Celtic v Hamburg

Headshot

looking forward to this

Celtic supporters hoping for a rally call ahead of Thursday night's Europa League clash with Hamburg may be disappointed to learn manager Tony Mowbray has instead asked for patience.

The Hoops chief has felt the heat in recent weeks due to his side's inconsistent form and a failure to win in Europe in three attempts at Parkhead this season has not sat well with some fans.

Quick-fix solutions are not part of Mowbray's thinking though and ahead of what should be an intriguing affair, he has been in a reflective mood in calling for expectations to be tempered by realism.

"Hamburg have a third-choice striker who cost them £12million and their talent leaves our players exposed," he told the Daily Record. "The fans will have to be patient.

"It's not for me to talk about the general state of the Scottish game.

"People can decide in the aftermath of our match with Hamburg what they think about Celtic.

"We've played well consistently this season and I believe clear-minded Celtic supporters understand what we're trying to do. The vast majority understand the journey we're on."

Rangers' Ibrox aberration on Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League may have cheered the green and white side of Glasgow but Celtic's task will be no easier, despite cause for optimism on the injury front.

Defensive duo Glenn Loovens and Andreas Hinkel are back in contention following calf and thigh injuries respectively and both could start.

Lee Naylor is likely to get the nod at left-back in Danny Fox's absence through injury, while Landry N'Guemo will be hoping for a recall after being axed at the weekend.

While Mowbray is well stocked at the back he continues to be short further up the field as Marc-Antoine Fortune, sidelined for the last eight weeks and the cup-tied Zheng Zhi are unavailable.

However, Celtic's injury problems pale in comparison to Hamburg's. The Bundesliga outfit are already without eight first team players, with Jerome Boateng the latest face to be seen in a congested treatment room.

It was no surprise Saturday's league game with Bayer Leverkusen finished goalless as three of those injured - Mladen Petric, Jose Paolo Guerrero and Tolgay Arslan - are strikers.

Other key absentees include Alex Silva, Collin Benjamin, Miroslav Stepanek, Bastian Reinhardt and Romeo Castelen.

Celtic currently sit bottom of Group C following their defeat to Hapoel Tel-Aviv, while Hamburg are second having lost to Rapid Vienna but beaten the Israelis in their two games to date.

celtic have a good chance to win this I think

VinylJunkie

Headshot wrote: »

looking forward to this

That makes one of us.

Boskowski

I agree, Celtic can win this although it won't be easy.

Despite a horrible streak of injuries HSV managed to keep the ship steady and are still joined leaders in the Bundesliga. Leaving bad luck with injuries aside their season has been nothing but positive so far and the squad they're apparently planning to have out tonight should be good enough to give Celtic more than the odd headache.

1 Bayer Leverkusen 9 6 3 0 18:5 13 21
2 Hamburger SV 9 6 3 0 20:8 12 21
3 FC Schalke 04 9 6 1 2 13:6 7 19
4 Werder Bremen 9 5 3 1 16:6 10 18
5 VfL Wolfsburg 9 5 1 3 18:16 2 16


Rost - Demel, Rozehnal, Mathijsen, Aogo - Jarolim, Ze Roberto - Trochowski, Elia - Berg, Pitroipa (Torun)

Rost, Rojehnal, Mathijsen and Aogo will be 'firm to good'. Don't know much about Demel.
The midfield is going to give Celtic trouble, David Jarolim & Ze Roberto are very good defensive midfielders but also have excellent feet. Trochowski & Elia are quick and should outclass the Celtic midfield skillswise. Berg is the Swedish guy who was topscorer at the U21 European Championships this year. I reckon he will be vulnerable while Pitroipa is very handy but not exactly a 'fox in the box' more a 'down the line and get the cross in' kind of guy.

I read this morning Hamburgs philosophy is to scrape somehow something out of it but they def'ny don't expect to burn it up in Glasgow. I reckon they will play deep and go for breaks - not much of a surprise away in Europe anyway - and they will be dangerous enough when breaking but I don't see them scoring more than 1.

DubDani

Interesting research by the reporter.

Of the 8 injured only 2 are players of the first team this season, and that are the 2 strikers Petric and Guerrero. As it stands Boateng is fit and will play.

The rest of the injured are really long term injured or just squad players.

Could be a good match with 2 struggling strike forces. I think the game will be won by whoever has the dominant midfield. And I think Hamburg have just a bit more there with Ze Roberto, Elia & Trochowski.

Boskowski

DubDani wrote: »

As it stands Boateng is fit and will play.

Latest I heard is injury not as bad as feared but def'ny question mark hanging over him.

DubDani wrote: »

I think the game will be won by whoever has the dominant midfield. And I think Hamburg have just a bit more there with Ze Roberto, Elia & Trochowski.

Agreed, pretty much my take.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

Just like to wish Celtic the best of lllllluuuuuu............. nope can't do it sorry

Brewster

Im going for a draw. Goodness knows Scottish game could do with a boost right now, has it's reputation ever been so bad on the continent?? Celtic have been very poor recently and they will have to up their game dramatically to get the three points tonight.

mike65

Sorry to elbow in the Benfica - Everton game but it didn't seem worth a seperate thread,
the Portuguese side are 4-0 with about 35 mins to go.

cson

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

Just like to wish Celtic the best of lllllluuuuuu............. nope can't do it sorry

A bit pedantic tbh. I understand how its natural that the Blue half will want the same 'joy' as the Green half had last night but all the same... :rolleyes:

Mitch Connor

cson wrote: »

A bit pedantic tbh. I understand how its natural that the Blue half will want the same 'joy' as the Green half had last night but all the same... :rolleyes:

Pedantic? How?

cson

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Pedantic? How?

Wrong word, cyncial would have been more apt.

My bad

Eirebear

cson wrote: »

Wrong word, cyncial would have been more apt.

My bad

If you look at the recent euro threads involving Rangers or Celtic, youll see its been a bit of a running joke.
Not everything about the old firm is hatred.

In saying that, i still dont want them to win...

mike65

I doubt Celtic winning is going to be an issue tonight. Hamburg are in good shape

Eirebear

mike65 wrote: »

I doubt Celtic winning is going to be an issue tonight. Hamburg are in good shape

Stranger things have happened

cson

Hamburg draw no bet ftw

Raskolnikov

Riise brothers are up against each other tonight in Fulham - Roma.

Aidric

Anyone watching the 3E build up? Patchwork stuff, a mute would have done a better job than Gary Kelly. The bird was tasty, mind.

dreamers75

Loads of empty seats.

Noone has yet o make 2 passes in a row, hamburg should win.

Cake Man

Commentator said before the match kicked off that there were Rangers fans in with the Hamburg away fans, what's all that about? Ok, obviously the Celtic-Rangers rivalry but that's a bit extreme buying tickets just to hope your arch rivals lose! :eek:
Said something about some sort of allegiance between Hamburg and Rangers anyone hear??

Eirebear

Cake Man wrote: »

Commentator said before the match kicked off that there were Rangers fans in with the Hamburg away fans, what's all that about? Ok, obviously the Celtic-Rangers rivalry but that's a bit extreme buying tickets just to hope your arch rivals lose! :eek:
Said something about some sort of allegiance between Hamburg and Rangers anyone hear??

There are links between Rangers and Hamburg fans due to soldiers stationed out there etc.
There are also links between Celtic and St. Pauli, probably for the same reasons.

TBH thats about all i know about it, i dont buy into "allegiances" in any shape or form. And i doubt there are too many Rangers fans there in all honesty.

Cake Man

Eirebear wrote: »

There are links between Rangers and Hamburg fans due to soldiers stationed out there etc.
There are also links between Celtic and St. Pauli, probably for the same reasons.

TBH thats about all i know about it, i dont buy into "allegiances" in any shape or form. And i doubt there are too many Rangers fans there in all honesty.

Cheers Eirebear, always fascinated about these kind of things in football. Read somewhere before Roma ultras and Inter ultras get on well (think it was that, could of been Real Madrid ultras) but just curious is all!

Eirebear

Cake Man wrote: »

Cheers Eirebear, always fascinated about these kind of things in football. Read somewhere before Roma ultras and Inter ultras get on well (think it was that, could of been Real Madrid ultras) but just curious is all!

I just think it was quite funny to hear the Hamburg fans chant Glasgow Rangers at the start of the game :pac:

PauloMN

I for one welcome Rangers fans to Parkhead. Money is money no matter where it comes from.

Poor passing from midfield so far, giving the ball away so much. Skippy has the first touch of a bag of cement some times. Brown's miss was awful, a great chance spurned. Don't see where a goal is going to come from tonight. Wouldn't mind, but Hamburg are not great themselves tonight, but still better than Celtic.

PauloMN

Stonewaller not given. Will it be one of those nights?

Eirebear

PauloMN wrote: »

Stonewaller not given. Will it be one of those nights?

That was never a penalty Paul, McGeady was looking for it all the way.

PauloMN

Eirebear wrote: »

That was never a penalty Paul, McGeady was looking for it all the way.

You're taking the piss, right?

DubDani

That was never a penalty. IMO he ran into the defender. Celtic good end to the half, but still can't see them score.

Eirebear

PauloMN wrote: »

You're taking the piss, right?

Not at all.

McGeady runs into the player, the player is looking at the ball all the way and doesnt even stick a leg out.
If McGeady wants to run into him then its not his resposibility to get out of the way.

mike65

Not remotly a peno, more of an accidental dive in the end.

lisbon_lions

need max points tonight i'd say. missing this again with college the match tracker on bbc seems to suggest celtic had plenty chances. hope we can bag one the 2nd half.

Eirebear

lisbon_lions wrote: »

need max points tonight i'd say. missing this again with college the match tracker on bbc seems to suggest celtic had plenty chances. hope we can bag one the 2nd half.

Its on the ITV 4 website if you can get it mate. Not sure if it will work outside the uk though.

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/uefacup/livevideo/default.html

Eirebear

Was that Susan Boyle or Wim Jansen on the ptch at half time?

PauloMN

lisbon_lions wrote: »

need max points tonight i'd say. missing this again with college the match tracker on bbc seems to suggest celtic had plenty chances. hope we can bag one the 2nd half.

Last 15 mins Celtic had a few chances. Only for poor finishing they'd be at least 1 up. Hamburg are definitely there for the taking based on the 1st half.

PauloMN

Turning into a great game now LL, chances both ends. Hamburg hit the crossbar.

Mikeyt086

What a beautiful goal by Hamburg. Fantastic link-up play from the strikers and Berg puts it away. He looks a great young player.

PauloMN

Hamburg 1 up. Good goal. Sums up Celtic at the moment really. Chances not taken, and another goal shipped at home.

PauloMN

Please, please Tony, take Brown out of this side for a spell.

lisbon_lions

dammit! not suprised tbh.

Eirebear

PauloMN wrote: »

Please, please Tony, take Brown out of this side for a spell.

He needs time to get his injury sorted out, its crazy that Mowbray is still playing him. Especially on the form he is in.

PauloMN

McCourt has given me more hope in 2 mins than the rest of them in 80. Mowbray needs to play that lad more.

dreamers75

Seriously its like watching a very decent LOI side in Europe same as Rangers the other night . If hamburg wanted more goals they would get them.

Eirebear

dreamers75 wrote: »

Seriously its like watching a very decent LOI side in Europe same as Rangers the other night . If hamburg wanted more goals they would get them.

Sadly i cant disagree with you at the moment, i think Rangers and Celtic are slightly above the level of LOI at the minute..but not far off. Especially when neither team is performing well at all.

As for the rest of the SPL....

dreamers75

Eirebear wrote: »

Sadly i cant disagree with you at the moment, i think Rangers and Celtic are slightly above the level of LOI at the minute..but not far off. Especially when neither team is performing well at all.

As for the rest of the SPL....

They are well above LOI those 2 are, but watching them in Europe they do exactly what we do when we play teams of this class, the game always ends out the same way. These teams are just too good and have the ability to step up a gear and utterly destroy LOI/Spl when and if they want too.

Brewster

Another thoroughly disappointing night for Celtic, Tony Mowbray and Scottish Football as a whole....... Celtic are well and truly fecked. No way will they get a win in Germany with their away record. I think they are out of Europe now before xmas which is a disaster for league also. Nitemare Nitemare Nitemare......:o:o:o:

applehunter

I think they could get some joy with McCourt, McGinn and McGeady in the team.

Would be exciting to watch anyway.

PauloMN

Hamburg were never going to be easy, I think we all know that. You just cannot compare the Bundesliga to the SPL. I'm more pissed off at the inability to get more than 1 point in total from Rapid Vienna and Tel Aviv.

A Dub in Glasgo

What is surprising for me that I am not surprised about that!

This is one of the worst Celtic teams since I started to go and see Celtic (1995)

Eirebear

Typical overpolicing at scottish grounds again, not letting the Hamburg players saulte their fans, which they reportedly do after every game.

Brewster

From what I hear, there was terrible trouble around Glasgow last night before and after game. A contact I have in the police said it was worst night of trouble in Glasgow in many a year. Apparently Hamburg fans bought a few Rangers scarfs and were chanting 'Rangers Rangers' and the Celtic fans took exception to this.

No, on second thoughts, Id imagine it was probably the Rangers fans on the way back from Manchester who caused the trouble. Would you agree Bobby?:mad:

Raskolnikov

dreamers75 wrote: »

Seriously its like watching a very decent LOI side in Europe same as Rangers the other night .

I'm sorry but that's a load of nonsense.

Only two years ago, Rangers reached the final of the UEFA Cup. On the otherhand, no League of Ireland team has even progressed to the group stages of the UEFA Cup.

Likewise with Celtic, only two years ago they finished second in a Champions League group containing AC Milan, Benfica and FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

We can safely say that no League of Ireland team is ever going to come close to matching these acheivements.

premierstone

Raskolnikov wrote: »

I'm sorry but that's a load of nonsense.

Only two years ago, Rangers reached the final of the UEFA Cup. On the otherhand, no League of Ireland team has even progressed to the group stages of the UEFA Cup.

Likewise with Celtic, only two years ago they finished second in a Champions League group containing AC Milan, Benfica and FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

We can safely say that no League of Ireland team is ever going to come close to matching these acheivements.

In fairness Raskolnikov I agree it is like watching a very decent LOI team, the only problem is no such thing exists as a very decent LOI team.