Celtic turned in a mature away European performance this evening as the subjugated Qarabag in the heat of Baku. Chances were at a premium for both teams. Qarabag were reduced to hopeful shots from outside the box, while Celtic took an hour to fire their first real effort, but had the best two chances of the game.
Celtic were nervous looking in the opening 15 minutes, as they struggled to retain possession, allowing Qarabag ample opportunity to build attacks. Midway through the first half Craig Gordon attempted to punch with his left hand but missed and, fortunately, the ball hit his right hand and fell to safety.
29 minutes in Qarabag’s best player, Almeida de Oliveira forced a save from Gordon from outside the box but although the Celtic keeper had to stretch to reach it, it was a save he would have expected to make. A minute from the break Nir Bitton attempted an audacious chip from the halfway line which the keeper backtracked to stop.
10 minutes after the break El Jadeyaoui had the first attempt of the game which was made inside the box but Gordon saved easily. Then Gary Mackay-Steven drove across field before passing to Stuart Armstrong, who took a step inside the box before shooting over the bar.
On 66 minutes Qarabag found a man in space inside the box for the first time but by the time El Jadeyaoui took a touch Dedryck Boyata was on hand to block.
Seven minutes from the end Stefan Johansen made his trademark lung-busting run into the box to assist Armstrong but Stefan was a tad ahead of the pass and ended up shooting wide while stretching back.
James Forrest had the best chance of the game four minutes from time. He ran at the Qarabag defence from 40 yards out, rode one challenge, and found himself clean through with the keeper to beat but instead of shooting from 12 yards he tried to square to Griffiths (who was never going to get the ball) and the chance was missed.
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If we’d had a wee bit more composure when we won the ball in dangerous areas we’ have won by two or three goals. Perhaps the pitch contributed to the dodgy passes and losing the ball while dribbling, I don’t know. The three ex DUFC bhoys have little experience of this type of game – that may well have been the biggest contributing factor to that – though it doesn’t explain Jo Hanson (or as I prefer to call him Stevey Johnstone – I hope it catches on) lack of composure with his forward passing at times.
From back to middle we were well on top, winning an incredible amount of tackles and loose ball. I don’t remember them turning us too often or getting in behind. That is exactly what we need in European Away games. I’d like to see a bit more quality added to the squad.
A really good, mature performance from the Bhoys.
Regarding attendance: Celtic can do nothing about the price of League games. If they offer discounted prices, to get more fans in, then Season Ticket holders will have paid more than occasional attenders and that’s simply not realistic.
As for this qualifier I’d say this should be a ‘call to arms’ for our support.
Celtic need our support and we need to intimidate whomever we get.
Bring it on.
Proudbhoy – I agree but I think Cifcti is still catching up with the fitness required. He was irritating me a bit last night but thinking on the service he got I think anyone would have struggled.
Great to see Izzy back to his best, hope our support get off his back and realise what we’ve got there. Solid performance all round last night, dont think anyone will be looking forward to playing us in next round. Well chuffed
HH
I asked this before but didn’t get to check for replies – do we know if we are home or away first in the Playoffs? First leg on 18th August…… I believe.
Great performance last night, great team effort, and the coaching was bang on, oh and hey! The izzy sluggers, need a cloth to wipe that egg off your face, I wonder who it will be next game? Yi should be ashamed of yer self.
Lurking Huns, GIRFUYs
Roberttressel
We’re the seeded team, were at home the second leg.
To be honest, I wasn’t exactly enthused about the performance last night. I think we made hard work of it. Gordon in particular looked nervy.
But I am willing to reserve judgement as the conditions could have been the issue. Unfortunately my telly can’t replicate the temperature, humidity and sandy pitch. Awkward bounces, rubbish refereeing and a slow pitch didn’t help counterattacking football.
What a player Nir Bitton is by the way. I hope we have him signed up on a long contract.
Good morning all, what a lovely feeling to wake up and immediately feel the warm relaxing glow of a vital Euro victory. Great to see the universal positivity on the blog and the temporary absence of the trolls & roasters.
What a difference a year makes, our set up from the same rounds last year to this year was like schoolboy street league to Serie A.
Virgil is vital to the team, I think we should break the Bank , to keep him for the year. Big increase for 1 year extension with a 15 million buy out clause on his contract.
Less worried about left back after last night, Izzy answered his critics and we now have Tierney & Charlie to fill in as well.
We still need a goal scoring machine up front.
Ah, just checked out this:
http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2268720.html
–
Seems whether we play home or away first this time is luck of the draw. Here’s hoping….
Good Morning CQN
From a happy Mountblow Tim
Great performance by the team last night
Looking forward to the draw on Friday
Hail Hail
Mt
TonyD – thanks for the response – I’ll have to read the UEFA thing again – I must have misunderstood it – d’oh…
I feel quite embarrassed now. Not as embarrassed as if I’d let my favourite football club slide in to liquidation or be following a new club that plays in the Petrofac cup and gets excited about it……. but embarrassed none the less…….
Apart from the first 15 minutes last night I really thought we controlled the game. And for me that’s something I’m not really used to seeing from us in European games. It didn’t really feel like we were getting caught on the counter a lot, as has been the tradition.
It seemed very much like we were doing what we needed to do much like (for want of a better phrase) the big teams do.
Watching the rerun of the game.
Looks a lot easier in the cold light of day.
Pretty certain it’s the luck of the draw as to who’s at home first.We were seeds in the last two rounds and were at home first.
Maradominic
They do, however , mention us on their website under the heading : WILSON WARNS CELTIC ABOUT PLAY-OFF. Which then takes you to this article:
“MARK WILSON WARNS CELTIC NOT TO ` GET STUNG` IN CHAMINS LEAGUE
Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson warned Ronny Deila’s men not to write off their Champions League opponents.
Wilson watched his old club draw 0-0 with Qarabag in Azerbaijan in the third qualifying round, progressing 1-0 on aggregate.
They now await Friday’s play-off draw with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu Korce and Malmo the possible opponents.
“There’s no doubt Celtic are the biggest name in the draw,” said Wilson.
“You can’t get too far ahead of yourself in this competition or you’ll get stung. These teams are at this stage for a reason; they’ve got good players, okay they might not be household names but they’re good sides.
“Celtic will know that, I don’t think they’ll take any of these teams lightly. Celtic will have to remain cautious, but they still remain favourites to go through.”
Wilson was impressed with how the side equipped themselves in Baku, and said the fitness of the squad could be key this season.
He told BBC Scotland: “I was very impressed with them, I thought they were fantastic. Right from the goalkeeper, the back four, to that three in midfield who really sat and protected.
“There was no period of sustained pressure from Qarabag, but that was down to how Celtic defended. It was a really measured performance.
“Last night you could see the fitness. I don’t think come 90 minutes in 40 degree heat they look tired at any stage and that was a lot of the chat before the game that Celtic were going to tire in this heat.
“I think they finished the game the strongest team and were probably unlucky not to snatch a victory in the end.”
In fairness, their main page also had a sub- headline saying Deila delights in Celtic`s progress in the CL.
JJ
Hello again all you young rebels.
Thought that was a very mature performance by Celtic
last night, all the players gave their all and you could see
at the end of the game with Broony and Lustig how much
it meant to them and thats what i like to see in our team.
Don’t understand some people saying Quarebaq were a
poor side they didn’t look bad two weeks ago and maybe
our game plan neutered them, anyhow i thought big Nir
was tremendous, Izi, best game for a long time and big
Ciftci worked very hard on a really hot evening but my man
of the match was big Mik and yes it’s only because he’s a
big Mik.
H.H Mik.
This is from the UEFA site on seeding and who plays home or away first. It might be too early in the morning for me but does this mean we play home first ?
Seeding
The teams with the five highest coefficients in each route – this applies to both League and Champions – will be seeded and drawn against the other five teams in that route. To determine each tie, one side apiece from the seeded and non-seeded pots will be drawn and placed in another pot, with the first of the two to then be picked out at home in the first leg. The seeding pots will be confirmed on Friday morning.
Anybody booked their hotel in Milan yet ;-)
Roberttressel
Now that I look at that post you posted you’ve got me thinking now, according to that, both teams are picked out to play each other, and then both go back in the pot to see who comes out first, and who ever that is plays the first leg at home, very strange?
Good controlled performance last night. ON next round – why don’t the club offer existing ST holders the chance to buy additional tickets at a discounted cost and based on the n umber they buy give the ST holder a discount off the group package ?.
Probably not thought thro’ !!! but hey ho.
Anyways
Big fan of Izzy and a great game last night apart from his caught in two minds sclaffff that went out for a throw-in. 9.5 (0.5 off for the sclaffff).
Bitton was immense.
Gordon great apart from the flap at the cross ball.
VVD was VVD
Boyata was very composed.
Lustig excellent
GMS park did not suit his dribbling abilities
Brown grew into the game and started harassing Alemdia into mistakes.
Jo Jo super Jo….would have put a tenner on him burying that chance.
Armstrong began to stretch their midfield (see what a did there….toy from the 70s…stretch? armstrong?)
Cifti put in a great shift…..was really unlucky with his attemtped control from the high ball which would have given him a shooting chance in the second half.
Griff did well
Forest did really well when he came on. Tried to be composed when he should have shot.
Commons kept the ball intelligently.
I suppose it’s the uefa way, awkward,upside down, and never straight forward, that’s when you know that the devils work is at hand.
Totally confused about this “who plays at home first issue” is it either as TD67 says balls drawn twice, one draw first team out at home first or seeded team- Celtic- play home second? Typical UEFA why make it easy when you can complicate it!! Good mature performance last night. Hail Hail Hebcelt
I thought Ciftci had a decent game last night. He worked hard and kept the ball on occasions, despite getting no protection from the referee. Don’t think we could have asked too much more when he was up front on his own in a difficult tie.
It will be a while before we see the best of him. I think he needs to get his fitness up and the domestic ban clearly wont help that. Gve him time and a goal or too and I think he will be a useful addition to our squad.
No Pogmaanthony
I have booked three days in Lake Garda and plan to travel for the game:-)
Well done to Ronnie and the Bhoys for last nights battling performance. It’s easy to start picking out weaknesses in some performances last night but target achieved, let’s enjoy the moment.
HH
Celtic in talks with man. U. Player loan deal, javier Hernandez? Just heard that, don’t shoot the messenger.
Sorry to keep banging on about the seedings, but it sure as hell is better than worrying about the Petrofac Cup, ha ha!
Anyway, if we make it into Pot 3 in the Group stage, it’s very likely we’ll face a Spanish and a German side, given that teams from the same country are kept apart. The odds against us playing an English side are also pretty short.
Bring it on, I say. Leave others to ponder the delights of an away tie at Peterhead. YEEEHA!
It was a brave battling performance but the team has still not quite clicked into gear yet.
The best is still to come -hopefully.
Well done in difficult circumstances.
Big improvement on last year.
Seeded for tomorrows draw which is good .
HH
Observe the sons of Walfrid marching toward the play offs
How the DRAW works:
Bowl One: (Seeded Teams)
Bowl Two: Empty
Bowl Three: (Unseeded Teams)
Take a wee baw from Bowl One and Bowl Three and place in Bowl Two, swirl around a bit and pick one – This is the HOME TEAM FIRST LEG.
EasyenoughCSC
https://www.facebook.com/andy.bonner.188/posts/10206287198392553
Strange experience watching the game ,nerves shredded on one hand and the forehead soothed by Celtic friendly punditry on the other,Chris Sutton has well and truly reclaimed his place in my affections by his recent comments on our efforts on the field,and his comparison between the valuation of VVD and Stones was spot on,EPL gone mad,but here`s hoping CL participation keeps the big man in Paradise for the foreseeable future.
HH
A wee video of CQN 5’s last week.
https://vine.co/v/eHvL5xEBjBa
Who was the Goalie?
Anyone got how the draw gets done yet?
Tim Tanium on 6th August 2015 9:48 am
I’m glad someone has faith and a bit of foresight :-) Sounds like a plan.