Our record in qualification campaigns is sufficiently poor that, no matter who we draw next week, none of us will take the prospect lightly. Basel and Sturm Graz are two of five potential prospects and on paper offer the stiffest opposition.
Basel won the Swiss league for the first time in eight years after perennial champions Young Boys’ early season form crashed. YB recovered, staged a late run for the title and only lost at Celtic Park in January to a late own-goal. Memories of that match are sufficiently fresh that I would not like to face the Swiss champions.
Sturm Graz won only three Austrian titles before 2024 but have secured back-to-back wins since, sapping the carbonated fizz from RB Salzburg. They will be difficult opponents for whoever they face.
Dynamo Kyiv beat Newco at Hampden in last season’s qualifiers but finished 34th of 36 teams who reached the Europa League, securing only four points from eight games. Hampered by the war, Dynamo are a shadow of their former self. Overcoming Cypriots Pafos should be the peak of their CL campaign.
Slovan Bratislava could be back, still under manager Vladimir Weiss, who presumably would be less bullish of his chances than before their Celtic Park capitulation last season. They are likely to have enough to eliminate Kazak champions Kairat.
We played Qarabag a decade ago in what turned into a tense second leg. A 0-0 draw in Azerbaijan was followed by a 1-0 win at Celtic Park, in the days when away goals still counted double. It was a long second half. The Azeris have done little to suggest they have progressed since, although a win should be expected against Macedonian champions, Shkëndija.
Bring it on.
179 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- »
Cracking game Hibs just now 1-1 agg HT
0-0 with Hibs at H-T.
They have been played off the park so far .
TT
Laxalt on 31st July 2025 8:16 pm
If true we should be doing everything we can to bring him to CP. I remember an interview where he said he wanted to play for Celtic and had been told by his family he was to go back when he was still a top class player and not winding down his career.
Hoped we were in for Josh Brownhill, maybe we have tried, but looks like he has been made a big bucks offer by Leicester.
Laxalt 20.16
How do you know that Robertson wants to play for us right now and his agent is trying to make that happen?
TT
So (with help from GGH) I can now see we’ve signed 7 players so far in this window.
(If JSP passes his medical)
Tierney
Doohan
Nygren
Inamura
Osmand
Yamada
Simpson-Pusey
The window has been open for 46 days.
After today, it will remain open for a further 32 days.
On average we’ve acquired a player every 6½ days.
Let’s raise the bar a bit.
No disrespect to Ross Doohan but he isn’t likely to carry ANY of the first team load.
So six “load carrying” players in 46 days.
One every 7½ days.
I don’t think that is a bad window at all.
Genuine question to those who are dissatisfied.
How many players (who will carry some of the first team load) do you want us to sign?
KB…totally agree.
TT….same people who told me in 2023 that KT had told Arsenal he wasn’t interested in a multi-million £ transfer to Newcastle or anywhere else and he was seeing his contract out and going home to Celtic.
The deal is 100pc there to be done.
In this situation, I say….it’s the fans money and we all want it to happen.
johm mcginn wants back up the road as well, and brendan wants him
but Lawwell has blocked the deal/
ture, honest, i heard it on one of the other blogs.
true story as someone used to say.
i worked with several liverpool season book holders and a pension advisor, , all from working class backgrounds, but done really well in life.
salt of the earth types, we would talk business but that would quickly change to football chat and the liverpool celtic connections.
forever grateful for our support after hillsborough , they were kids when it happened, but knew people who lost people.
anyways, they found itfunny i knew so many things. especially about ben doak.
for a laugh, i said watch the andy robertson developments, he wants to come to celtic.
it appeared on a blog the very next day.
i wish it becomes true, but there you are.
Probably your worst post ever ma mhan.
Night
Laxalt on 31st July 2025 9:41 pm
Probably your worst post ever ma mhan.
Night
——-
i am not dissing that it might actually be true.
hibs haven’t hibsed it yet
Hubs struggling badly,,but 0-0,extra time.Midgy finishing atrocious.
1: 2
21 year old Chilean scores with a Albertz type missile of a strike.
Brought back horrific , nightmarish memory of the big Hun scoring against us at Ayebrokes.
TT
1-1 Bashiri
TT
And miraculously Hibees equalise.Big Rocky.Wonder goal from Midgy put them deservedly ahead.
“Its a funny old game Saint”
Any word on Celtic spending some of our money???
Another wonder strike
1-2 at Easter road
Yeah some goal
Hibs oot.
A world class overhead kick .
TT
You won’t see 2 better goals in a game this season.Magnificent.No shame in getting beat by a better team.
The Hibs supporters seemed to appreciate the efforts put in by their players.
we don’t need to spend anymore money.
We used to be the club were unexpected miracles happened.
Now we are the club of sell sell sell sell.
How much money will be enough?
How many chins does Lawwell need 2,3,4,5, how many?
Why have we not dumped up to their necks in genocide Adidas?
Why are the genociders not banned?!
We were the fairy story club once when we stood for the good things in life.
Desmond White would have pulled us out of the European swamp when innocent Russian people were attacked by Obama led Nato in 2014, yet when they retaliated to protect innocent people in 2022, they got banned from Europe?!
Europe’s biggest country banned from Uefa, Fifa, etc.
Who owns Uefa, Fifa, Adidas, Us, Uk, Eu, Can, NZ, Aus,Governments?
Who owns the lying Western media?
Who owns the minds of docile, tame, rich, and, spoiled Tims?!
Online safety bill to protect Children after spending the last 5 years giving the same Children dodgy vaccines?!
Who is really in charge – the Joker?!
Dexter P. Bampot on 31st July 2025 5:31 pm
Man well; I si wot you deed there.
Wee bit disappointed for our hibernian cousins.
GGH- Cracking game
Bada
Definitely a good watch. Not always great play but an exciting game.
Pity Hibs couldn’t help themselves from hibsing it.
Don’t know if it was the six second thing but the keepers didn’t seem to be hanging about with the ball in their hands and seemed to play it long more often.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5w7wZ3E12l3N0Fr7ReHOWA?si=V4F3HQlaQ0SXPv2W4qeBQA
https://videocelts.com/2025/08/blogs/latest-news/celtic-transfer-round-up-eriksson-simson-pusey-and-more/
Good morning all.
GGHS
Would it not be just great if referees actually applied that new rule for goalkeepers re holding the ball for ahead in Scotland.
One can but dream eh ?
HORSE RACING…Scroll by if NOT interested ?
GOODWOOD Day Three ( THURSDAY ).
NO improvement from the first Two days as I only had THREE Winners at odds of …” 13/2, 11/4 and 3/1 ”
The 3/1 Winner was ” TWIRL” in the big race. TWIRL Won at odds 6/5 on the Day….But I had it in an ANTEPOST Bet from a couple of weeks ago, along with another Winner ( 15/8) for a nice wee ANTEPOST DOUBLE.
Onto Day Four ( FRIDAY )…..Ive not made my selections yet, I will give it a bash shortly.
HH.
IF Celtic are looking for yet another Centre Back……..can we hope to get a Guy who can OUTJUMP….the Hun ” NICOLAS RASKIN” ?
It would make a nice change.
Get the Feckin finger OOT Celtic.
LOL
HH.
garygillespieshamstring on 31st July 2025 10:47 pm
“supporters seemed to appreciate the efforts put in by their players.”
That sounds more supportive than the Greatest Supporters in the World :-)))
PS A light-hearted knock at SOME of the fans on here.
Remember when they brought in the rule for simulation, who was first to fall foul, us. Aiden Mcgeady at Easter road. He was fouled , no diving involved, the ref was scowling he was so happy to give it against Aiden who was obviously a target for choosing Ireland over Scotland.
Can’t remember the ref.
It was Dougie McDonald.
HH
Of course GERRYBHOY, how could I not remember him.
Dougie Dougie, Liar Liar.
Paul McStay will unfurl the flag on Sunday.
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/july/31/the-maestro–paul-mcstay/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NR-CDSTKRo
Who was the ref here?