Austria Wien have played three league games this season, won one, drew one, lost one. Scored six conceded eight. Stuffed 5-1 by Salzburg two weeks ago. They have only had to play one round of Champions League qualifiers so far, which they won 1-0 on aggregate against the Icelandic champions-cum-day-job-professionals. Send them over, please, Uefa.
Ludogorets Razgrad, from Bulgaria, knocked Dinamo Zagreb out of the Champions League qualifiers last season before going down to Slovan Bratislava in the play-off round. They’ve won two, lost one, of their three league games this season. Beat Partizan Belgrade home and away in last round, beat Slovan Bratislava on aggregate in round before that. They also have to play their home game for the next round at an alternate venue to due to a date clash with a concert. Happy to take this lot.
Legia Warsaw, won all three league games this season, scoring 12, conceding one. Eliminated Molde, after drawing both games, in last round, took care of The New Saints (Wales) home and away in earlier round. Would be a great European tie though not sure if Zbyszek can arrange the result for us.
Maribor, from Slovenia, have won all three league games this season, scored 11, conceded two. Eliminated APOEL Nicosia after two draws in last round. APOEL got to the last eight of the Champions League in 2012, so this team are no pushover. Maribor also have the distinction of being the last team to knock Rangers out of Europe. Ever!
Shakhtyor Karaganda, 12 points off the pace after 22 games in Kazakhstan. Beat Albanians, Korce, in last round and Bate Borisov (who recorded Champions League wins against Bayern Munich and Lille in 2012) in the earlier round. The travel would be an issue; Karaganda is farther east that eastern Afghanistan. If I can paraphrase an Ibrox legend, define Europe. The fact they are midseason and, like Celtic, they’ve won through two rounds already, makes this a less attractive tie, but they are surely not a Champions League team.
Preferences: Shakhtyor Karaganda are the easiest possible opponents but a trip to Austria or Bulgaria would be best.
Would rather avoid: Legia will be the most difficult draw. Maribor will be a similar challenge as Elfsborg.
Lots more to blog about: last night’s performance, Kelvin, Honest Dave King… maybe later.
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This team got knocked out of Europe by St Pat’s Athletic two years ago. We will surely be too strong for them but the signing of a quality striker will make me feel happier about things.
BT
8.45 am
SOAL – HT’s bus is already on the way, but they’re not sure they’ll make the ko….!
T4
Joseph Ruddy @joebhoy2412 3m
UEFA Club rankings: Shakhtyor Karagandy 324th with Celtic 62nd
Hardest draw possible, nothing unusual there. This team knocked out Bate Borisov (who won at home to Bayern Munich last season).
Anyway what the heck is UEFA thinking of, this is a Central Asian team playing in the European CL!
Will be in Barcelona for the home leg. Bleedin’ typical!
Good luck to CelticTV bringing us the away tie
HH
Dates of the first and second legs?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Right bhoys, you need to learn some basic Russian! Very happy with the draw.
I think the only “European” draw we could have got with more travelling would have been Israel.
BT –
They are way ahead of the UK time-wise, so kick-off could be about 4pm or 5pm.
Come on you Bhoys in green
T4
Only if CT is driving
Re : Kazakhstan
Game will be live on Sky
5-hour time difference, afternoon ko on cards as their first two home game were 2:30 CP time KOs
Get the half day booked ha ha
Kick off for the 1st leg will be circa 1400hrs UK time
Going with photos on their website the pitch is grass…and they have the same colours as Dundee Utd.
HH
79caps
looking at the rankings and coeffiecents of all the team we could get this is actually the easiest draw we could have got.
The travelling is a concern but a team ranked as low as this should be very very beatable.
Tues/Wed 21-22/8 for away game
frankiebhoy
10:42 on 9 August, 2013
Flying out of Stansted at tea time today to Dublin. However I require a ticket or two for the game tomorrow. Any spares or suggestions of pubs in Dub where bhoys may have the odd spare one?
—
Think there’s a bit of a shin dig planned in Parnell square. Might be worth a try.
Monaghan1900
That’s a pure “there are knowns and then there are unknown knowns etc”
Classy lot..
Bring on the Khazahki’s
Listen to the champions league music bhoys it sends shivers down the spine.
Football wise if Shaktar are the weakest possible opponents then I’d take them all day long regardless of the travel. Too much at stake. Away first better in this case imo.
HH
That’s a decent draw.
Second leg at home.
Confident.
So from Boras to Borat.
I notice from the map that Moscow is the half way point!!
79caps
That is far from the hardest draw we could have got.
The only downside is the travelling.
Shakhtar currently 12 points off the pace after 22 games in Borat land.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shakhtyor_Stadium_(Karagandy)_2013-05-22_18.11.25.jpg
HH
Yak Shemash!
Kazakhstan is closer to India than it is to Scotland.
The Sons of Donegal bus for Karagandy is leaving Govanhill in half an hour.
new article posted.
scottishleaf @ 11.11
I think the ranking is misleading. Look at their most recent results. I would guess that they have some multi-billionaire robber baron pumping a lot of money into the club with the aim of reaching the CL.
were on the one road ,sharing the one load
were on the road to …………..
taken from shaktar quick news ( honest).
awe naw this team beat barca last season .:-):-)
Feck!
Short straw for Celtic.
Kazakhstan is in Central Asia. 7/8 hour flight?
Karaganda is as far east as Lahore in Pakistan!
HH!!
If we had met Middlesborough, we could have had
Boro
Boras
Borat
Latincsc
The logic that they are scary because they once defeated Bate (who once defeated Munich) is not logical. Celtic defeated Liverpool and then lost to ICT. Were ICT as good as Liverpool or ourselves? No.