Champions League opportunity for Celtic with Astana draw

704

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.

img_3675.jpg

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

704 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 6
  5. 7
  6. 8
  7. 9
  8. 10
  9. 11
  10. 12
  11. ...
  12. 19

  1. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Delaney’s at 5.52, that Yorkston character was always having fly wee digs at us in his time as Dunfermline chairman.

     

     

    I remember once we were interested in a Dunfermline player but never followed up our interest . Yorkston was in the press telling everyone that we should conduct business as well as D Murray as he gets deals done and does not mess about .

     

     

    Pathetic rather than prophetic comment from Yorkston.

     

     

    Fergus saw right through Masterton , Murray and their cohorts.

     

     

    Us banking with Co op rather than the Bank of Scotland , after they were paid off , was a sign of Fergus seeing the bigger picture as all the other premier league clubs banked with Masterton ‘s bank.

  2. Whit’s it got to do wi Brendan, who signs players for Hearts ?

     

    Awfy strange ?!?!?!

     

    Hmmmmm……????????????

     

    Ah smell, smoke n mirrors.

     

    ……off-oot.

  3. Good stuff big Jim, hope you get to lots of celtic game , remember being on job seekersearch and getting about 60 bucks, still got to a few celtic games during the ham dump years

     

     

    Ps was not a dig about disability payment just and observation

     

     

    HH

  4. Leftbackagain on

    Watching the opening of London 2017 Athletics – Medals being presented to those who were cheated out of them in previous seasons. Great idea , wonder if it will ever catch on in Scotland.

     

    Nah me neither.

  5. Shuggiebhoy67 on

    World Athletics first ceremony is to re-award medals from doping scandal of Moscow 2013

     

    Easy innit!

     

    HH

  6. Good stuff big Jim, hope you get to lots of celtic games, was not a dig about disability payment just and observation that lots of people are struggling to survive on low pay while the cost of everything goes up yet make their way to celtic park

     

     

     

    HH

  7. Rbs made profit of 900 something million this quarter

     

     

    We are all in it together though

     

     

    Hh

  8. If a, smsm-shackles free, Hugh Keevins dizny get the Celtic P.R. officers job, I’ll remain convinced that, Celtic FC are being worked from the back.

     

    Conflicted / Complicit / Conscripted PLC.

     

    Dear, dear, dear……off-oot.

  9. THETIMREAPER

     

     

    Those rules i totally agree with .

     

    Now we ( or the Plc ) dont know when or if any of our fans might break any of these rules on matchdays.

     

     

    But they sure as fek know EVERY ! time Rangers fans attend Celtic Park those rules are broken , why not close down that section for a couple of games ?

     

     

    Eazy peazy this banning game , job done .

     

     

    Or do the rules in our stadium only apply to our fans .

  10. Dear CQN magazine,

     

     

    Thank you for the swift response!

     

     

    Looking forward to the podcast, and loved the Kelty Hearts piece, a real “The Prosecution rests, m’lud ” read.

     

     

    Hail! Hail!

  11. bfdj

     

     

    who tipped the 2nd huns for the league last year

     

     

    “its a different rangers this year, they will run celtic closer, and be better, but i aint saying they will win the league”

     

     

    he doesnt half talk some shite

  12. Delaneys Dunky on

    Dallas

     

     

    Both would loved to have seen us liquidate in 1994. Was Masterton originally a West Dunbartonshire hun. Was told that by an auld Bankie a few years back.

  13. KEVJUNGLE

     

     

    i said the very same thing to my daughter , re Brendans comments about player recruitment at Hearts .

     

    Unless he’s having a dig at Budge . Whatever the reason , it adds a little more spice to tomorrows game .

  14. STEPHBHOY on 4TH AUGUST 2017 6:29 PM

     

    Good stuff big Jim, hope you get to lots of celtic game , remember being on job seekersearch and getting about 60 bucks, still got to a few celtic games during the ham dump years

     

     

     

    Ps was not a dig about disability payment just and observation

     

     

     

    HH

     

    ……………………

     

    No worries mate, I know what you meant.

     

    i have fought for this extra Benefit for over two years, and like thousands of others I have been denied it due to a corrupt DWP and Medical Assessment carnage on folk with disabilities. There are many folk worse than me, who are probably still trying to get the rightful benefit, in fact I know there is.

     

    When I first lost my job in 2009, due to an allegation that I didnt disclose a medical condition., as you correctly posted, I was FORCED to sign on for Jobseekers Allowance, in other words “declaring that I was Fit for Work”, when my previous employer ( local Council) had stated in writhing that ” I was a danger to himself and others in the workplace” !

     

    Despite me providing this documented evidence to the DWP at the time, they still classed me as “Fit for Work” !

     

     

    Anyways, I can only wish good luck to anyone else on here who is, or who have family/friends still fighting for their rightful benefit.

     

    When I received the good news this morning by phone, and advised that the benefit is backdated to May 2017, I was very tempted to say ” it should be backdated more than TWO YEARS” ?

     

    However, I chose to keep my mouth shut for once.

     

     

    HH

  15. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    PRESTONPANS BHOYS

     

     

    You’re not there, the daughter not there(working now)

     

    kinda lonely…………apart from all the Tims ;)

  16. Delaneys Dunky on

    Marspapa

     

     

    I immediately thought Brendan was having a dig at Craig Levein by his comment.

     

    Fancy us to win by a few tomorrow anyway.

  17. Big Jimmy.

     

    I’m pleased to hear your news just a shame you had to go through all that stress in the first place, nonetheless one up to the good ghuys.

     

    Hail Hail

  18. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Nye Bevans

     

     

    Not sure if you got a reply but Fleagles competition starts the morra till Scottish Cup final day

     

     

    Leave an “interest” on the Rosenberg v Celtic live updates

  19. Delaneys Dunky on

    SP

     

     

    Is the Director of Football remit, recruitment?

     

    Think it is everywhere else.

  20. I know a few like a bet, here’s a true tale that happened to me yesterday.

     

    I got a nice wee coupon up on Wed, partly thanks to Celtic, goes to collect it at Hills in the city centre.

     

    In my winnings given to me was a fifty pound note, i then put a line on for Goodwood for 20 quid,so I thought I will get rid of that fifty. A different person serves me and says I’m really sorry due to the amount of forgeries we have been advised not to accept fifty pound notes. I burst out laughing, I was given it in here 5 minutes ago. The member of staff who gave me it was now on their lunch. I just went to roulette machine put the 50 pound note in, then pressed print receipt, handed the receipt over the counter and got two twenties and a ten back from the same member of staff. Utter madness. So Hills won’t accept a fifty, but their roulette machines do.

     

    Hail Hail.

  21. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    GERRYFAETHEBRIG

     

     

    Cheers pal,don’t spend a lot of time on here these day’s

     

    too many miserable sods, anyway up for it…hope you

     

    manage a winner this season:)

  22. Brendan is sympathising with Cathro, it’s nothing more than the old Managers union. They will have spoken after the three matches last season when they opposed each other. In all likelihood Cathro probably laid into Levein during those conversations. It’s obvious Brendan likes the guy hence his decision to stand up for him.

  23. DELANEYS DUNKY

     

     

    i would hope a clear three goals with a fair bit of flair thrown in .

     

     

    Without disrespecting the opposition , hopefully see a few of the young ones on the bench getting some game time .

  24. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Nye Bevans 7.34pm

     

     

    That was some going even for me, I stick mostly to the fitba bets these days but still love the nags, Fleagles competition reminds me on a weekly basis to enjoy watching the horses, at least at the fitba it takes me 90mins to lose :-)

     

     

    JNP

     

     

    Good thinking with the £50 in the roulette and cashing out, the gambler in me was hoping you put on 0 and collected :-)

  25. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    PRESTONPANS BHOYS

     

     

    Make sure you do pal.

     

     

    Right I’m Aff goodnight.

  26. Delaneys Dunky on

    Marspapa

     

     

    That is optimistic from you. I love it.

     

    Going for Celtic -4 now. :)

  27. STARRY PLOUGH

     

     

    :)) , was it me that said we’d need three goals just to be sure …eh, aye it wiz .

     

    Widdyano……zilch .

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 6
  5. 7
  6. 8
  7. 9
  8. 10
  9. 11
  10. 12
  11. ...
  12. 19