Our Champions League rivals have had a very mixed few days. Tuesday’s opponents Borussia Dortmund were thrashed 5-1 on Sunday by Stuttgart. That’s a painful one for last season’s Champions League finalists, who face Bochum on Friday.
Last night Atalanta lost at home to Como, giving the visitors their first win of the season, showing the Europa League holders are far from invincible. We face them in Italy in four weeks.
Leipzig gave St Pauli their only point of the season in a 0-0 draw on Sunday. St Pauli had only 30% possession but interestingly had the lion’s share of chances. There is a method of getting to Leipzig.
The roof fell in on Brugge, who lost 2-4 at home to Gent on Sunday. As with Leipzig, Brugge enjoyed 70% possession, they even had an incredible 80% of chances in the game, but lost four goals to a Gent side who only had three shots on target (assisted by an own goal).
Gent are above Brugge in the table, so that split between chances and goals is more likely to be a strategic determination by Gent than a random result. As with Leipzig, there is a way to get at Brugge.
Dinamo Zagreb lost 4-1 at bottom club Slaven Belupo on Saturday. Slaven remain bottom of the table despite that win.
Young Boys got their first win in seven league games this season at bottom side Winterthur. which sees them rise to 9th. We don’t face the Swiss champions until 22 January, lots can change between now and then.
Our only opponents who seem to be motoring with any consistency are Aston Villa, who beat Wolves on Saturday, won at Wycombe in the League Cup last night and sit a point behind Manchester City in the EPL.
This could be the best Champions League draw Celtic get in our lifetimes. I fully expect a near-impossible playoff opponent next season, so let’s make the most of this one.
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No surprise to see Kyiv getting pumped 0-3
Greenpinata on 25th September 2024 7:36 pm
Dortmund are more known for being a tourist attraction tather than for football ability.
Good team, but better reputation for supporter animation.
Not one to emulate, Imo.
——
That’s a bit harsh on last year’s finalists surely?
Majestic Hertsön.
What you say has indeed some merit.
However, the yellow wall equivalent may be the aspiration of our ultras, but what does it win you ?
Apart from a Visit Scotland mention
Cheers and HH
Hammers scores a very good goal 🙃
Lammers even
AN TEARMANN on 25TH SEPTEMBER 2024 7:38 PM
….
I agree with your take on this , I guess my concern is that the rules can be identical but there is always wriggle room for those wanting to ; and with two sets of professionals interpreting rules there is scope for said wriggling , or getting back to old Cloughie , cheating.
To be honest , it’s not worth the hassle with the Hun let UEFA lawyers stick it to them if they breach the rules.
Good chatting
HH
Greenpinata on 25th September 2024 7:46 pm
Tontime Tim,
What decade are you refering to.?
Scotland is changing and has changed. Increasingly we are a modern society, rejecting bigotry, racism and sectarianism.
Dinosaurs are being exposéd and lambasted. They will soon be extinct once more.
Dont live in the past. Embrace the future. F@ ck the racists, bigots and sectarianism elements who will soon be extinct.
HH.
I agree Gp we are a modern society,however ease up on the rejection of sectarianism and bigotry,anti Irish,anti Catholic racism.
The dinosaurs parade with civic backing up and down towns and villages in our central belt,they gave undue influence on both arse cheeks,murdo fraser a lol member and lab has 2 n.lanarkshire mps,it trickles down to councils throughout the west of Scotland.kenny macAskill lauded the singing and chanting as up to worry knees in fenian blood rang out
Look at minty Murray and the malicious court case compensation trials,it is inculcated to a high level,stuff that was known and uttered about for years was proven correct as the knighted swindler sold his club for £1 and his group shat out leaving pensions unpaid.Look down that list I posted about the human rights council,a lot of work to be done indeed.
It’s not living in the past,it’s living in reality,we can all say f the so and so,but what are we doing to reject the everyday reality of sectarianism,bigotry and racism in day to day life.then we can live in a modern progressive Scotland.
HH
EK Bhoy
Indeed,👍 remember in 2012, according to some no rules were broken as their was no rules in place.
HH
Lagerbielke came on for Twente as they closed out the game.
How did he play?
garygillespieshamstring on 25th September 2024 10:08 pm
Hard to say, I,ve forgotten what he looks like! 😂
Big Jimmy well done on the gee, gees.
No need to worry though BRRB said its an open bar on him on Friday in the shipbank.
D. :)
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 25TH SEPTEMBER 2024 6:30 PM
As far as qualifying goes I was looking at the the national coefficients and how Scottish teams performances this season will affect our ranking for the season after next.
Taking the coefficient points for next season, which has us tenth, then removing the first season out of the 5 which wont be relevant for season after next, we’re ranked 18th. Not only will automatic qualification become less likely, if we finish outside the top 14 teams we have the joys of three qualifying rounds.
Bert Cassie’s table for 2024/25 already has our latest victory in it and we’re still stuck at 18th
The season after we lose the biggest of our previous four seasons, and then the season after that we’re really down to poor years.
Automatic qualification is probably gone for now, our best hope is for us and the Huns to pick up enough points between us to make it a single play off tie
garygillespieshamstring on 25th September 2024 10:08 pm
Sorry, daft joke. It was hard to say though, because on tv all you could see was white shirts making sure United didn’t score. He did, however, make a very rash tackle in the final minute which allowed Utd to have a crack at goal, which the keeper saved.
Thanks for replying.
Always like a daft joke.
garygillespieshamstring on 25th September 2024 10:08 pm
Only thing of note was Lagerbielke giving away a unnecessary rash tackle at the end of the game, don’t recall anything else tbh
Re next seasons qualifiers
What is really important is we boost our own coefficient to enable us to be seeded through as many rounds of qualifiers as is possible.
Reaching the quarter finals this year might be needed to do this.
To be clear I meant reaching qtr finals would enable us to be seeded for all qualifying rounds next season.
Getting through those as a seed is significantly easier than as a non seed.
This can then allow us to build on a decent year this year hopefully.
I can’t see hearts or rangers do anything this season re national co eff.
Prestonpans Bhoys
Thanks.
I’m always hopeful a player on.a season long loan might improve as Liam Scales did.
Was going to say it will be interesting to see how Kwon does on Sunday, but I won’t watch it unless the mouldy buns come unstuck.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 25th September 2024 6:30 pm
Bit of a pattern emerging Paul
An article I thoroughly enjoy until I reach the last paragraph !
“fully expect a near-impossible playoff opponent next season, so let’s make the most of this one”
Near impossible?
Really?
———-
Agree B2B – it was a weird portent of doom.
Esp given Brendan will have had a couple more transfer windows within which to notionally further improve the squad. Assuming that he’s backed and that he’s not enticed away (not trying to sew discord btw, but shit happens)
So why Paul’s inferiority filled trepidation that we wouldn’t be game enough to take on any Euro comers ?
COMPLEXINFERIORITY CSC
Quadrophenian
I presume paul was concerned that we will have 3 qualifiers and likely 2 of those unseeded next year if our normal co eff of recent years is where we end up this year. Eg 5 years ago replaced with similar this year.
It seems a bit pessimistic as Brendan will never have a better chance to pile in a few Co eff points and, in so doing, address his relatively poor record in Europe across all his managerial appointments. I think he will do that but we will still face a pre season ‘shoot out’ which does level the playing field somewhat.
Quadrophenian
You mentioned the singer performing in Dunfermline. Do you have a Fife connection ?
Good morning all from Govanhill.
Good Morning from a soon to be very wet North Staffs.
I see Port Vale legend Gareth Ainsworth is up for the Hearts job.
B78
I agree that the club is aware of the CL qualifying criteria and it’s up to us to prepare for possible preliminary rounds.
Good morning all from a very wet Garngad.
D. :)
Burnley78 on 26th September 2024 7:35 am
Quadrophenian
You mentioned the singer performing in Dunfermline. Do you have a Fife connection ?
——–
BURNLEY – don’t think that was me re singer in Dunfermline; Quadbhoy mibby ?
The only Fife singer ah kent of was Fay Fyfe from The Rezillos ;)
I’m Mr glass-half-full about our Euro prospects w Brendan. After we prove we’re a quality side, the quallies will scare us no longer!
He was playing in Malones one nigh I was in after the game..
Was the Celtic stuff, folk songs and “rebel lite” tunes like Sean South.
Can’t remember if he did any of his own songs.
Although his Malones song book might not be what you get in a random venue in Dunfermline.
Paul67 et al
Given the precarious situation that now exists in the borders of Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon permit me if you will to mention, once again, a work that might have some relevance to it. More specifically in relation to the 124th Infantry Battalion (Ireland) which is currently part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Or how they got there. Back in the late 1990’s I was invited by the author Joseph Morrison Skelly to attend an event in Dublin, celebrating the publication of his Doctoral thesis:
“Irish Diplomacy at the United Nations 1945-1965”
(National Interests and the International Order)
(Foreward from Mary Robinson, President of Ireland 1997)
For those that meight be interested in reading it, it is now available on ‘The Internet Archive’ (archive.org) a veritable US digital library, of books, films, television etc all on a non-profit platform
I had known the author for some time before that, of an Irish American Catholic backgound, Skelly being from Ireland and Morrison, Scottish from his Mothers ancestry.
Given that Ireland has recently recognised the State of Palestine Irish peacekeeping forces in Lebanon are now in a more dangerous environment that at any time in recent memory, professional soldiers or no. The USA, UK and France and many others have called for a twenty one day ceasefire between the IDF and Hezbollah, and for the sake of all concerned, including the Irish battalion now there, (safe for now) in that particular region I hope that comes to pass. Suffice to say peacekeeping is not easy task.
Quadrophenian
Apologies it was Quadbhoy.
Time will tell on Europe.
For me a really well formatted qualifying system not at the beginning of the season before a transfer window closes would be better. A mini league of 8 for champions across all top non automatic qualifying nations in April-May with 3 qualifying places for CL would earn decent tv revenue and de risk the situation.
Gene understandably suggests we should have our transfer work done early but sadly we don’t work in a vacuum and as we saw this season we did well but it had to be late for reasons beyond our control
Why all the gloom and doom about next years qualifying games in champions league,I thought the winners qualify automatically.HH
fanadpatriot
We’re doomed
privatefraserCSC
Big game for Scottish football tonight
Come on you Ghirls in Green
Celtic Mac
Israel is emboldened and sees an opportunity to destroy its enemies. As long as the USA continues to provide the weapons it will continue to use them.
The UN is a talking shop which achieves very little.
Meanwhile it’s civilians on all sides who suffer.
Tragic.
Gene: What time is Ladies match?
Butting in, Sorry
Almore – Celtic wummin on BBC Alba at 7.15.☘️
gene
I wasn’t really offering an opinion on the relative positions of the IDF and Hezbollah in the Lebanon but rather trying to draw attention to the role that Ireland currently plays as part of UNIFIL and a work, freely available, that helps explain how Ireland got there in the period 1945-1965.
For what it is worth I tend to agree with you that the USA cannot be seen as an honest broker in the Middle East when it continues to be the major supplier of weapons of war and supporter to and of the IDF.