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Rundown on possible opponents

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Celtic were one of five seeds from the Champions League, champions’ section, in the last round, but only one of the other seeds is still in the competition, so while seeding is welcome, it would be a mistake to read too much into it.

I’ve no idea what happened in Malmo last night, where the Swedish champions overturned Salzburg’s two goal lead from the first leg in a remarkable first half, and are a potential opponent for Celtic in today’s draw.  At half time I still fancied Salzburg to get things together and qualify, but Swedish football gets its act together every now and then.  There appears to be some substance to this Malmo team.

A trip to Albania to play Skenderbeu would be ideal.  They are a small town club who are in the play-off round after beating Crusaders and Moldovan’s Milsami Orhei.  It would also give those of us who’ve been around for a while a chance to bore the rest of you about that great game against Partizan Tirana.

A return to Astana is also possible, this time to play FK Astana, who beat HKJ Helsinki in the last round.  The most alarming fact about Astana is that they beat Maribor in the second round.  You remember Maribor?  The name sounds familiar but I can’t place them.

The team with the highest coefficient we can face is Maccabi Tel-Aviv.  Maccabi overcame a first leg defeat to Hibernians (the Maltese Hibs, that is).  They then lost at home to Czechs Viktoria Plzen but a two goal victory in Plzen saw them through.  I missed the preseason game against Sparta Prague, what shape is Czech club football in?

Former finalists Partizan Belgrade are the fifth and final possibility.  They beat the Georgian champions before seeing off seeded former winners Steaua Bucharest in the third round.  So although Skenderbeu would be my choice, a trip to Belgrade would be a decent alternative.

Reading through the list, the one thing which is evident is that Champions League football would be transformational for every team in the ‘champions’ side of the draw.  The aspirations invested in qualifying will be huge.  The Albanians would earn around 20 times their annual income.  Expect every trick in the book.

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  2. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    20:00 @ Kilbeggan – Valours Minion – NAP!

     

     

    Good luck everybody.

  3. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Nap today to try and get out the minus

     

     

    Nap : Cyril – 4.00 Haydock

     

     

    Cheers

     

    GFTB

  4. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    Off Ayr tonight …ladies night

     

     

    Always a laugh….all the chics dolled up and looking fine at 5/30….. Utter messes by 9/30…

     

     

    Racing not great tonight …I don’t get winners at Ayr anyway …in fact .. Don’t get winners anywhere at moment

  10. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    VOGUEPUNTER

     

     

    THEBARCAMOLE just called you out. The madman must have forgot you guys charge extra for that…

  13. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    Buckstay 3:05 Newmarket.

     

     

    Follow a filly in form.

     

    Back a horse in first time blinkers.

     

    Never back a filly to beat a colt.

     

    Never back a 2yo to beat a older horse until after royal Ascot.

     

     

    cantunderstandwhyimpoorCSC.

  15. angelgabriel on

    Morning all.

     

    Been watching this thread for previous year.

     

    Time to join.

     

    Master Carpenter.

     

    2.55 Haydock.

     

    Have a nice one.HH

  16. TheBarcaMole on

    ZAND (a five times winner in France, Switzerland and Ireland) is sitting at 14s and was going to be my selection today but will change that now, as it appears to have been hijacked by ‘wan ae them errshur Tims’… so going for

     

    YOURARTISONFIRE 1:50 Haydock as my hopeful nap..

     

     

    Regards & Hail Hail

     

    TBM

  25. dim sam on

    Polarisation 3.15 Ascot.

     

    Mark Johnston has a good record at this meeting and Graham Lee is the perfect jockey for this horse

  27. tommytwiststommyturns on

    Fleagle – was unlucky last week with a big priced second, but as PF knows all too well, you get SFA for 2nd in this game!

     

     

    Straits of Malacca in the 16:35 at Haydock for me please.

     

    Hope it doesn’t turn out to be a malacca!!

     

     

    Yamas,

     

    T4

  36. Gweedore Celt on

    Afternoon folks,

     

     

    I’m on Bella Nostalgia @Haydock 3.15

     

     

    Good luck & Happy punting!

  40. fleagle1888 on

    CQN Saturday Naps Competition : WEEK 2 results (Aug 8th)

     

     

    Zihuatanejo is the star man this week by napping Realtra @12/1.

     

     

    Other winners in Week 2 :

     

    The Bhoy from the Village (Blue Sonic @5/1), 16 Roads (Valours Minion @9/2), Nye Bevans RS (Buckstay @4/1), hashadenough (Mustard @7/2), Eurochamps67 & leftclicktic (Obsidian @11/4), Fastbhoy (Troubled Soul @15/8), PFayr (Blue Bayou @7/4)

     

     

    Selections :

     

    16 roads (Valours Minion)

     

    21-5-79 (Green Light)

     

    Angel Gabrial (Master Carpenter)

     

    Bada Bing (My Spirit)

     

    BMCUWP (Zand)

     

    bonbhoy (Just Paul)

     

    Bull67 (Double Up)

     

    Burgas Hoops (Yasmeen)

     

    Cathal (Baitha Alga)

     

    Cosy Corner Bhoy (Hidden Rebel)

     

    Dim Sam (Polarisation)

     

    El Madrigal (no selection)

     

    Eurochamps67 (Obsidian)

     

    Fastbhoy (Troubled Soul)

     

    fleagle1888 (Blue Waltz)

     

    Gallybhoy (no selection)

     

    gerryfaethebrig (Cyril)

     

    Graffitionthewall (The Welsh Wizard)

     

    green T (Yasmeen)

     

    Gweedore Celt (Bella Nostalgia)

     

    hashadenough (Mustard)

     

    leftclicktic (Obsidian)

     

    Nye Beavans rebel soldier (Buckstay)

     

    Onemalloy (Balducci)

     

    PFayr (Blue Bayou)

     

    Rockon (Basateen)

     

    Som mes que un club (Thornaby Ash)

     

    The Bhoy from the Village (Blue Sonic)

     

    TheBarcaMole (Yourartisonfire)

     

    Thunder Road (Festive Fare)

     

    tommytwiststommyturns (Straits of Malacca)

     

    twists n turns (Polarisation)

     

    voguepunter (Green Light)

     

    What is the Stars (Croghill Tuppence)

     

    Zihuatanejo (Realtra)

     

     

    Cheers, fleagle1888

     

    (–Bangalore CSC–)

  41. fleagle1888 on

    CQN Saturday Naps Competition : WEEK 2 Standings

     

     

    +11.00 > Zihuatanejo (1)

     

    +9.50 > The Bhoy from the Village (2)

     

    +8.00 > hashadenough (2)

     

    +7.00 > Bull67 (1)

     

    +5.50 > Eurochamps67 (2)

     

    +5.00 > Rockon (1)

     

    +5.00 > Thunder Road (1)

     

    +3.50 > 16 roads (1)

     

    +3.00 > Nye Beavans rebel soldier (1)

     

    +1.75 > leftclicktic (1)

     

    +1.00 > Graffitionthewall (1)

     

    +0.88 > Fastbhoy (1)

     

    +0.75 > PFayr (1)

     

     

    -2 > 21-5-79 (0)

     

    -2 > Angel Gabrial (0)

     

    -2 > Bada Bing (0)

     

    -2 > BMCUWP (0)

     

    -2 > bonbhoy (0)

     

    -2 > Burgas Hoops (0)

     

    -2 > Cathal (0)

     

    -2 > Cosy Corner Bhoy (0)

     

    -2 > Dim Sam (0)

     

    -2 > El Madrigal (0)

     

    -2 > fleagle1888 (0)

     

    -2 > Gallybhoy (0)

     

    -2 > gerryfaethebrig (0)

     

    -2 > green T (0)

     

    -2 > Gweedore Celt (0)

     

    -2 > Onemalloy (0)

     

    -2 > Som mes que un club (0)

     

    -2 > TheBarcaMole (0)

     

    -2 > tommytwiststommyturns (0)

     

    -2 > twists n turns (0)

     

    -2 > voguepunter (0)

     

    -2 > What is the Stars (0)

     

     

    Cheers, fleagle1888

     

    (–Bangalore CSC–)

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