Maribor are currently playing monopoly with the Slovenian league, having won four titles in a row, and have a very settled, experienced, team.
The season before they eliminated Rangers into oblivion in 2011 they defeated Hibernian home and away, who had Anthony Stokes in their side. It’s worth noting that Edinburgh police arrested 30 Maribor fans following a riot in the city after that tie; this lot have an unfortunate reputation for trouble.
They lost away on Saturday, a defeat which was largely a consequence of their defence having a nightmare, however, among others, they rested key central defender, Marko Suler, who Celtic came close to signing four years ago. They were also reduced to 10 men 30 minutes into the game. It’s unlikely they will be so poor at the back against Celtic.
Dare Vrsoc is their creative fulcrum. He also likes to shoot from distance, with some justification. Whoever in the Celtic team is tasked with winning a personal battle with him will have a great deal of responsibility.
If Celtic leave space at the back Mitja Viler will be the player most likely to exploit. He is lightning fast and will have noticed how Celtic lost goals to pace against Legia. The early scare Gary Mackay-Steven gave us on Saturday further emphasises this vulnerability.
Brazilian-Slovenian striker Marcos Tavares, 30, is Maribor’s royalty. He has scored more goals than anyone in the club’s history, but he is a player who has found his level. He has been over the European football course before so will know how to unsettle defenders.
Macedonian international winger, Agim Ibraimi, scored the goals in the last round which got Maribor this far. He had a couple of unsuccessful seasons in Seria A before returning to Maribor. Good player with tendencies to lunacy.
The fans boo boy is goalkeeper, Jasmin Handanovic, who remains in place despite a disastrous last season. Slovenian clubs throw cross balls into the box to put pressure on him as often as possible. Some early attention might turn the atmosphere inside the stadium on Wednesday.
They score a lot of goals from headers: five of the 12 this season, before the o.g. they benefited from on Saturday.
Our man Blaz in Slovenia tells me they are better than they were when they brought the end of days to Rangers in 2011. Last season’s Europa League campaign, when they progressed from a group containing Russian, English and Belgian opposition, before giving eventual winners, Sevilla a fright, gives an indication of what we can expect.
After those performances last season they knew this could be their Champions League year. Drawing Celtic has put them in a state approaching over-confidence. A shift like we delivered on Saturday will come as a shock.
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TBJ
Fair shout. We were starstruck by such a strong personality and a Celtic Lisbon Lion Legend. :)
saint stivs
22:44 on 18 August, 2014
embramike
22:34 on
18 August, 2014
Any conversation about football on CQN is better than the sanctimonious political and religious tripe which bores the tits off a great many of
————
och that was rubbish , how you voting in the referndumb ?
_____________
Myself and the kids. Yessssss.
Night Leftie!
Sweet dreams!
HH jamesgang
DD
You must have been gie late arriving. Sorry I missed you. See ya next tuesday hopefully. As for that bugger JAMESGANG frightened the crap out of me when he came running up behind me shouting ” hey weefra I want a cuddle”. I am too auld to run, so I gave in. Hahahaha.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Back to politics for a moment.
Very sorry to hear of the death of Sam Galbraith. Seemed like a really genuine man, and he must have been a real fighter given the health problems he battled so hard to overcome for so long.
prestonpans – love it! cracks me up, what are they at ?
micktt
Elvis impersonator
You loved it!
My son thinks we’re all nutters I reckon.
HH jamesgang
billy bhoy
Bazza’s EBT was £2.5m
HH
Micktt- a FOCUS Polis?
….pfayr supports weeoscar
22:05 on 18 August, 2014
The system is all wrong when one can be banned for two games for an offence for which one would only receive a yellow card for during the course of the game
The player is being punished for the referee bring stupid enough to be conned
Typical SFA/ SPL incompetence
::::::::::
There is case to be made for the rule.
If player successfully cons the ref then he and his team for that game and, this is especially so, if the con has led to a penalty, goal or red card.
The more severe post-match punishment is intended to be a quid pro quo for the advantages gained at the time.
Rules are rules …….. sounds familiar.
The inconsistency of their application is another matter, of course.
BT
Thanks for that, hopefully all completed correctly. If any issues, I will be in touch. That is really nice of you to offer. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
From a good source-, Captain Unbookable has had a tug from those nice guys at HMRC,3 times at least………allegedly
Weefra
tims together, we help where we can,
had a beer with James yesterday….
night all
KTF
Steinreigned……
Agreed.
Banning them wont work.
It’s an impossible tactic to overcome, carried out by ‘bearly’ reconstructed hun supporters – some with better accents and wider vocabularies but huns nonetheless.
They’ll never forgive us for winning the Big Cup, and for never being able to beat Nine…..
The horrible thing they love sooo much is constantly in our shadow and it just keeps getting worse for them.
MickTT 22:31 on 18 August, 2014
Vatican spokesman.
marrakesh express
22:48 on 18 August, 2014.
I sent my mate that doesn’t really bother about football the walk on, the loudest ever, he was on a freebie from ipox to Hamden.
He opened up the message and it blared out, a big bloke, think that is what saved him that day….;)
BT
Shocking of me forgetting to wish yer dad a happy birthday on saturday. I seen it on the big screen and forgot to post it. Just remembered. Please forgive me. Was hoping to meet him a mini, but never got the chance although I left the coarner at 1230.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Edit
Should read as
If player successfully cons the ref then he and his team gain an advantage for that game and, this is especially so, if the con has led to a penalty, goal or red card.
TBJ
earlier;
I was in Florida some years ago and was away playing golf at Kissimmee GC leaving the family at the hotel pool. My wee boy got chatting to a local boy who asked him where his dad was. When he said “playing golf” the boy said “Oh, is YOUR dad playing in the British Open too then?
I think I lost a bit of status that day!
BT
He really is a stoating ghuy that mhate of yours. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
nakasammi – I agree with every sentence, word, syllable and nuance of your post.
bournesouprecipe
22:29 on
18 August, 2014
What happened to the Petrofac money?
It went offshore…….along with many of us ;)
naka
Celtic shld ban them from C P .
!!bada bing!!
22:53 on 18 August, 2014
Micktt- a FOCUS Polis?
Language Timothy
Sam Galbraith RIP – is anyone going to tell the Jimmy Wray MP story?
Tonyg
That answer deserves a stick of rock, I hope he wasn’t all shook up by the experience,
Weefra
I was at the corner just as you left I think. See you soon for a puff. :))
MickTT …. Clyde FC Mascot?
bankiebhoy1 22:56 on 18 August, 2014
Aye. Even when they had a brief moment of joy at our result two weeks ago, within days they were reeling from several heavy blows to the head while we were laughing our heads off.
Unfortunately the experience is unlikely to knock any sense into them.
micktt
Accountant specialising in administration….,
Nope. Got it. Undertaker/embalmer!
Exorcist?
Zombieslayer?
HH jamesgang
WeefratheTim
Theres a big chicken shed thats been built next to where I work so I’m able to observe the goings on. Its supposed to be free-range organic but the thing is the hens are let out in a very erratic fashion. Quite often the flaps are not opened to let the hens out at all during the day. Sometimes they are open for 2 hours a day , sometimes 4 hours. Theres supposed to be over 10,000 birds in the shed and I get the feeling they run the operation with the minimum staff . What do you think about this? This local business has other chickens farms in the area.
James Gordon results reader dead.
Did he do the famous East Fife five So far Forfar four?
weet weet weet(GBWO)
He got a “loan” of £2.5M??
Bloody Hell!!
That SHOULD have been as uncomfortable for him tonight as it was for his back four.
Two and a half million pounds?
Away tae bed with a big smile. Night all!!.
Not a Priest
Not a Face painter
Not a Minister
HH
Here,s wit the rest of them got
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18148818#
HH
James Alexander Gordon also passed away today. The voice of the football results for a generation!
Micktt
Tesco surveyor?