After losing the second leg against Salzburg in last season’s Champions League 3rd qualifying round, Qarabag eliminated Twente Enschede on away goals before having a good Europa League group stage.
Draws home and away to Saint Etienne, a home draw against Inter after a two goal defeat in the San Siro, and a win and a loss against Dnipro is enough form to suggest Celtic have a match on their hands.
On the positive side, Qarabag are also preseason, play on grass and Baku, their home city, is four hours ahead of Glasgow, so they will have a small jetlag adjustment to make for Wednesday’s game. The final whistle will go after 1:30 in the morning Baku time. Players find the latter part of any big game tiring, more so early in the season, so we have to push hard late in this game. Qarabag will be vulnerable as concentration wanes and legs get heavy.
This tie feels very much like the Shakhter Karagandy play-off tie two years ago. Shakhter arrived with a solid two goal lead, but an impassioned Celtic Park pushed us over the line. A similar intensity will be required on and off the field on Wednesday.
What’s our chances? Not sure, but we’ve a serious challenge on our hands.
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I am glad Ian Bankier will be there to keep John Clark in check when the flags unfurled.
HH
I am in some ways fortunate that at the moment I live and work in Baku. I’ve got a job in a vibrant city, there are so many don’t have a job, here and there, and there is everywhere, unfortunately.
Been to work, did my shift, came home, apartment in the old city too hot to sit down, no brainer, down the boozer for a pint and a couple of gins.
Walk home stop and play a kick around with the local kids inside the walls and the noise of the chants of “CELTIC! CELTIC!” woke a few of the long dead underneath the cobble stones. The kids are football mad hhere and they know who Celtic are.
I gave away every bit of Celtic paraphernalia I had with me to those kids; it was a fair bit but it was not enough, far, far from it, some kids didn’t get anything.
If any of you guys have anything that no longer fits you that you think you’d be happy to post over, then if you get in touch with Paul he’ll give you my e-mail address and I’ll personally see to it that a football minded kid without a dream beyond a pumped up ball, who does not have the price of a water, gets a wee bit of Celtic.
The only ones who’ll know will be you and the kid. An old scarf is a memory to the grave for that kid.
The local feeling is they are going to win, I personally disagree, but try and argue with kids.
There seems to be a load of misplaced apprehension about our upcoming CL encounters.
In the Stein era we had no access to extensive highlights and info about who we played on a Wednesday night, and of course no internet to research players.
So we would turn up with a mixture of curiosity and confidence.
In general our optimism was well founded, but I think it was mostly down to the attitude that we had never heard of their players and so they couldn’t be any good.
After all we were all young, handsome and indestructible in the 60s.
Thanks to Sky, KODI, and our friendly ISP we now know in intimate detail all about each club, their history, management team and their players.
Equally our management team and the players have had a chance to watch them.
So we will have identified their top players, playmakers, goal scorers and stoppers.
And they will have seen ours.
They will be much more apprehensive.
How can they score against Gordon?
How can they counter the overlaps from our full backs?
How can they get past a formidable pair of imposing centre backs both with a turn of speed?
How can they obviate the skills of Biton and the non stop running of Johansen?
How can they blunt the threat of Griffiths or the physical attributes of Ciftci?
Can they match the speed, trickiness and danger from Armstrong and GMS?
And the biggest fear of all
Is there anyone with the bravery to confront Captain Courageous?
I’d be surprised if there’s only 7000 Celtic supporters in Dundee.
Is there still a Print At Home option on the online ticket sales, anybody know?
Few rumours Liam Henderson going back out on loan anyone heard anything.
Will be travelling up from Liverpool on Wed afternoon, hopefully in time for the match. Will tickets be on sale up till kick off time? I was waiting on advice for my travelling so unable to commit till today.
kitalba
18:13 on 27 July, 2015
================================================================
Have you joined the Bhoys of Baku CSC yet?
They are having a “do” before the game next week, then running buses to the ground.
They also are very heavily involved in fund-raising for local charities, sponsor a youth football team, and lots more.
Apart from all that, they are a great bunch of guys.
Let me know if you need any contact details.
BTW, I used to live in the old city; were you having a kick-aound with the kids in the area behind the Four Seasons Hotel? I used to join in there too.
HH
jmcormick
I heard a story once about a business man wanting to bring 4 associates to an Albion Robers game on a week night.
He phoned about tickets and told the office they may be running a wee bit late, so what time was kick off.
The office girl answered “What time can you get here?”
To hot for a jaiket so I’ll just leave.
ROVERS
Tickets for first two away league games, Thistle & Killie, on sale to ST holders on first come first served basis
kitalba
18:13 on 27 July, 2015
Seen on Twitter the troops going over are taking Celtic
stuff over. Also going to visit a school. Baku will remember Celtic for all the right reasons. Hail Hail
lennon’s passion
18:16 on 27 July, 2015
Few rumours Liam Henderson going back out on loan anyone heard anything.
He can’t even make the bench in pre season friendlies so would be best for him to go away and play regularly for a full season.
kitalba…
Great stuff, there is nothing more special than giving and passing on the Celtic ethos.
Hopefully some that are traveling over read your post and will take some tops and such over…well done. Hail Hail.
LOL at the BBC scotland HUNS.
BBC Scotland News leads with ‘in sport, Celtic Park looks far from selling out for the upcoming CL qualifier…’
48k last round, we’ll beat it Wednesday.
Hurting, hurting HUNS.
North Cyprus Bhoy, any advice welcome, mhate.
I am planning to take my 13 year old Bhoy to the game next week. We live in Dubai, I am assuming I’ll need a visa from the
Azb embassy in Dubai, prior to travel? Tnx.
Probably been asked – BUT – is the game on TV ???
67ECW
FIRST CALL :
CQN Saturday Naps Competition
Lads, for all the part-time punters out there… our CQN Naps competition will resume this Saturday, and hopefully twists n turns will be around to defend his crown.
In order to confirm your entry, please send me an e-mail stating your CQN username to : fleagle29@ymail.com.
After that, the RULES are relatively simple :
a) On each Saturday, log onto the last page of the previous CQN article.
b) Post only ONE ‘nap’ selection from any major Saturday horserace meeting (e.g. UK, Ireland, Dubai)
c) If your initial selection is a Non-Runner, you may select an alternative runner, also on the Saturday.
d) If your NAP wins, you will “win” the hypothetical profit from a £1 stake @ Starting Prices (S.P.)
e.g. your selection wins at 9/4, your hypothetical profit is +£2.25
e.g. your selection wins at 5/1, your hypothetical profit is +£5.00
e) If your nap loses or if you fail to post a selection, you “lose” your £1 hypothetical stake (-£1)
f) If anyone wants to join the competition late (e.g. in Week 3) you will be allocated 2 losers, and will start the competition from (-£2)
g) Our CQN Naps Champion Tipster will be the CQN punter who shows the greatest overall profit during the season.
Last season the competition lasted for 42 weeks, and twists n turns was the champion tipster, with +£46.88 profit
Happy punting everyone…
Cheers, fleagle1888
Other than the iPad loading issue for the magazine site, I would be grateful if any other problems with the site could be flagged up for me tonight so that these can be addressed.
Just about there with this project which started in January and we thought would take two months!
Let me know – the site address is http://www.cqnmagazine.com
29000 tickets sold? where have all the support gone?
sandman
18:32 on 27 July, 2015
LOL at the BBC scotland HUNS.
BBC Scotland News leads with ‘in sport, Celtic Park
looks far from selling out for the upcoming CL
qualifier…’
48k last round, we’ll beat it Wednesday.
Hurting, hurting HUNS.
…
Then Sevco preparing a third bid for that Hibs bloke ..
Good ole Establishment TV :)
For non ST holders
Qarabag =£22
Ross Co on flag day = £29
£61(before you think of taking a wean) for one week is a lot to ask for some, I would not have even been able to begin to think of making both without the kindness of others,
Foxy
18:41 on 27 July, 2015
29000 tickets sold? where have all the support gone?
==========================
Keep up with your fellow BBC Hun roasters – seems like another 7,000 have rolled up: ‘approx 35,000 tickets sold’.
With 2 days of sales to go. They think that’s a negative thing. Sevco-level penny-dreadful moronic reporting.
Huns to bid a third time for Scott Allan. Should be interesting if they actually bid MONEY this time. Bartering firewood and flint just wasn’t cutting it.
Snoreboard…
I have serious grievances, that anyone of them can hold down a job reporting on football…
Absolutely clueless.
Looking for some advice.
What would be the best way to watch games on my iPad? I can watch games on my Mac on certain sites. I normally get a decent feed and it is watchable. Unfotunately I have my iPad most of the time but can’t seem to get it to work. Anyone with an iPad watch the games okay? Help would be appreciated.
HH
That was not a complaint about prices just pointing out ,especially if you have kids its hard at this time of year,what with trying to keep them busy during the hols, if I had a wean to take and had to make a choice, Sat afternoon with the flag celebrations would win it.
Till later all
hooptastic
18:54 on 27 July, 2015
Buy Celtic tv if your overseas buy a ticket if you are in UK simple.
hooptastic,
Download ‘puffin browser’ it uses flashplayer at source, only issues is as usual bandwidth and speed of your mobile/wifi connection.
Phil
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie
Must be wanting to by scott alan …….. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
The biggest crowd at any game in Europe this midweek will be at Celtic Park, too support Ronny’s Bhoys against Qarabag, their open ants from Kazakastan
How about that for a headline BBC Hun Dept
Hail Hail
The only qualification you need to be a sports reporter in Scotland is whit skool did you go tae answered in the correct manner.
Sly sleekit huns ra lotta them.
Cheers Canamalar
Will give it a go
HH
Cowiebhoy
19:09 on 27 July, 2015
The biggest crowd at any game in Europe this midweek will be at Celtic Park, too support Ronny’s Bhoys against Qarabag, their open ants from Kazakastan
How about that for a headline BBC Hun Dept
Hail Hail
==========================
Sounded really good until we got to the bit about the insects with no inhibitions from the wrong country…
;))
Sandman
I really need to check the spelling without spellcheck before posting, honestly my spelling is usually good, better than big lefty’s counting :-))))
The ants (small minded creatures) is about the reporting by the way
Hail Hail
40,000 for a midweek, CL qualifying game is not a bad crowd but tends to look smallish because our ground holds 60,000. I enjoy the 50,000 + crowds more simply because of the atmosphere ( though i feel that smaller crowds are more positive) .Anyway,to my main point.
I don`t think it was the BBC`s intention but their `empty stadium` type remarks might galvanise some into action and we will end up , not for the first time with one of, if not the, biggest crowds of any Champions League Qualifier on Wednesday night. I am confident the BBC will not report that!
JJ
Wonderful honour for John Clark. A Gentleman Legend.
Celtic Park, will host the biggest crowd – again – in Europe this week as they take on a little known team from Kazakistan, Qarabag.
Over 40000 are expected at this key holiday period for the people of Scotland, as they cheer on Ronny’s Bhoys
Try that one BBC :-)
(Spelling looks ok before I post, and have sent to BT to check :-))
Cowiebhoy
19:19 on 27 July, 2015
====================
That was just me being a ped-ant…
Cowiebhoy
You’re clear to go. 8))