Celtic will play Malmo in the Champions League play-off round, the third time since 2012 they will face champions from Sweden. The main concern for Ronny Deila is the manner in which Malmo disposed of Salzburg 3-0 on Wednesday night, but there is context to put that into. In the previous round the Swedes only managed a 0-0 at home to Lithuanians Zalgiris Vilnius, before winning 0-1 away.
Those three goals against Salzburg, which arrived inside 45 minutes, will be the subject of a lot of research over the next few days.
In 2013 Celtic struggled to blow away the cobwebs against Elfsborg, recording a 1-0 home win and a 0-0 draw away. A year earlier they beat Helsingborgs 2-0 home and away.
The most encouraging aspect for Ronny will be Malmo’s domestic form. They are current 6th in the Allsvenskan after 18 games and will struggle to qualify for Europe next season. A home game against league leaders Gothenburg on Sunday will be Celtic’s most important reconnaissance exercise.
Oh, and put out the flags, Malmo play on grass!!
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AlexanderLundq
Welcome to CQN mate, looking forward to two great games and meeting your fans..
Malmo will do for me, rather have them than the Israeli team. Also not a lot of travelling involved, good for the team and the travelling fans.
ALEXANDERLUNDQ
Welcome aboard,mate. In the spirit of footballing fraternal friendship,I think you should come over for the first leg and get bladdered and well-fed by a Celtic supporter.
Then you can return the favour to your new friend in your lovely city.
Sweden is an amazing country with a great history. And some daft women partial to a Scottish accent. But by ‘eck it’s pricey!
I hope you enjoy your visit if you come over,bud.
Hail Hail.
Jerry corn( english General )
Some Celtic fans except our team to do better
Ps no Sky TV money in Sweden.
Malmo….
Yes, they beat Red Bull last season and also beat Olympiakos. But they were soundly beaten away from home in the CL group stages. Further to that, they have lost 7 or 8 of the team that played last year and, of particular note, they lost both centere halfs – one of whom we were linked with.
They have replaced these players cheaply, and speculate that the new players will fit in. Not unlike ourselves at times but where we spend 500k to 1.5m, they spend 100k to 500k.
They beat our old pals Red Bull again the other night, 3-0 at home, but this Red Bull side is very, very different to the one we faced. They too have lost 5 or 6 of their best players and the main man, Soriano, doesn’t appear to have played either.
Malmo are 7th in their league after 18 games and have Berget and Kari Arnason in the side.
If we cannot beat them then we have no place in the Champions League.
Good exchange rate on at the moment for the Swedish Kronor. Highest its been in 52 weeks.
Should be a couple of good games.
If people point out the dangers of any opponents and think there were easier teams to play against it is fair comment.
Most people accepted we were stronger than Stjarnen.
Quarabag was a hard place to go, the heat and the pitch were issues.
Malmo have advantages over both of those sides which Celtic have not had to deal with so far.
They are beatable no question but as far as tough tests go only Belgrade would have been worse in my opinion.
Malmo have dispatched teams on a par or better rated than Celtic this season.
Quarabag were not so hot in front of goal although a technically competent and organized side.
The challenges against Malmo are different but more difficult in their own ways. It is good that their main Striker and central midfielder are not playing in the first leg.
They were beaten 2-0 in Salzburg and still went through with 10 men at home.
That suggests no pushovers.
It’s not wrong to point these problems out.
With so much at stake it is natural for people to be worried.
With a lack of goals from our forwards at this level it’s another reason to be worried.
Malmö are going to be a tough test but they will be two fantastic matches. This is european football. It has started, enjoy. Coybig.
guernica
So our CEO should have no place at Celtic park
Decent draw. Won’t be easy, but none of them are – that’s why it’s the Big Cup, and that’s why we are here.
ALEXANDERLUNDQ
Wow,those images of your fans are amazing. Sadly,reminiscent of a wee thing a deid club once did but I know that wasn’t your intention.
May the best club win-and may the fans have a good time while they do it!
SYDNEYTIM on 7TH AUGUST 2015 12:47 PM
Jerry corn( english General )
Some Celtic fans except our team to do better
Ps no Sky TV money in Sweden.
Im struggling here
http://youtu.be/ZHO-NUnrL3U
Malmo v Salzburg
Arrest warrant issued for shamed cricket boss who showed an interest in buying a stake in Rangers
11:03, 7 AUGUST 2015
BY CRAIG ROBERTSON
LALIT MODI is the Indian businessman who lives in London under 24-hour guard. The warrant was issued in Mumbai over money laundering allegations.
Getting away from the Euro doom merchants,yet another crook,who tried to get his nose in the trough.
They attract them like sh!t does flies.Thank the lord they have an upstanding pillar of the community in charge now.Just dont mention “Money laundering”.
i know everythin aboot fitba’
and so the facts are
we’re the dugs baws
malmo are gantin
discussion over
new thread please Paul67
Jerry. No excuses v a team with a fraction of our support or finances
Corporate Failure if we dont win
Malmo FF’s coach Åge Hareide was pleased with the draw:
– It is absolutely perfect! I have faced Celtic once before in Play Off to the Champions League when I was coach of Helsingborg. Then we had a bad number after we lost 0-2 in the home game. If only we can get a good starting position after the match in Scotland so we have good experience of doing good result here in Malmö. It feels like their way of playing suits us very well and we have an eye on Celtic. I watched some of them last year and now we will be able to see them on Wednesday.
How does it feel to finish at home?
– It is absolutely perfect!
Just had a wee watch of the vid AlexanderlundQ posted.
The 2nd goal was Luboesque.
The 3rd goal just needs to be seen…I don’t know whether the striker was cool headed or just plain stupid,nearly made a complete a*** of it.
http://cdn.celticfc.net/assets/downloads/Celtic_UEFA_Playoff_Arrangements_2015.pdf
From the club’s website for the home game against Malmo.
“UEFA requirements apply for this match. Full details of UEFA requirements are available HERE.”
HH
Is the home leg Tues or Wed?
BBC says Tues but Official Celtic site says Wed!
Sorry about my mistake in my first post, it should read Cypriot team.
Tickets £22 for ST holders. Sensible pricing.
Quite excited with the draw and agree with those who say it won’t be a walk in the park (even a grass covered one). We will need to be focussed and try to get a good win at home. I trust Ronnie and the two Js to get us over the line.
Bhoys4ever
Catching up to see it’s Malmo to overcome for us to reach the Group Stage. Two big games.
From the video posted, their ground doesn’t look to be the biggest. At a guess, the entire crowd could be seated in our North Stand with space at the edges. Feels like home and away against an Aberdeen-type is ahead of us.
Berget is a decent player. he wasn’t fit when thrown in. he could be dangerous. We need a clean sheet at home…even 0-0 is not a complete disaster. hopefully a few goals early to calm the nerves!
Guernica………….. Good draw for Celtic. We will be up for a game against this team unlike facing some of those unknowns from a far flung place in eastern Europe where the temperatures are still in the mid thirties and where you get dicey refereeing decisions like Wednesday night.
Your team stats on Malmo are interesting in in that they have lost quite a number of players in transfers and the Salzburg outfit which they knocked out is a totally different team to last season. It was obvious that the Austrians would lose a lot of their good players who faced us, in the transfer market. Celtic’s fitness levels came through a severe test last week in torrid heat with flying colours and another few games in the SPL and the lads will be even better.
By all means, complain about posters appearing to be negative if you want. I just see them commenting on the draw, and wishing we had drawn a weaker side than Malmo. Nothing wrong wi’ that.
You get the impression some are afraid CQNers’ anxiety might have some bearing on how the team perform!!
At least Supersutton will be happy with the home leg first, but he’s in the minority I’d imagine.
If we wanted to hear about our “Deficiencies”and Malmo’s strengths,we could all buy the Record,Herald,Times.They,I am sure will be giving this angle big licks in the coming 10-12 days.
This is a Celtic fans blog,should be full of hope,confidence,and praise for our team.Not blind praise,but we have just had a terrific result,in atrocious heat and pitch state,against a team with a very good recent Euro record.
Focus on the good things.Leave the rest to our enemies,of which we have many.Look at Malmo’s weaknesses,they lack good strikers,they lack defenders of the class we have,they are way behind our midfield,and we have a wonderful keeper.
This is not a team from one of Europes top leagues.They do not have Brazilians,Portugese,stars in their team.In reality they are a pretty bog standard Scandinavian team,doing poorly in their own league at present.
Sods Law. I’m back in Scotland from the 18th until the 26th and when I saw the draw this morning I could’ve changed my flight back to Copenhagen to the 24th or 25th for the meagre sum of £30. But I thought I’d take the chance and hope the away leg was on the 26th…… £160 to change it now. Stupid me.
I read earlier that Warburtons have reported a large increase in sales since the appointment of a namesake as Rangers manager.
Seems huns Just Can’t Enough of a certain type of bread.
WEEFRATHETIM suggested all the sales have come from
Warburtons-The Thickest.
He could be right,the huns and that product are tailor-made for toast.
Lovely colours too…
https://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Warburtons-Thickest-White-Sliced-Loaf/27792011
ASITHOUGHT
Nae luck,mate. And no offence,but not the most appropriate moniker under the circumstances!
beatbhoy
the problem with the negative posters is they are always negative.
BMCUW
They’ve been short of bread for a few years now!
Timhorton
Are you positive about that??
BMCUW
They really are thick.
We’re definitely better bred!
Unusual that Celtic keep coming out of the hat for the first leg home draws – a bit unusual methinks. It’s done us no harm to date.
Malmo? Don’t worry, big Ciftci will put them to the sword! He will, won’t he?
They should be good games anyway and I know we’ll give it everything. A big prize awaits.