Roma have already been to Glasgow in this season’s Europa League, winning 0-2 at Ibrox five weeks ago. They followed that with two wins in Serie A and a 2-1 victory over Midtjylland (the Danes’ only dropped points of the campaign) a fortnight ago. Since then, the wheels have come off the chariot, as they lost at home to Napoli and away at Cagliari.
Those defeats, coupled with wins by Milan, Napoli and Inter, have seen Roma slip from top to fourth in Italy, just two points ahead of Bologna, who Celtic play later in the campaign.
When the fixtures were drawn, I assumed tonight’s clash would be the more difficult of out games against Italian opposition in the league stage, but the trip to Bologna could be harder still. We can take some encouragement from Cagliari’s win, their first in any competition since 23 September, when they eliminated a Serie B side from the Copa Italia. Roma are a better team than either Cagliari or Celtic, but they are not invictus.
For me, this is a free hit with low expectations. Celtic’s most important game of the month is on Sunday, when a win is expected and demanded. Tonight, we have to improve our gameplan to enhance that prospect.
Roma are 15th in the Europa League table but only a point off Porto and Braga, who occupy top 8 positions and automatic qualification for the last 16. They will want to leave Celtic Park having bridged that gap. Celtic’s ambitions in the competition are more modest, 24th place feels like enough. For now.
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The repeated mantra of finding your way out of the ‘wild, wild wood’ is laden with the weight of an ancestral chant, a rallying call to overcome and to seek clarity amidst the world’s tangled branches.
Win with Wilfried ✌🏽CSC
Welcome Roma, Ave Ave
https://www.youtube.com/live/03pYP2Nmreo?si=IboNMDdAtLGrAKw3
Post Scriptum – hope you’ve not brought over any assimilated tims, we’ve enough of our own ffs
Not expecting much tonight, hoping we win, but don’t think we will. Crucially , it’s another chance to play WilfBall and letting our players get more experience of that system.
I enjoyed Wilf’s presser yesterday and sure he will do well for us.
kingLUBO
Funny reading how the gang on here have slowly transitioned from despair to hope after the Hearts game. (The USBhoys chat group were more positive about Sunday’s performance and future prognosis).
I really hope Nancy has had the time and opportunity to get through to our team and that they have a morale boosting result tonight.
The lack of a consistent goal threat may well be our Achilles heel again. Mon the Hoops!
And just like that it was match day and Friday eve!
Sionnaigh
You are an example of a typing warrior
Assimilated tims-
whats that?
Non attending typist like yourself who do not go near Celtic Park yet yir typey- snipey bout those who do!!
Chase yirsel and enjoy your telly
Roma 4th in the Italian League played 14 games won9 lost 5 , goals for 15 against 8.
So solid professional outfit but not unbeatable, goals look to be issue domestically. Remember the Hun game , they looked a step above the Hun and remember they missed an absolute sitter so could easily have been a 3-0 victory. Still the Hun had decent chances against them but they kept failing to their big dumpling up front.
We need a good fast start and the first goal , as the team beds in the Wilfried style. Front 3 Id expect changes , Benji will be dropped for not marking the Hearts bloke at the corner , there needs to be consequences for such rubbish defending. Defence and midfield unchanged , so I’d go with
KS
AT. LS. KT
Y. AE. CAL. RH
BAL. DM
JK
Johnny Kenny better option to sniff out a goal than Daizen although his hold up play is about the same as Daizen, poor. Balikwisha suspect has better ball control and passer than Benji ( limited sample size)
HH
I’m looking for nothing more from tonight than some encouraging signs.
Drove past the Roma Team bus on Paisley Road West after that huns game and gave them a celebratory peep!
Would be pleasantly surprised to win tonight and even a draw would be an excellent result. A loss more likely and not unduly bothered if that’s the case. Sunday is all. We are a team that has declined massively in the past year due to hopeless mismanagement.
Friendly 1997
Celtic v Roma
Celtic: Gould; Boyd, Annoni (Hannah, 46), Stubbs, Mahe (McKinlay, 62); Thom (Donnelly, 73), Burley, Wieghorst, O’Donnell (Gray, 85); Jackson, Larsson (McLaughlin, 86).
Non Used Subs: McCondichie, MacKay
Scorer: OG, Aldair (31)
AS Roma: Konsel; Cafu, Aldair, Servidei, Candela; Sergio (Gautieri, 69), Di Biagio (Heiguera, 69), Scapolo (Tomassi, 46), Balbo, Delvecchio (Totti, 46); Di Francesco
Non Used Subs: Chimenti, Lucenti, Gomez.
Referee: H Dallas (Motherwell).
Attendance: 43,895
@celticwiki
1-0 ☝️
While a loss will not be devastating, it’s a sold out Celtic Park in Europe, against a big side. Let’s put up a real fight. I think a draw at least is there for us.
WN struck me as a confident and calm man yesterday. I think we’ll do something special tonight.
TEXASTIM
See you in Boston in 185 days!
It’s what we do 💚
https://x.com/i/status/1999026369393471842
HH
Roma? Imagine having to cheat v Dundee Utd ffs
Looking forward to visiting Celtic Park and cheering the team on against a properly good team.
Good luck bhoys.
Paul67 – with you on your 24th is enough for now observation.
I dont know if we’ll improve in the next 3 months (when the EL Play offs take place)
If we do, I don’t know if any improvement will be supplemented by a productive transfer window.
Time will tell.
If we do though (big IF) … I’d fear no one from perhaps 11 to 16 in the final table.
Come to think of it, if we were halfway decent?
I wouldn’t fear Midjttyland in the last 16 either.
A win would nearly guarantee a place in the playoffs.
The Battered Bunnet on 11th December 2025 12:37 pm
I’m looking for nothing more from tonight than some encouraging signs.
————–
Here’s one 😉
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| come on you bhoys in green|
| 💚💚💚🍀💚💚💚 |
==========================
If I had a £ for every preview which told us how poor our opponents domestic form is….
I’d be the majority shareholder at Celtic FC…firing broadsides at former managers…..
How many times have we been told on here that visitors from Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy and more recently Portugal are far from invincible only to get a football lesson from said opposition.
No, better to accept that we are up against a pretty good team from one of the top football leagues in both European and World football. Got a pretty good record at this level in recent seasons too. And a victory in Glasgow not so long ago.
No, we are up against it tonight, and while some on here use the same lingo (relative to the big picture) Roma are not going to give us a ‘free pass’. And as such we need to treat this game as such, ergo seriously, with line-up, formation and tactics to suit. To boot, if you like. That does not, for instance, involve playing Maeda out wide right or any similarly ill conceived notions, but it might involve using both his and say Jonny Kenny’ s movement and mobility as a counter to Roma’s team wide footballing attacking abilities.
Our home form in past seasons, whilst not quite Fortress Parkhead, has been quite encouraging, and we do have more than a fair share of Euro experience in the ranks, so we should have confidence at least in causing Roma problems and creating chances, albeit maybe not as many as we created against Sturm Graz, but we will need to defend very well across the pitch to achieve a positive result. That said with a full house, anything is possible. Avanti Celtic!
An Italian friend says they started the season fairly well but are struggling a bit now. Good time to play them. Also, they don’t score much.
Gasperini is an attacking coach but they’re not there yet after 5 years of very defensive football at the club
If Dybala plays he needs to be kicked around a bit.
Hopefully we don’t repeat that annoying thing we can do and help them play themselves into form
AIPPLE on 11TH DECEMBER 2025 1:09 PM
TEXASTIM
See you in Boston in 185 days!
I’ve started packing!!
Also have two condos booked in Miami for the Brazil game. Tickets are eye watering expense but the fan zones will be a blast if we don’t get lucky.
I watch Roma as often as poss.
They are not a great side but an improvement on any of our domestic opponents. They’re not a dynamic, flood forward side but more possession based, they’re tidy.
They’re also still adapting to a new gaffer.
They’re better than us & from a higher standard league but we’re Celtic & Europe gets me buzzing so who knows.
Nada beats Europe. Where the best version of Celtic should reside.
Monet Selleck 🍀
Sionnaigh on 11th December 2025 1:20 pm
Roma? Imagine having to cheat v Dundee Utd ffs
____
That’s right. Dundee United 2 up was it from first keg. Lost (cheated) 3-0 I think in the second. Utter disgrace.
follow up ………………
passing time, as a follow up to the 44 players who won the first 9, a wee meander through the stats.
44 players, we use that across 2 seasons now.
anyways, when we ruled europe.
———————-
The first 9, 34 GAME SEASONS, 2 points for a win, leagues are never won by any early margin
P 306 W 235 D 45 F 866 A 207.
Point differential to win the league – 2, 3, 2, 5, 12, 2, 10, 1, 4
Averages –
P 34 W 26 D 5 L 3 F 96 A 23
The players, leaving them in the 4-2-4, but obviously formations changed during the run.
———————————-
A wee observation, transitions and who contributes the most using games and league won
When Lions born around Glasgow are joined by quality from the streets, and a few transfers in
65/74
games/titles
GK. Simpson (110 – 4) ……. Fallon (6) , Hunter, Williams someone else I am missing
RB. Craig (148 – 7) ……McGrain
LB. Gemmel (184 – 6) …………………. Hay (130 – 5) full back and midfield) Lynch
CB. Clark (106 – 4) …………….Brogan, across several positions (177 – 7 count them)
CB. McNeill (282 – 9) – remarkable, Billy only missed 24 fixtures in 9 seasons.
MF. Murdoch (214 – 8) ……….. Connolly (118 – 4) midfield and anywhere,
MF, Auld (105 – 5) ……….. Callaghan (127 – 6). Dalglish (101 – 3)
RW. Jinky (234 -9)
FW. McBride (55 – 2) Wallace (142 – 5 ) Hood (148 – 5)
FW Chalmers (98 – 4) Deans (78 – 3)
LW Lemon (218 – 9) Hughes (137 – 6)
BABASONICOS71 on 11TH DECEMBER 2025 3:04 PM
👍
who scored the goals
Lennox – 132
Wallace – 89
Johnstone 69
Dixie – 65 in 78 games remarkable.
Hood – 64
Chalmers – 61
Dalglish – 56
McBride – 55 in 55 games. (and still scored after Celtic)
Hughes – 51
Gemmel – 35
Murdock – 34
Auld – 26
McNeill – 19
a smattering of others less than 12 each
notes – Hay only scored 6, Brogan 5 , Connolly 5, and Craig – 1 goal
John Clark never scored ever.
Texas Tim et al
By the time the World Cup draw happened FIFA had already sold the first tranche of tickets for the finals, which for Scottish (Welsh/Irish) supporters required a helluva leap of faith, and the future telling skills of a Nostradamus. Today brings the start of a second opportunity to buy tickets through the lottery sounding “Random Selection Draw” which begins @ 11.am ET (5pm CET) and runs through to Tuesday January 13 2026. Tickets are notionally available for all 104 matches, and applications can be for single or multiple purchases. Not sure if dynamic pricing will apply, but given it is FIFA who are in charge dont rule it out. Guessing Scotland versus Haiti will offer the best chance of success. In getting tickets that is!
Saint Stivs on 11th December 2025 3:15 pm
Is this in the league only? John Clark scored in a cup tie at Hibs. A very important goal.
Hello All,
Hope everyone is doing well, Looking forward to the game tonight. Sad to see the passing of another wonderful Celtic player in John “Dixie’ Deans. I have a big poster of Bob Marley playing fitba on my wall in my classroom and a smaller picture of Dixie standing with an excited Bob Marley, who was excited to be standing next to him. We are losing many of our greats, from our childhoods.
Hail Hail my friends.
Sean
Celtic Mac at 3:18
Yes – fully aligned on the Haiti game – my alarm is set for 1050 eastern!
We DO have a game tonight, don`t we?
That USUALLY means loads of post. Not this time.
???
Maybe all on their way to Celtic Park?
Maybe warming up in the hope of another Hun defeat?
Maybe there is a new article that I have missed?
Hot Smoked
Calm yersel doon.😂
That awkward moment when “ The Skol cup” means more than a European trophy 🙈🥴🤣
Come on the hoops 👍
Good luck to the Celts later, a further mission into the unknown. Tonight’s hope in the heart is to be watching fewer immobile footballs at the feet of stationery Celtic footballers. Small steps.
Experts assure me the transport authorities have been constructing and maintaining Glasgow’s motorways for one hundred years and that it will be a terrific network when it’s finished. I’m beginning to have my doubts.