There are many reasons for Lazio to be confident tonight. They have won all of their three Serie A games since visiting Celtic Park three weeks ago. Those nine points put them in a Champions League qualification position; these are heady times for the Rome club.
Their three Europa League group games have had a strange symmetry: the away team opened the scoring but the home team won 2-1 on each occasion, leaving Lazio with three points from three games, but with home games against nearest challengers, Celtic and Cluj to come. Only a win tonight will leave the home team with a realistic chance of qualifying for the knock out rounds.
For Neil Lennon and the Celtic players, this feels like a night without the usual expectations. Few realistically expect a Celtic win and the consequences of a reversal are limited. Celtic could lose, but still win the group, never mind qualify.
Beyond the result, we want to see Celtic perform technically well. We need to be able to compete away from home at this level. That, in itself, is an objective.
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HOT SMOKED on 7TH NOVEMBER 2019 3:13 PM
That will be the team. Expect the bench to be a bit light without Micky Johnston, Griffiths or Bayo. Might we see Shved or Sinclair? I didn’t see if either have traveled.
Something like: Gordon, Bauer, Hayes, Ntcham, Bitton, Sinclair & Morgan
Bigbhoy
I read your comment wrongly and was trying to be entertaining. I failed miserably !!!
I hope Celtic do not make me feel miserable tonight .
Bigbhoy
Oops! Missed out the `Sorry.`So, sorry for the original and for the omission !
HOT SMOKED on 7TH NOVEMBER 2019 3:13 PM
Forster
Elhamed Jullien Ajer Taylor
Brown McGregor
Forrest Christie Elyounoussi
Edouard.
An educated guess? I think you will be correct
Bada
I don`t know about the `educated` but certainly a guess.I rely on you for the early news re Lenny`s selection !
Cheerio for now.
Quietly confident that Celtic can achieve a result to-night. It’s as if one can say it a game without pressure. The team is performing well at present at home and in Europe so let’s wait and see the outcome. Celtic must beware of the typical cynical antics of the Italians who on may occasions rolled around the Parkhead turf feigning mortal injury a couple of weeks ago. Best of luck lads.
Team sheet latest……………James Forrest
BSR- 😆👍
Today’s official starting line up v Lazio ……
Forster; ElHamed ,Ajer, Jullien, Hayes; Brown, McGregor; Forrest, Christie, Elyounoussi, Edouard
Subs: Gordon, Bauer, Bitton, Taylor, Ntcham, Morgan, Sinclair
Playing a non left back at left back, we know how that usually pans out.
Good team.
Johnny Hayes has more often proven reliable than has young Taylor this year.
He has played for us once and was no more than ok in that performance. This match will be hard enough without throwing the kid in to face Lazio in his 2nd match for us.
Like Paul, my head expects we will lose tonight but we will still be in with a fair to good chance of qualifying. Neil has worked wonders so far. If he works another one tonight, brilliant – but he has done enough to escape too much criticism if we lose.
Hayes? Oh well, what do I know. I mean we target Taylor to replace KT, spend a summer haggling over his fee, pay good money for him yet prefer to play a winger in his place.
JH . FFS
In a tight group, head-to-head results count when teams level on points so important we score tonight.
While every goal for or against may be crucial, a draw would be a great result.
Moaners FFS!
Mussolini was shot dead by Italian Partisans who at first had offered him and his girlfriend safe passage from the war zone:
They were both shot dead and then by way of proof to the masses their corpses were taken to a public square and hung upside down:
The public were then allowed to basically do what they wanted kick punch shoot whatever to the hung upside down corpses:
I saw the banner at the home game and thought – what this has to do with Celtic Football Club God only knows.
Good evening, friends – so we all now know 11 of the (up to) 14 players that will take to the field tonight and who, potentially will be in receipt of your coveted men of the match awards. Voting opens from the final whistle (so WITS, no voting for Jonny before then or it’ll be null and void!!). Polls close 10pm on Friday.
CQNPOTY@GMAIL.COM
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I thought Taylor would make his european debut tonight but content with Neil going with the experience of Jonny Hayes… Neil has got a lot right in the Europa league so far and it’s a very very well known fact on CQN that Jonny started out as a left back :-)
Johnny Hayes I really like, and am loathe to criticise. His effort is fabulous, puts in good crosses and his tackling can be sharp and decisive.
Only concern is positioning – our left flank can be vulnerable to the ball in behind if he gets caught too far forward and we lose possession.
Hope I’m wrong, but I think that is one of the biggest danger areas for us tonight.
HH
BGFC
Paul67 et al
If I try hard enough (VI) I can always see Celtic winning any game anywhere er anytime.
That said Neil would have to eclipse one of best ever away performances that of a 2-1 defeat to the mighty Barcelona back in 2012, a couple of weeks before our 125th. Despite a brilliant effort we lost to a late goal which was caused in part by a young James Forrest, oh aye, failing to track back the opposing full back. The fact that his name was Alba served only as salt in the wound. That wouldn’t happen now of course not with a new contract. And all. Like most I reckon a draw would be a fantastic result, and set us up to qualify from the group. A win? I reckon that would put Lazio out and us through. Probably too much to ask!