The winners of Celtic-Cluj will face Slavia Prague in the final Champions League qualification round later this month. Slavia reached the Europa League quarterfinals last season, eliminating Sevilla – who practically own that trophy – on the way.
They also disposed of Bordeaux and Genk before losing to eventual winners, Chelsea. Dinamo Kiev knocked them out in Champions League qualification.
Although this will be Slavia’s first Champions League qualifier, they have played four domestic league games already, so are likely to be as fit as Celtic, should the sides meet in two weeks.
Two central defenders at the heart of that Europa League run were sold this summer (both heading to Belgium), with much of the money (€4m) going on a creative mid Romanian, Nicolae Stanciu (26), brought home from Saudi – a significant investment for a Romanian club.
Two years ago Slavia were knocked out at the qualification stage by Apoel Nicosia (another team we could have been drawn against today), while Anderlecht eliminated them from the Europa qualifiers three years ago. Viktoria Plzen, who finished runners up to Slavia in May, reached the Champions League group stage last season, where they finished behind Real Madrid and Roma, but above CSKA Moscow.
Slavia and Plzen showed enough last season to indicate that Czech clubs are dangerous, but this is the playoff round and we were always going to need to work for it.
Cluj first: no injuries, no suspensions, please.
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Shoot
Goal ⚽⚽⚽⚽👏👏
Bankiebhoy
I agree with your central point but there are a couple of flaws:
a) I doesn`t need to be `klever` to dupe the average Sevco fan;
b) It is too obvious to be `sleekit` !
JJ
`it` not `I ` !!
Hmm… after reading that article, I would say that the winners of the Celtic/Cluj tie will be second favourites against Slavia Prague.
Beating Cluj first of all will be a task and a half.
We look as if we can score from a variety of positions and Saturday was just a marvelous occasion – but our defense is new and I worry about Wednesday’s test.
100% Hot Smoked
Forget about their excellent home form (lost 1 goal in their first 4 league games) the fact that they knocked out a team of Sevilla’s quality last season tells you everything.
Paul67 et al
At which point in our history did we abandon the old adage espoused by the great Jock Stein that we play one game at a time?
sweetjesuscsc
I have complete faith in what Lenny is doing.
Bring them on.
We are Celtic – let them fear us
Hail Hail
💚🍀
Tough draw……………………
Thankfully we’ve got all our problem areas covered and players in in plenty of time to bed in, oh wait ………………….
Im confident of beating Cluj with current squad, if we make it to the next round then we’ll need an awful lot of luck to get to the group stages.
We have Champions league ambitions with a Europa League squad
Paul
Your deliberate mistake is referring to Slavia Prague as a Romanian Club. Prague of course, is in the Czech Republic 🤓
🍀⚽️
Ooooops… And I claim my Five Pounds 😃
🍀⚽️
We have better players than both of these teams.As I said in the last article,if any of their players were top class,they would be playing elsewhere.They sold their 2 CHs,so they will be no different to us.We have a great chance if we perform.
We’ll be doing well to beat cluj
Not only are Slavia a very tough draw the second leg is away from home (which we have always historically struggled with). Not confident about our CL hopes at all.
In saying that, with the exception of right back, our team/ squad prob looks as good as it ever has for these qualifiers. If we do qualify we will (a) deserve it and (b) be in an incredibly strong position as a club!!
Hot Smoked……… ( previous article)
Both fair points…..
Especially when you konsider the rekord reading mentality –
However,………… THAT guff needs konstant message maintenance, lest the intrusion of actual journalistic interrogative insights is allowed to unpick the guff…… and the spin is spun flawlessly, that takes some doin’……… As for the “too obvious”??? We live in a wee wurld where, in plain sight, they were liquidated, gone, deid, Woolworth’s….Norwegian Blue.!….It waseven written up in some papers….and yet, thems goat away with it and the hordes are allowed to think thur goin’ for 55, Our Nine equals theirs ( boak) etc etc etc etc………
HH
GO TELL THE SPARTIM,
Yep,thats what we need.We have a great squad of players.The best that we could possibly have,and if we get by Cluj,it will be improved.Lenny knows whats at stake,and what we need.Your negativity is astonishing.
Totally bemused at constantly reading Cluj players stressing how physical and aggressive Celtic players are and how they will have to be 100% committed to compete.
They must be confusing us with Hearts! We consistently have fewer yellow cards than any other SPFL team. Presumably they haven’t seen Yesterdays Sportscene “highlights” yet.
I see the game is now confirmed for Premier Sports. Bugger!
I subscribe to both Sky and BT. This is a total scam!
Really difficult to understand the negativity of some of the posters so far.They know nothing aboutbthese teams,yet fear them.Barring injuries,we will be going into these games,full strength,something we have not done.
A right back now please Celtic…
Slavia Prague’s vintage from last season’s game at Chelsea were very good.
Tiraspol or AIK if we fail to progress against Cluj
NIALLO83 on 5TH AUGUST 2019 12:30 PM…
… “Not only are Slavia a very tough draw the second leg is away from home (which we have always historically struggled with).”…
I think our recent record in regard of home ties first is good. If you don’t concede in the first leg at home, the advantage in the tie is with you. Just off of he top of my head, we have recently (with players in the current team) eliminated Beer Sheva and Rosenborg when we had the home leg first. I think there are others.
🍀⚽️
Why oh why are you talking about a game that may never happen.
We have to beat Clug before we ever meet the Czech team, I remember that we had to play a Czeck team to get into the final in 67, I can’t ever rember the supporters ever worrying who we had to play in the Final.
Surely you have to worry about the game you have to play next ,not a game that may never happen.
1 game at a time , full concentration on our next opponents .
We cannot sell any players before we get new and better players in.
Gene- 85/4,Australia going to win this,unbelievable after 1st session
McKenna hands in transfer request 😱
still no RB or CF. Don’t let Jozo go … occasional lapse in concentration but we won’t get a better player in at short notice…
Our Right Backs will be Centre Backs
CSC.
IF we get through to play Slavia Prague ,has anyone got a good idea what the date is that we will play in Prague?
TT
RANGERS FANS BREAK INTO RUGBY PARK
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This is the moment Rangers fan burst through an emergency gate at Rugby Park after hundreds were stuck outside after kick-off.
Supporters inside the ground can be seen opening a fire exit to allow their fellow Gers into the Chadwick Stand.
In the video, which has been shared online, fans can be seen running into the concourse as stewards were left outnumbered.
Getting through Wednesday with a fair chance of qualifying would be great. Playing on Wednesday with no threat or public word of the bids we are or have received for players would also be great by I fear that may not be the case given the EPL window closes on Thursday.
Rodgers has been quoted a gabillion for that other centre half with the Guilit hair so I fear what he might be thinking.
Still get the feeling MCGregor will be bid for.
Get past Thursday and in with a shout and it becomes much more manageable from there
If you could buy one player for one position if we get past Cluj what position would they be?
Centre Forward.
Maybe Rodgers is after McKenna
hope so and not us
Think of the rhetoric from Kilmarnock last season, when a few dafties ran on the pitch? What are they saying to this?
HUNDERBIRDS ARE GONE on 5TH AUGUST 2019 12:21 PM
Paul
Your deliberate mistake is referring to Slavia Prague as a Romanian Club. Prague of course, is in the Czech Republic
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Being similarly pedantic, I also noticed that. Of course, it’s less formally known as Czechia :)
One game at a time, but if we beat Cluj, we face a very tough task.
Brilliant on Saturday.
champion / europa , not that much interested much rather get domestic 9 and 10.