Two clubs from outside the top five wealthy leagues reached the quarter finals last season but Benfica were drawn against another team from outside the big five, Zenit St Petersburg. Apoel Nicosia eliminated Lyon in the last 16 on penalties (we should be practicing penalties every week between now and then).
Two teams, Basel (who earlier eliminated Manchester United) and Bayer Leverkusen (who eliminated Valencia), lost seven goals in one game in the first knockout round last season. This tournament retains an ability to be harsh and unforgiving at every moment. Leverkusen actually conceded 10 to Barcelona over two games.
Apoel Nicosia conceded eight to Real Madrid in the quarters. The Cypriot team held things together for as long as they could but failed to reach group stage of the Europa League this season, going out at the hands of Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan).
Our seven potential opponents, all from the top five leagues, will each present an enormously difficult challenge but some are easier than others. Our biggest advantage is our own position. Those seven clubs will each underestimate Celtic, we have by far the lowest coefficient of all teams left in the tournament.
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We are enormously outgunned and inexperienced at this level but we know a few things:
We can defend under incredible pressure.
We can score, home and away, against anyone.
We cannot retain possession. This is not a good thing, but it is an acknowledged weakness, so we know not to plan to retain possession. If in doubt, laces through the ball and get into position.
Our opponents will know we have the tallest team in the competition. Height is an advantage until your opponent learns how you use it. During the first half on Wednesday Celtic tried to repeat the corner kick success we enjoyed against Barcelona and Benfica but Spartak had read the script. We will be unlikely to score the same goal again in Europe. A fresh plan is needed.
The Spartak goal is a real lesson. This is not a goal we would have conceded against a far superior Barcelona. We had a 1-0 lead and our entire left flank was exposed, compromising a winning position. We can leave our left flank exposed at Kilmarnock tomorrow but this kind of laissez-faire defending came within 8 minutes of eliminating us on Wednesday and will do so in the next round if repeated.
Penalty kicks determined the outcome of 50% of Champions League knockout ties last season (20% after games, 30% during games). No amount of practice is too much.
Planning for the quarter finals starts now.
The next issue of CQN Magazine will be out next week. If you would like to advertise get in touch, advert@cqnmagazine.co.uk.
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What is Anto Stokes’s injury, must have been bad to keep him out this long.
Also, what is young James Forrest’s ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qstUxos2cBs
The Dubliners Finnegan’s Wake
THE EXILED TIM
That game was unbelievable. Davie Weir was the biggest beneficiary of the corrupt officiating those years and the MSM fawned over the cheater like he was some sort of legned.
It would be an incredible boost to our Club if Neil can persuade Victor to sign another contract. It would send out a real message of intent.
Fanadpatriot -it breaks my heart to this day that we lost that game. It wasn’t Yogi that replaced Connelly, it was Willie Wallace. We played 433 in both semis against Leeds but we reverted to 424 for the final. We were complacent, and it still chills me to see our team doing a lap of honour round Hampden having won the semi -we really thought we won the cup that night.
Fanad
Your requirements have been faxed through. See you at E + N’s next year for the final :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJzcF0v1eOE
The Small Faces
“Rest our eyes in shades of green”
Itchycoo Park
67h
After Lisbon many of the players felt
they were not properly recompensed
and prior to the game in Milan there was a
dispute between BJ and the team.
philvis
BoneyM, oh how I didn’t like them.
Whoooo.
Disco? Too far….
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=M0S9bIOK790
Oh old Drunken me.
Philvesreturns are you going for a beer on Sunday?
Thomthethim
Nice one
I missed out in October this year …my daughter was away on a school trip
Making plans from a wee visit in March next year…
Doc is Neil Lennon – Thank you, dear friend in Celtic.
I’ve been the subject of CQN censure in the past due to my allegedly questionable musical sensibilities, so I realise I am risking all by posting another song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hVEdE0O5tA (thumbsup)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3h–K5928M
The Who
I Can’t Explain
Has Traynor admitted it yet? ( that he off to work for Sevco)
I’m straight on to Keevins if he has as shug tried to deny all knowledge last week when I toyed with him on SSB…
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
We will always overcome their oppressive nature.
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
We may well lose today and that is just the way it is being a supporter of Celtic. I hope we are really attacking in the way we set up and come what may. I’d be happy with a 3-3 draw ;) and more of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGm2oS0ulJs
THE EXILED TIM – You can imagine how I felt as a small child, aurally attacked by Boney M, Donna Summers, and 5000 Volts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbqU5JHyOds
Just £2 a month can ensure no child grows up with disco music ever again. (thumbsup)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J3gX47rHGg
The Kinks
Doc
Before I moved here, I lived in a village just outside Dublin, and Paddy was a regular in the bar I was a a regular in.
Only once did he give us a sing song, and what a night it was, he sang for about 5 hours, the longer it went on the better he got.
I would wager he is standing at the end of the bar as I type this.
Philvisreturns.
Takes me back to shuffles.
Thought that would be your era too!!!
TET
How do ye know it wasn’t the Granny that it skipped ;-)) thumbsup
Lenny doing the poker face trick at media questioning of player sales in January…
Personally I’d sell any player for the right price. How much is future progression in CL worth from 16-8-4-2-1. ??
My selling price would be Hooper £12m Wanyama £15m Fraser £10
….PFayr
00:17 on 8 December, 2012
Thomthethim
Nice one
I missed out in October this year …my daughter was away on a school trip
Making plans from a wee visit in March next year…
******
I remember asking if you were going this Autumn and you explained about your daughter’s plans.
I hope she doesn’t spoil Christmas for you as well! :>)
I would normally go in October, but our daughter got married in Scotland on 10th Nov.
Instead of coming straight home after the wedding, we did an about turn at Belfast Airport and headed out to Tenerife.
A packing nightmare, but well worth the hassle. Missed a lot of duff weather here.
philvisreturns
00:09 on 8 December, 2012
Quality and that is just the video as well. ;) Great sonics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy_JRGjc1To
John Hughes had a great game that night. Sadly others didn’t and Jock admitted later that he had underestimated Feyenoord.
Hail hail
Estadio
Roy..,
I’ve been thinking this kinks oine all day, especially poignant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2svmUcsKeg
philvis
Aye, Ok, you have convinced me your present day problems stem from that devastation you suffered as a kid, no wonder you are what you are :>)
HH
philvisreturns
Again,Whoohoo
Even more Wooohooo
One of my fav Christmas songs.
I love the debate. But tonight I am drunk tonight, and I’m seldom sober, neither have I wings to fly.
So not time for reasoned debate.
sipsini – I’m afraid my formative years were spent at school disco’s listening to such “greats” as:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lwlr5ZAoQ4 (thumbsup)
bjmac – Ha! (thumbsup)
Petec, of course losing is always a faint possibility, but until it happens it’s not in my thoughts. I expect us to win every game we start in the SPL.
I even expect us to beat Arbroath on wednesday. My bro PC67 is hopefull of getting me two tickets for myself and young acgr. It will make a nice change to be home 10 minutes after the match finishes instead of the usual three. I wish we played the lichties more often. Maybe we could cheat our taxes and get pumped doon a couple of leagues.
HH Bruv.
bjmac
:>)))
Usual three hours.
FFS if I had an F16 I could be home from galsgow in three minutes. Of course I’d need to build a runway in my garden though.
TET, jeez, how many things do you do that are going to make me envious!
If you get back her you have a place to stay.
Her=here
Still whimsically challenged tonight.
This is a wee reminder of where we came from and why maybe we need to take a step back occasionally. After all for years I thought the catechism was beyond reproach!
http://enematic.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/242/
Hail hail
Estadio
There Is no doubt that Celtic FC
is the biggest and best football club
on the planet.
gordon64
00:15 on 8 December, 2012
Ah, thanks …… I never heard about that at the time….. I take it BJ won ….LOL
petec – Thank you. I love Nat King Cole’s music. (thumbsup)
Doc is Neil Lennon – Now is not the time for reason. Now is time for jumpers and Wales’ answer to Elvis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_rYo4lT-eM (thumbsup)
They are mad , bad , and sometimes hilarious to know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTvFC7QNc0Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsPVPtjye4c
gordon64
00:35 on 8 December, 2012
….on any planet….!!!!!