Barcelona v Celtic (UEFA Champions League) K.O. 19.45

Dempsey

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

It will be very interesting to see the Possession stats after the game.

easily 60:40+ especially as celtic will be playing on the counter attack. alot of what celtic will do and possession will depend on samaras and hooper making good use of the ball when they get it and bring the midfield up the field.

The_Kew_Tour

Dempsey wrote: »

easily 60:40+ especially as celtic will be playing on the counter attack. alot of what celtic will do and possession will depend on samaras and hooper making good use of the ball when they get it and bring the midfield up the field.

Samaras is big player for you guys tonight. He really needs to get other players into the game tonight when ye do have the ball.

Rekop dog

This'll be a complete procession, better ties for the neutral to watch tonight!

Dempsey

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Samaras is big player for you guys tonight. He really needs to get other players into the game tonight when ye do have the ball.

big time! barca players have been singling him out in the media. i think they are hoping that he goes into his shell and has one of those games where you wonder how he is a pro footballer. sammy is more consistent these days though, left wing is his best position

RoryMac

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

Do elaborate..

You're not worth the effort!

dfx-

Barcelona are not doing the same level of pressurising the ball, Celtic could get hold of it and keep it. It's not going to be a procession or anything like it.

If dull dour Depor can get 4..

DARK-KNIGHT

RoryMac wrote: »

You're not worth the effort!

shano1888

Eli Manning wrote: »

Same with United fans and Liverpool fans singing about Liverpool or Munich/Hillsborough. Plenty of lads I know are Celtic fans most of them are dead on. The one section that are annoying are the lads who loudly oppose Celtic because everybody knows some idiot who supports some club. Celtic have a large fan base and it's no surprise that some of their followers are idiots but it's no different from any other club. Sectarian songs, like it or not, are not every Celtic fans cup of tea. You talk about others being uneducated yet you're basically saying Celtic and Rangers hate each other due to religion - bullsh*t.

I really don't get the hate for Celtic fans here and supporting Celtic a club with deep Irish roots is no less embarrassing than supporting Manchester United, Liverpool, Man City and even Barcelona. It's funny that you call them embarrassing then see nothing embarrassing about some fans in the Premier League signing local songs or some Barcelona fans thinking they are Catalan and despising the ground every royalist Real Madrid player walks on and if you agree with that then why didn't you come in here to attack the Barcelona fans as well. At least some Celtic fans can relate to some of the shíte that goes on in Scotland.

What's embarrassing is being ignorant and generalising a whole club based on a certain element of support that you may have encountered; that in itself is a completely unfair sample. What about the Irish lads saying "Manc scum" or "Scouse scum"? That's embarrassing, yet on this forum it seems to be the norm to call out Celtic on it. Mind boggling.

Fantastic post.
I really dont see us getting anything from the game tonight; shame it isnt the home fixture first given the momentum we have thus far. I still cant wait for the game. A real glamour fixture for the club and we have nothing to loose. Also lol at those predicting a 7+ nil drubbing. Not gonna happen. Blind celtic/rangers/scottish football hatred is so pathetic.

Peppa Pig

There should be goals tonight. If Celtic can get three away to Spartak, then they can get a couple against the ravaged Barca defence. But when you have Messi, Xavi, Fabregas, Villa, Iniesta among others, no team is safe, least of all Celtic. You could put Ambrose, Waynama and Kayal on Messi and he'd still come away from them with the ball.

Barca have had a few strange results in the last few years in the CL. I'd say about 4-2 but it could turn out a draw.

SantryRed

dfx- wrote: »

Barcelona are not doing the same level of pressurising the ball, Celtic could get hold of it and keep it. It's not going to be a procession or anything like it.

If dull dour Depor can get 4..

Celtic will not keep control of the ball. Even if Barca played blind folded.

donfers

I have never understood this whole thing where if a team isn't barca/real madrid or if a player isn't ronaldo/messi then they are rubbish/garbage/useless etc

all these lads who support the top teams or have their 4 or 5 class players and say everybody else is ****e

celtic, for the money they have spent, for the league they are in, and for the tiny amount of tv money they are getting are punching way above their weight and doing brilliantly - they have invested smartly in good young players like wanyama, hooper, kayal and izaguirre who are worth a more now (like Ki who they sold to swansea at a big profit)

the populist line the football snobs shout out is that the SPL is ****e which is a dumb thing to say, it's ****e by comparison with leagues that spend a lot more money, of course it is, I like my car a lot but put me in a neighbourhood where everyone earns more money and has a Ferrari and it's not going to look so great but to slag it off because of this is mindless

you have guys like jelavic where people say that "anybody can score goals up there, he won't do it in a quality league", then he comes to england and does the same and the lads who said it will say the same thing the next time someone is transferred to england, forgetting the success stories

barcelona should win comfortably tonight and considering the massive advantage in resources they have then nobody should be surprised but regardless of that Celtic deserve respect for their achievements and sticking the dagger in if they are swept aside by Barcelona is pretty mindless in my opinion

Dempsey

SantryRed wrote: »

Celtic will not keep control of the ball. Even if Barca played blind folded.

talk sh1t much?

SantryRed

Dempsey wrote: »

talk sh1t much?

No, not at all. Celtic aren't very good at retaining possession.

inmyday

Dempsey wrote: »

easily 60:40+ especially as celtic will be playing on the counter attack. alot of what celtic will do and possession will depend on samaras and hooper making good use of the ball when they get it and bring the midfield up the field.

Agree with you there.
I really think Celtic can benefit from the injuries in the barca defence... Both teams to score is evens, isnt great, but might go for that this evening.

Dempsey

SantryRed wrote: »

No, not at all. Celtic aren't very good at retaining possession.

ledley & kayal are fit again, celtic are much better at retaining possession with them two in the team.

GavRedKing

If Celtic dont park the bus they'll get beat easily a consequence of parking the bus is you rarely get better then 35-40% possesion and will have to be lethal on the counter attack.

RoryMac

I'd be shocked if Celtic get near 40% possession, so much is going to depend on getting some decent service to Samaras & Hooper so that we can relieve the pressure.

RoryMac

Celtic: Forster; Lustig, Wilson, Ambrose, Izaguirre; Brown, Wanyama, Ledley, Mulgrew; Samaras, Hooper

Subs: Zaulska, Matthews, Kayal, Commons, Forrest, Rogne, Miku

markie29

RoryMac wrote: »

Celtic: Forster; Lustig, Wilson, Ambrose, Izaguirre; Brown, Wanyama, Ledley, Mulgrew; Samaras, Hooper

Subs: Zaulska, Matthews, Kayal, Commons, Forrest, Rogne, Miku

im surprised Forrest isnt starting...he would be useful on the counter attack especially against the 'wing' backs for Barca.

mark renton

RoryMac wrote: »

I'd be shocked if Celtic get near 40% possession.

Would be nothing short of a mircale if they got 40

Barca should score 4 or more too...

RoryMac

I'm happy with the team, about as strong a team as we have.

Forrest is probably a risk from the start, his tracking back can be poor at times, might be a good impact sub.

Dempsey

Forster; Lustig, Wilson, Ambrose, Izaguirre; Brown, Wanyama, Ledley, Mulgrew; Samaras, Hooper

Happy enough, thought izzy be dropped, mulgrew lb and kayal start as dm and samaras wide left.

inmyday

According to uefa.com

Valdes.

Mascherano, Bartra, Alba, Adriano

Xavi, Iniesta, Song

Alexis, Messi, Pedro

Dempsey

ill be surprised to see mascherano and adriano as fullbacks :P

Super-Rush

Not a **** could i give who wins this.

Either way it will be a good game.

henke

Tough game for Celtic but its exactly where they want to be. Playing the top teams in world football. Fancy them to at least make a game of it, they have improved big time in Europe this past year although this will be a new challenge and I think will benefit them long term.

keith16

Deleted User wrote: »

Probably because they play a fast, highly technical and extremely difficult brand of football that focuses on one of the most difficult skills in the game - keeping the ball - whereas Celtic play hoofball sh*te unless they're up against the plumbers and builders from Raith Rovers.

This is the type of arrogance that makes me hate Barca.

They are lauded because they play great football (not disputing that). But in the same breath, other teams are ridiculed for simply not trying to play in the same way.

It's conveniently forgotten that Barca have some of the best footballers of their generation at their disposal.

I remember Xavi in an interview last year saying something along the lines of the above too, not willing to accept or understand that other teams don't have the stellar talent that Barca do.

It's just ridiculous other teams are criticised for "playing anti-football" and not playing the style Barca demand of them. The very height of arrogance.

Turtwig

keith16 wrote: »

This is the type of arrogance that makes me hate Barca.

They are lauded because they play great football (not disputing that). But in the same breath, other teams are ridiculed for simply not trying to play in the same way.

It's conveniently forgotten that Barca have some of the best footballers of their generation at their disposal.

I remember Xavi in an interview last year saying something along the lines of the above too, not willing to accept or understand that other teams don't have the stellar talent that Barca do.

It's just ridiculous other teams are criticised for "playing anti-football" and not playing the style Barca demand of them. The very height of arrogance.

Pretty sure Xavi said he had nothing but respect for Mourinho's style.

hefferboi

Anyone have a good stream??

Stevecw

Decent 1st 10, no major scares...

Dempsey

hooper and samaras not doing much so far. have they ever played well up front together? usually they play too far apart to be effective even in the spl if i remember correctly

markie29

good save Forster!.....poor pass on the break by Ledley though.

Dempsey

yea!!!

markie29

YES!!! get the fk in there!!

i dont give a fk who scored

Stevecw

Great save, ah cud have made more of the break

As I typed that, wow 1 up!!! Great ball in

G'wan Celtic

davycc

that goal will hopefully wake barca up from their slumber...

danniemcq

keith16

I suppose it will only be 7 or 8-1 now :rolleyes:

Mr.Crinklewood

Could someone feed me?.

killwill

Mr.Crinklewood wrote: »

Could someone feed me?.

I thought the United game would be filling you up now?!

DARK-KNIGHT

Mr.Crinklewood wrote: »

Could someone feed me?.

What do you like to eat??

Stevecw

Great defending here, frustrating them big time. Almost 30 mins now...doing well

Mr.Crinklewood

killwill wrote: »

I thought the United game would be filling you up now?!

Multitasking.

Dempsey

30 mins in 1-0 up. could be worse!

Francie Barrett

United look so clueless defensively.

kitakyushu

Stevecw wrote: »

Great defending here, frustrating them big time. Almost 30 mins now...doing well

Agreed. Good so far. They're doing a much better job than Chelsea last season for example. Also with fewer number. Chelsea just fell back completely and even blocked up the wide channels with wingers. Celtic by comparison are keeping a fairly standard back four so far. It'll be interesting to see if they can keep that going beyond 70mins.

Dempsey

david marshall is playing well....

Stevecw

Haha ole for all the celtic passes!! Put about 20 together there all the same, impressive!

allybhoy

Cautiously optimistic