After two highly productive performances against Barcelona confidence will be high, but it is worth remembering that Benfica earned a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park on Champions League match day one, and will have no fears for Tuesday.
After that game in September Celtic were favourites to finish bottom of the group. Barca managed a slim 3-2 at home to Spartak after a late surge, placing them top of the group while the Russians were rightly encouraged. Benfica earned a valuable away point without being greatly troubled by Celtic. Indeed, the half time video analysis from the Uefa technicians looped repeatedly on one incident, a Benfica penalty claim.
That scenario has changed. Celtic sit second top but a win would see Benfica match them on points and go second on the head-to-head. Make no mistake, despite Celtic’s heroics against Barcelona, Benfica expect to be second in the group on Tuesday evening. They are rightly favourites.
We are now tantalisingly close to the knock out stages of the Champions League but two of the most difficult games of the season lie ahead. The best thing Celtic can do is show Benfica as much respect as they showed Barcelona. Benfica are not quite as dangerous as the Catalans but they are more than capable of exploiting any gaps in the Celtic defence. Treat them as Barcelona-lite and we might even collect our second win in this tournament away from home.
The Andrea Kearney Fund have a signed Celtic jersey available for auction on eBay. The fund, in memory of Andrea, assists families of women who are diagnosed with cancer while pregnant. Since Andrea died, aged 41, four years ago, over 50 families have been helped.
You can keep an eye on the auction here.
The CQN Annual will be available next week, both online and at one or two selected retail outlets. There’s a cracking image on the cover of a goal celebration from a recent goal….
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I, for one, can’t wait for Charles Green’s lolsuit. (thumbsup)
Monkey tennis
SILVER
Top Five?
Silver is the new Bronze
Paul67 – The CQN Annual will be available next week
I hope it follows the tradition of classic annuals and has a picture of you on the front cover, sitting on a bucket.
Crivvens and Jings CSC. (thumbsup)
” I may not like what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Was that Zola, Voltaire…. who said that?
Whatever…..there is another decent notion being ground to dust before us.
Chunkles is a totalitarian dimwit…only what he wants to be said, can be said. Whatever he says is truth, is truth. And he’ll cravenly twist the law to achieve his petty aims.
A cretin. A slackjawed dissembler. A predatory creep.
Just wait ’til the zombies wake up and realise how badly he’s humped them.
Will they march on Yorkshire to rip him, limb from limb?
We can but hope.
BTW:
CHARLES GREEN is an anagram of RANGERS LEECH.
Coinkydink? You decide. (thumbsup)
Good article, Paul67.
You have the good grace to rise above the swamp of Chunkles.
Like my granny used to say:
” Never dignify an insult by acknowledging it. ”
HH!
joe_joe_john_bobby_teddy – Monkey tennis
Smell my cheese! (thumbsup)
I think we will take a point at best. You knew what you would get from Barca, other teams – strangely – are more difficult to predict.
my sentiments exactly paul well said
Make no mistake, this is a HUGE game.
A draw and we’re probably in Europe after Christmas at the least.
A Barcelona win in Moscow confirms it.
A massive week but Pittodrie first.
Paul67
God bless you and all who sail in you!
HH!!
We should treat them carefully but practically speaking it would be a bad idea to play them like Barca. If we defend the area they will go for the wings and put crosses into Cardozo who can (will?) out-muscle, out-jump our Centre-backs.
We will need to push up further try to deny crosses but perhaps stick to counterattacking that has served us well in Moscow and against Barca..
Paul67
Good article. This has turned out to be one of the tightest groups. If Benfica beat us they go second but are away to Barca. If Spartak get something from Barca, the last round is going to be incredibly interesting. We have done very well to be in this right to the death.
mono = one
rail = rail
This ‘podium’ stuff is tedious, a page of scrolling through usually.
Philvisreturns, help ma boab!
miki67, what insult :-)
Sheik Yerbouti, cheers.
Tallybhoy, you too.
celt55, indeed.
.
.
The Onlooker..
My All time Favourite DJ track was Half time in the Parc Des Princess.. Against PSG..
When the DJ Played.. “Bagette with It”..
Summa of DerekJohnstonesNomDePlumeCSC
Paul67
Does that mean you can buy the annual online and it gets sent out.
Doubting there will be retail outlets stocking it in the Kingdom.
A point at Benfica and we will have one foot in the last 16, brilliant.
We need to treat Aberdeen seriously first.
Bawsman – This ‘podium’ stuff is tedious, a page of scrolling through usually.
“Those grapes were probably sour”, reasoned Bawsman, as he brushed a tear away from his eye. (thumbsup)
We have had some very disappointing results in Lisbon (Apart from the obvious one), for whatever reason Benfica have had the upper hand everytime we have travelled over.
Confidence should be sky high, but Benfica will themselves see the chance to get right back into contention, we must show more attacking intent and try to score at least one.
Get control of the midfield and the tempo of the game, silence the home fans. Most certainly we cannot sit back and attempt to soak up pressure.
First of all though there is the not so small matter of 3 points at Pittodrie to take care of.
Exciting times ahead…but we must make it happen.
tomtheleedstim – Were you sent here by the devil? (thumbsup)
philvisreturns
12:48 on 15 November, 2012
joe_joe_john_bobby_teddy – Monkey tennis
Smell my cheese! (thumbsup)
U got it phil……..” Does that mean there will be noise or won’t be”
.
We Need at Least a Draw in Lisbon.. As l Fancy Spartak do Draw with Barcà and Beat us at Parkhead..
Tbh.. I would prefer to go into the Spartak game.. With Us Having to Win.. To Proceed..
Summa of TheyThinkItsAllOverCSC
Lets beat Aberdeen first!
A strong line up is (IMO)required to beat an on form Aberdeen side.
If we take all 3 points at Aberdeen it should lift us for Lisbon!
C’MON THE HOOPS!
Ah, señor Paulo 67, the walking talking insult to us all that is the bandit Chunkles, the totalitarian despot who commands the allegiance of a horde of zombified billy-boys and their brogue addled minds.
: > )
As the day progresses my mood lightens, and I can hear the faint strains of melodic sunshine.
Am I nuts?
How would I know. You tell me.
Here we go, mentions of beating Benfica frighten me after I’ve witnessed us against Killie and St Johnstone. We need to be at our best yet again against Benfica otherwise MSM will have us back in crisis mode. We need to get back to a winning mentality, the fans have got it but have the players? If you’re like me I hate watching Celtic getting beat by anybody (including yer Barcas) at anytime…puts me off my beer!!
Was at a Celtic away game once – cant remember where – and the DJ played Neil Young’s ‘Only love can break your heart’ (!!) at full time!
He had, possibly, just been dumped by his girlfriend!
HH!!
They are all big games in the Champions league
However this is the business end of the section
Benfica will see themselves given their recent record in Champs league with the required class to move up the section and qualify
The element of being the shock outfit has gone, we need a massive performance to get us European football after xmas
Not interested in SPL at the mo, happy to continue along as we are, its been healthy for the SPL, so play the kids on Sunday NL
Class will tell in May
Philvis – no good sir, I’m on the level.
Tallybhoy
12:32 on 15 November, 2012
So the huns are going to serve injunctions against sites that are ‘anti-them?!’
Stupid, stupid, demented desperate zombies!
It is us who should be serving injuctions against their rancid sites!
Hunbelievable!
HH!!
—–
Love that play on words.
Always reminds me of a wee song…
He baffles them with bulls**t
He baffles them with his lies
They nod and all buy into it
well isn’t that a surrpise
The MSM say Green he’s their savior
but we can see he’s a fool
The Huns don’t seem to realize
Chuck’s gonna shoot through
And leave you
The things, he says
Your total mince just gives you away
The things, he says
Are Hunbelievable
He burdens them with his problems
By telling them more lies
He’s always so concerned
With the way he says
They’ve been punished enough
To get there moneys his only goal
And when he’s does they know
But the Huns don’t seem to realize
Chuck’s gonna shoot through
And skin you
The things, he says
His total p*sh just gives him away
The things, he says
Are Hunbelievable
Hun, huna hun hun hun hun
He’s Hunbelievable
Hun, huna hun hun hun hun
They’re so Hunbelievable!
HH
/Bishop B
Timely warning, Paul.
Only the kind of organised & energetic approach that beat Barca will be good enough.
Philvis,
A crafty effort at anticipating the subject of Paul;’s article.
Sadly, he doesn’t always give us what we expect.
:¬(((
Paul67
If Barca get a result in the earlier kick off, a score draw would do Celtic. Huge pressure on Benfica in what will be like a home game for Celtic as their fans are not turning out for the matches and we look like doing another Seville!
Kilbowie Kelt – Thank you, I was actually going to post it on the old article but Paul pulled a Crazy Ivan on me. (thumbsup)
1 -1 with Benfica would do nicely.
Forget Sparta v Barca, everything remains in our hands.