Leipzig are at a pivot. Narrow defeats to Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool, leave them needing a win at Celtic Park tonight to maintain their chances of qualifying for the next stage of the Champions League. Defeat would realistically end their chances and see them prioritise the Bundesliga over the winter months.
They have the best defensive record in the Bundesliga, conceding only five goals this season, but only two of the top 10 sides have scored fewer than them, which is unusual for a side sitting second. Their strength lies in keeping opponents well away from their goal, which may suit Celtic.
We have one of the faster counterattacking players in the business. Daizen Maeda was the only Celtic player who left Dortmund with any credit. If we play as we did against Atalanta, he can exploit the space in front of him to test Leipzig’s back line.
Brendan was right in what he said yesterday. Leipzig “is one of the top teams in European football”. They operate in a stratospheric environment compared to us. To leave with a point tonight, we need everything to go our way. Even then it will be a challenge. But as Brendan also said, “That’s why we’re in this competition, to take on these challenges.”
My expectations for tonight are low, but a point would be pivotal for us too.
67 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- »
I hope it is the same starting XI as Saturday, with Trusty picked ahead of Scales and Kyogo ahead of Idah. Wont’t be massively surprised if I am wrong on both counts.
If the stars align and we take 1-2 early chances we might spring a major CL surprise.
Fingers crossed.
Seems like only yesterday I was saying happy Monday.
KO 3pm my time and I have my calendar blocked at work.
Let’s hope the crowd and game under the lights gives us wiiiings.
Brendan getting two name checks in the same article. Now that is nice to see.
All en board set sail with St.Brendan
What larks CSC
A moment of silence will be held before tonight’s Champions League game at Celtic Park, where Celtic host RB Leipzig, in memory of the victims of the devastating flooding in Valencia, Spain.
If we play as we did against Atalanta
——
This is key. If Calle and AJ are bombing across the half way line with CCV and Trusty standing on the half way line then we’ll be beaten.
We’ll know within minutes how we’re gonna approach this game. A draw would be a fantastic result. It’s perfectly set up for us to counter attack given their need for 3 points.
!!BADA BING!! on 5TH NOVEMBER 2024 12:11 PM
A moment of silence will be held before tonight’s Champions League game at Celtic Park, where Celtic host RB Leipzig, in memory of the victims of the devastating flooding in Valencia, Spain.
—-
Thanks for that info Bada.
I hate to be the man that talks about hypocrisy and double standards when something as tragic as the Spanish floods happen.
But…I just find it surreal that UEFA allow this but fine clubs for displays of Palestinian flags and banners. It appears the slaughterhouse that is Gaza doesn’t matter.
As Mike Tyson once said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face (by him especially).
Last year we had some tremendous opening spells in the CL where we looked amazing then got caught out by the seemingly inevitable counter punch. Hope tonight we protect our chin.
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 5TH NOVEMBER 2024 8:43 AM
Really dismayed the build up to such a big game in the Champions League is being taken over by a SMSM induced narrative about pyros.
Given the obvious repetitional damage it does to the club, not to mention the risk of injury or disfigurement to those around them, I often wondered why they do it?
I’ve long since given up trying to fathom it and have adopted Occam’s razor – they simply don’t care, which invites the question, are they genuine Celtic supporters or do they use Celtic as a platform to draw attention to their politics?
———————————————
Your comment is spot on – the simplest reason for this stupid and selfish behaviour is, as you say, these people simply don’t care.
Celtic, the most successful sporting institution that Scotland has ever known, on and off the pitch, is being used as platform for the political and anti-establishment action and views of a few hundred people.
You ask if they are genuine Celtic supporters – how can they be? Brendan put it in a nutshell when he addressed the team leaks situation. People who hurt Celtic by their actions cannot be Celtic supporters. They are impostors and detractors.
You rightly draw attention to the SMSM “induced narrative about pyros” – of course they are going to cover it because our minority rag-bag gives them licence to tar us all with the same brush. The GB encourages and feeds off of its notoriety, Celtic as a club needs it like a hole in the head.
These few hundred people have had special treatment from Celtic. They received concessions with regard to seating/standing arrangements and are allowed early entry into the stadium to set up their tifos. What they have done in return is cost Celtic over £1m in fines from UEFA, sullied our hard won magnificent reputation and put our existential participation in European competition in jeopardy with repeated rule breaches. They bite the hand that feeds them – they spit in the face of the club and the overwhelming majority of real supporters. Celtic must act decisively and soon to put things right, not to do so is a clear failure in its duty of care – in fact a dereliction of that duty.
Looking forward to this evening’s tie. I hope we approach it chastened by Dortmund but encouraged by Atalanta. I remember Bobby Lennox once being asked on TV before a European game against a ‘big name'(can’t recall who) if Celtic were favourites – he answered “Celtic are always favourites at Celtic Park”. These days that’s not always the case but let’s hope we can impose ourselves tonight HH
I don’t see a repeat of the Atalanta game. Probably a bit more end-to-end, so could be a few goals.
Counter-attacks could be key – need to be clinical with our ones and know how to defend theirs.
Concentration levels have to be high, no ball-watching or losing runners.
DeniaBhoy on 5th November 2024 12:02 pm
Brendan getting two name checks in the same article. Now that is nice to see.
——————–
Yes indeed. Paul’s antipathy towards Brendan is over-hyped. HH
Hearts have posted an operating loss of £1.2m for the year to 30 June 2024 – which they put down to rising operating costs, increased investment, and missing out on group stage European football last season.
But with turnover remaining north of £20m the club say their accounts continue to show ‘year-on-year growth.’ Hearts posted a marginal pre-tax profit of around £300,000 in last year’s accounts, a drop from £1.7m from the year before. And it’s down again for last season, this time dropping into the red.
Its a Funny old game….Horse Racing.
My 1st Horse Today has just WON at Warwick at odds of 33/1. The Trainer had Two Horses in this small field race, the Horse that won… and the 2nd Favourite.
I backed the outsider that Won at 33/1…..But I backed it this morning at odds of 22/1 !
I am STILL a happy Bhoy.
LOL
HH.
The dying men clutch at the Pyro straw.
SMSM deflection from sport, and another stick for ‘media’ with which to hit Celtic, you’d be forgiven for thinking, they were praying for fire works on their very own Bonfire day with the worlds most successfully fined club.
Holding Atalanta seems to have upset the ‘Tom English brigade’ who were still dining on Dortmund as Celtic made our point in Italy, then thrashed the latest domestic challengers.
Meanwhile back at the Gazebo good luck if you are trying to get a ticket.
Meanwhile back at the Gazebo good luck if you are trying to get a ticket.
there wukk be 3000 unoccupied seats tonight.
celtic dont work hard enough or innovative enough to actually care aboout supporters
I’ll take a draw all day for this one – with a late winner for Harris in Pennsylvania to vanquish the orange menace.
More seriously, a point would be great, RBL need a win – that’s a threat and an opportunity if we replicate the maturity and nous of the Atalanta match.
Mon the hoops!
i detect some over confidence on several blogs.
what was the dortmund lesson then ?
dont lose goals, dont allow them chances.
set up and play same way as we didin bergamo.
they are german efficiency personified.
i would be happy with another draw.
but ………. they are miles better than us.
We will need to play well to avoid defeat tonight. Leipzig will have analyzed us and will have a plan in place.
I wish we had something up our sleeve to surprise them but I think the best we can hope for is taking our chances. We will get them but doubly need to take them as I can see us being hit on the break from the Leipzig box.
Leipzeig fans in the Brazen. They do enjoy a bevvy these lads. 🍻
the leipzig player sesko likes to wear a jersey with his knickname on it so he is known as Raingerz.
callum, 37k in cl games.
number 1.
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/statistics/players/?sortBy=distance_covered&order=desc
Bratislava v Zagreb at 5.45 will be interesting
………………………………………..
CELTIC V RB LEIPZIG
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | CELTIC PARK | TUE, NOV 5 | KO 8PM
– Tickets for this match are now SOLD OUT
………………………………………………………..
P67
“Daizen Maeda was the only Celtic player who left Dortmund with any credit.”
I can only assume that is because he had a lot of credit in the bank going into the game as he gifted them 2 goals with his poor touches/dribbling around our box did he not? I might be being harsh on one of my favourite Celtic players but he would be lucky to break even in the credit department on the basis of just that game for me.
Saint Stivs on 5th November 2024 1:23 pm
“I detect some over confidence on several blogs.”
Always worries me. I’d take a draw right now even though I am hoping for a wee win.
Hope the balance is right between confidence and respect for what they bring – e.g. I don’t want to see Valle up at right wing again as he was a few times in previous euro games.
QB
never worry about over-confidence on the blog – none of us will be playing tonight 👍
though how i didnt make the euro squad is a mystery 😉
bournesouprecipe on 5th November 2024 1:48 pm
………………………………………..
CELTIC V RB LEIPZIG
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | CELTIC PARK | TUE, NOV 5 | KO 8PM
– Tickets for this match are now SOLD OUT
———————-
ok, great, celtic sold all their available tickets.
did uefa ? did the sponsors use all their allocations ? did leverkusen use up all theirs ? did celtic challenge the “cannot sell” seats behind the goals ?
the 60,000 capacity stadium will have around 58,000 fans in it.
ergo, a sold out sign doesnt man full occupancy.
celtic plc have a stated objective of increasing match attendance, they dont try hard enough.
and sure the seats normally sold to kids, will be sat in by the casual couple of times a season, wealthier supporter, £60 a ticket, rampany corporate greed.
A big thank you to Fran(vfr) for help tonight
Woohoo.
Come on Celtic
HH
Look what happened when we won the game before Dortmund 6-0.
Happy with a draw,wunderbar if we win.
marco rose,
————-
Meanwhile, the 48 year-old impressive German coach is going for five wins from five against Celtic in his managerial career and a hat-trick of victories at Paradise tonight. Rose was boss RB Salzburg boss when the Austrians defeated Brendan Rodgers’ side in Glasgow’s East End in the Europa League group stages back in December 2018. Despite losing the match on the night, the Hoops went through in 2nd place courtesy of a late Rosenborg equaliser in Germany against Celtic’s opposition tonight.
Marco Rose has a decent record against Celtic
Rose then returned to Parkhead two years ago for Leipzig’s comfortable 0-2 win over Ange Postecoglou’s team. Late strikes from Timo Werner and Emil Forsberg piled on another miserable European campaign where Celtic took only two points from 18 in season 2022/2023.
The Celtic support queuing for tickets for Celtic v Borussia Dortmund, 3 November 1992. UEFA Cup, Celtic Park. Photo The Celtic Wiki
https://icdn.thecelticstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/image-39-1536×492.jpeg.webp
I know I’m letting my heart rule my head but I’m thinking 2-1 to the Hoops is entirely possible
The ole Gazebo
theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E on 5th November 2024 2:13 pm
Look what happened when we won the game before Dortmund 6-0.
Happy with a draw,wunderbar if we win.
============
Will echo that mate,
off to Celtic park now with hope in me heart
A point would be great,a win would be joy
Hail Hail
Two players in top 10 for distance covered after three games. Calmac top and Englels in 9th.
I think Brendan will go with Trusty and CCV at the back with Valle and Johnston. That’s his preferred defensive line. The only other position that’s hard to predict is Centre forward and I think he might go with Idah with Kyogo coming on later. Hope Kuhn is on his game. That’s Bhoys a star.
Finishing at 16:00 in prep for Paradise. Same starters as Saturday for me – imagine Brendan may see this as strongest eleven – tough on the likes of Scales, Taylor & Bernardo, however they will have a role to play – that’s what squads are for.
Travel more in hope than confidence – same as Atalanta tie and that worked out not too shabbily. HH
Confident? Not so much.
Optimistic? Always
Think we made some progress at home in the CL last season though not quite a return to Fortress Parkhead.
For example we lost against Lazio late on as a result of a mix-up (not a mash-up) between Maeda, CalMac and CCV just inside the halfway line on our side. Tant Pis. Fitness wise we are looking pretty good, so options early doors and later on with a fairly strong bench to hand. Trusty seems to be finding his feet and great to see CCV back too, wouldn’t rule out all three centre-back being on the pitch in the latter stages.
But as Rory used to say it’s the same ol’story, we’ll create chances, take some of them, we might not get what we all want, but we get what we need…
Not over confident, but realistically we must win our home games. Anything away is a bonus.
Believe. IBWT