If it’s a choice between a trip to Macedonia or Azerbaijan, Celtic would doubtlessly prefer the former. Baku, where Azerbaijani club Qarabag reside, is not as far west as Astana, where Celtic played two years ago, but it’s east of Iraq and it’s not a city which appears in many tourist lists.
Rudar Pljevlja returned from Baku midweek with a 0-0 draw. In days gone by that was regarded as a great away European result, but the lack of away goal will much of the second leg is played on a knife-edge.
One large note of caution, Qarabag went out of Europe last season by a one goal aggregate margin to Red Bull Salzburg, who lost in Baku, but won in Glasgow a few months later. They have twice eliminated Polish opposition in the last five years.
My hunch is that Celtic are better than each potential opponent, but if we’re short of fitness or preparation, we’ll have more trouble than we want.
The good news is that neither club plays summer football, so they should be no better prepared that Celtic. Rudar finished competitively in May, Qarabag a week later, while both played their first competitive games of the season on Wednesday. From what I can tell, both also play on grass, so we’ll avoid the Scandinavian bounce.
Before concerning ourselves too much with the 3rd Champions League qualifying round we need to use today’s game against La Liga side Eibar to sharpen fitness, and take care of business in Iceland on Wednesday.
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Brown not liking the attention he’s getting.
Take him off please Ronny.
We need him for Wednesday
Great goal Griffiths
HH
Good tackle Janko
Good stop
Unlucky the Griff
Great play LG good save denies hat trick
Keeper saves as Leigh went for hat trick
Good save denies the Tea Cake aficionado
Great save denies(for the time being)leigh his hatrick
Yellow for Lindsay For not a lot
Sidebar tiring
Lindsay booked.
I like his energy
I wish we had a decent song for Leigh. He’s our main man.
Broonie booked
Cool play from Efe in box
Brown drives forward. Then gets a card.
Get him off before he gets injured.
PLEASE
Griffiths 3-1
On the legal theme, I just looked up the Charlie Mulgrew Costco episode.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/celtic-star-charlie-mulgrew-child-1093183
When you have a spare minute and don’t mind your brain cells dying off, have a read.
That story has all the hallmarks of a David Murray, Joanna Lumley, porn director/ lawman fable
Broonie has been the main man.
Griff showing he should be first choice
Eu are shot is wide
Corner Eibar
Well handled by Logan
Well taken by Baillie at his back post
Good gather from corner by Bailly under pressure
Rogic crowded out on edge of box after good foot work
Griff for MoM?
The positive for me is our youngsters do not look like boys playing a mans game
I get the impression this is the refs first big match…really out of his depth.
Izzy drives forward and almost set Leigh off
Hat Trick
Broonie MotM just steals it from Stoksey :)
Hat trick LG
Leihhhhh
YES HAT TRICK HERO
Griff hat trick
4-1
Griffin will score for plus this season.
Ok The griff just got MotM :)
Some pass from Virgil
Gruff threesy in:))
Excellent pass from Vig to Griv who scores
High ball well controlled by Leigh.
Keeper stopped his first effort but Leigh followed up from acute angle