After 14 games Udinese sit joint top of Serie A with Juventus. For a club who challenged, unsuccessfully, for the league only once before, and that was over half a century ago, this is unquestionably the best team in their history. Their home record in the league reads: played 7, won 7, scored 14, conceded 2; they also won Europa League home games against Atletico and Rennes.
They have taken 4 out of 6 points from the San Siro this season and have failed to win only one of their last eight league games. You would be hard pushed to justify nominating anyone else as the ‘form team’ in Europe right now.
This is the test Celtic need. Few positive lessons can be learned from home games against St Mirren, even if they deliver a deluge of goals, but a field in Udine tonight presents our aspiring winners with a stage to demonstrate their potential. Before this month is out we will have different challenges; St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and Rangers present different dangers, but any team that can win in Udine can beat anyone in Europe.
We’ll witness 90 minutes of difficult personal challenges for Celtic players all over the field tonight. It will take more than just concentration to deny goal scoring chances and any opportunities we get in front of goal will be hard earned.
There are reasons to be hopeful. A decade ago a team of equally illustrious Italians were rocked by Celtic, so much so they reverted to diving in the box. Gordon Strachan’s un-fancied Celtic team subsequently took AC Milan to extra time at the San Siro in Champions League, denied by a legitimate penalty claim of their own. There is also the nagging feeling that Celtic’s resources are actually more suited to the counter-attacking game they are seldom able to play. We’ll see.
Birthday wishes to Kano today (or yesterday as it now is in Perth, WA), a child of ‘67. Two years home and still itching for get hold of the keyboard for the songs debate.
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If Ugolini is a genuine shout I,ve got the eleven, will list shortly. Thanks you knowledgeable bunch. Hail Hail Hebcelt
Two nil now- cracking goal
Any cqn-ers in the marquis?
Just reported on ESPN it was 2-0!!
el kadouri
The Tottingham Hotspurs on course to get the required goal difference.
Diawara done deal ? Anyone hearin this ?
Any away win against a top Italian team is a tall order. My head says we’ll either lose a goal or a player in the first half and lose gallantly but, once the whistle goes and we have passed the 3 minute mark without conceding, I’ll be gung ho for a Celtic win.
It’d be brilliant to see Hugh Keevins face afterwards anyway.
they’ll be dancin in the streets of Udine tonight.
TC
Hope your right
P
TopCorner- Naw but I hope so!
Top Corner Havnt heard anything fella other than fat Ally is going to beat West Bromwhich Albions £400,000 bid for a Dundee Utd youngster and some on here think the Poundland team are broke.;- ) H.H.
Sammi
3 nil tottenhan
P
:-(
ulysses mcghee
I really like the place interiors were designed by a glasgow girl who did hotel du vin and cameron house.
The menu was designed by an ex head chef from the fat duck.
Celtic use it often
Ken Mculloch service standards.
If anyone speaks to neil the restaurant manager wants his cufflinks
back.
La lanterna is the place for steaks
Joe Filippis Haircut says:
15 December, 2011 at 18:43
Fat Sally doesn’t have to match WB’s bid. If the guy stays in Scotland an tribunal will decide fee. If it is an SFA tribunal it will be about 50pence
Good evening friends.
Just over an hour until the next rollercoaster ride begins.
Who will be tonight’s unexpected hero?
Jobo
WDH
Aye, confident, yet unfussy young staff – great level of quiet attention.
Unbelievably quiet and relaxing and laid back.
Decor appealed to my Deco and 30s 40s Americana Jones.
La Lanterna you say???
That’s next then…
U
Oglach UFB. Surely the tribunial would have to take into account that Utd had already been offered £400,000 on deciding what the poundland team would have to pay.H.H.
oglachufb,are we talking aboput the same john collins who,despite being rather less than poor,accepted an all expenses paid trip to the las vegas convention,(paid for by the fans here in the nafcsc),and proceeded to execute a vanishing act of which David Blaine would be proud?,if so,he does not fill the criteria I would expect from a”true celtic man”.
Jobo Baldie
Samaras!
Charlie Mulgrew to hit the top corner before the night is out.
He can play left mid, He can play left back…
Why are Rangers, yet again outside the transfer window, getting involved in unsettling players and clubs?
Sincerely hope that DU have given permission for them to declare their interest publicly.
Have to day, like the goodwillie transfer saga, this could also be quite funny but if I was a bear I think I would be taking it as read that Davis is for the offski.
Makes you wonder though that if Davis knows this what chance is he going to take of getting an injury in the next few games. Maybe that’s why his performance was so anonymous atg Easter Road last week.
LauraBrannan Laura Brannan
Celtic: Forster; Cha, Majstorovic, Wanyama, Mulgrew; Brown, Ki, Kayal, Forrest; Samaras, Hooper
_LauraBrannan Laura Brannan
Subs: Zaluska, K Wilson, Stokes, Bangura, Toshney, George, F Twardzik
johnnyquest says:
15 December, 2011 at 18:52
Sadly yes the same , but I like him and as far as i am aware he never sold us out on TV or in the newspapers unlike Murdo, Charlie Nick, Andy Walker etc etc.
C’mon the Hoops!
my favourite dessert wine
http://youtu.be/JSlBrmPqKS8
19 hour day so far & the best is yet to come! Mon the Hoops!
_LauraBrannan Laura Brannan
Celtic: Forster; Cha, Majstorovic, Wanyama, Mulgrew; Brown, Ki, Kayal, Forrest; Samaras, Hooper
If Allan ends up at Ibrokes then someone is leaving .
I Heard fat Sally said that he is keen on another Steven Davis or Soni Aluko .
Soni has now achieved star status after only 2 games one of which he sold the points and another he was caught cheating .I know standards at Ibrokes have dropped but that is ridiculous .
hail hail
Lack of a spare centre half and Wagamama going to central defence leaves the middle of the park looking light for this time of game, two holding in a five man midfield would be ideal.
Only two changes from the Udine team from the weekend…
Subs: Zaluska, K Wilson, Stokes, Bangura, Toshney, George, F Twardzik
Indio
if its going pear-shaped, on 55/60mins , take aff…
Dan, Sammy and either Broony or Jim dependin how they’re playin…
…fire on Stokesy, Paul G and Fil
3 at the back
attack !!
unlikely to win but at least give it a real go
funny old game, after all
mon the sellick !!
Dziekanowski Zi Du Wei Cha Du Ri Donati Annoni El Kadouri Ugolini Macari Fillipi Cervi Zurawski. Thanks to everyone for your help Hail Hail Hebcelt
evening ladies and gents
i have a funny feeling we will win tonight, dont know why
5/1 bet365 i will have a few notes on that
20 on that fella Di Natale at 11/4 just in case ha ha
see they have made it known they are interested in Dundee Utd’s scott Allen – how do they get away with it?
is Scotland related to north korea?
shockingly embarassing
Whilst on the subject of NAFCSC conventions,(see what I did there?),may I take this moment to let everyone know of next years event?.It will be held in San Francisco,scene of the highly successful 09 convention,please take the time to check out the details on http://www.nafcsc.com,anyone who attended last time,will attest to just how amazing it was,and those who missed it,now’s your chance to correct that HUGE error.May I ask a favour?,could one of the more comp savvy among you geniuses,please copy this onto any new thread,all help would be appreciated,we are trying to spread the Celtic word across the continent,events such as this,really do garner support for our beloved Celtic,god bless.
Cmon Shamrock 11 guys along the line lets knock another EPL team out of Europe ;-) Perhaps no Need Ruben have scored
Evening Celts, hoping for a good performance tonight, I’ll be happy with a draw….. A victory and the weekend starts early….. :>)
V
Estadio Nacional says:
15 December, 2011 at 19:01
Agree
Ki just doesnt fit into the midfield for these types of games – too pedestrian.
Real shame Wanyama and Kayal cant hold with Brown then being allowed a wee bit more freedom to chase and roam.