the clubs themselves. Financial fair play means clubs not getting into a spiral of debt to compete with their rivals but rather competing with their own means, ie the resources they generate. 

  13. BeatBhoy

     

     

    We are working on those quotation marks for you. With that in mind you might want to listen to the next CQN Podcast which is scheduled for going live this evening….

  14. Paul67 et al

     

     

    “It doesn’t make any difference to me that he is a £200 million player. I’ll treat him as if he still a £50 million player, he’ll still get a boot up the bahookie if he tries any of his fancy tricks wi me. Well, me or the Griff!”

     

     

    Celtic Captain Scott Brown on Neymar’s transfer to PSG.

  15. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Just seen a young Aberdeen fan , about 14 years old, being punched by a steward after last night’s game, shocking.

  16. theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E on

    Really hope the fans vent their anger towards that lying scumbag Doncaster tomorrow………

     

     

    ftsfa/spfl

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