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Well folks its arrive anyone any thoughts on tonights games.

Particularly the betting?

Normally when Celtic are away from home the money has to be on the home side.  Celtic's record is atrocious on the road and as a Celtic fan it pains me to say it, however I have a new found confidence, I don't know if its the fact that there is a feel good factor in Scotland just now with the recent upturn in fortunes of the National team, or if its the fact that on our last 2 away games in Europe we have faired muche better than previously.

I'm not saying Celtic will win but I think the worse we will get is a draw.

All I hope for is a decent performance that sees us have a go at the opposition, and we compete for every ball.

Elsewhere I think given Porto's home record you have to give them a shout against Liverpool at 12/5.  I also like Valencia's chances away to Schalke 04 and Marseilles should be too strong for Besitkas at home.

Funny that, but I feel pretty much the same about our chances tonight, I'm confident we can get a draw but I'm not sure why ;carlocitrone;

Only problem is, whenever I'm confident we usually get pumped!

I wouldn't back against Liverpool against anyone in the Champions League, Rafas got it sussed. Have Valencia not got a few suspended after their battle with Inter last season?

I also think Rangers will win tomorrow night  ;hide;

I think The Hoops are in excellant shape for a win tonight. Much more potent now than in the last season or 2 and defending a bit better.

Boruc and McManus at the back and Brown up front to be the key men.

3-1 the Tic.

:)

Sandy

God we are awful!

whooops

So were we.

Thats being polite

Jeez, we don't give ourselves a chance in these games, it could have been 5 at half time!

Oh well back to the drawing board!

if celtic could have weathered the storm for the first 20mins would have been a totally diff game. goes without saying i suppose but ill take the £20 i won off my mate (celtic fan) for them being at least 2-0 up by half time :)

shaktar far too good for pot 4

I'd like to believe that and I'd like to think Shaktar are one of the dark horses who could reach at least the semi final stages but it's not true.

The first goal was just a howler from Celtic's point of view. If we did that even in the SPL we'd lose a goal nevermind doing it away from home in the CL. That basically set the tone for the rest of the 1st half and we should have been 3-0 down inside 20 mins to be honest.

Our away form is just bizarre Our performances fall into two categories "absolute doings" & "Plucky defeats"

The doings seem to come against sides that we think we can beat i.e. Shaktar 3-0 & 2-0, Rosenborg 2-0, Anderlecht 1-0, Porto 3-0, Benfica 3-0, Copenhagen 3-1

The plucky defeats have come against the big guns and many of them have been very very unlucky with last minute penalties or last minute goals for the opposition. i.e Juventus 3-2, Lyon 3-2, Bayern Munich 2-1, Man Utd 3-2, Milan 3-1(was 1-1 with 5 mins to go!!) wee actually got a draw with Barcelona 1-1.

Juventus, Lyon & Bayern all scored their winners late on.

I have absolutely no idea what to make of all this. Going by all of this our best chance of taking anything away from home this year will be in Milan as opposed to Lisbon

Surely Strachan got his team selection/tactics wrong? I didn't see the game but looking at the side it looks a bit too attack minded for a tough Euro away game. Effective in the SPL but a bit too open in Europe without Lennon sitting giving the back 4 a bit of protection.

Don't need to worry about Walter doing that, we are putting out one of the most defensive sides in our history tonight ::)

Giving the ball away cost us the most. Defender was passed to couldn't control an easy pass attacker passes to his team mate who takes a shot and scores.

Many other similar chances.

You can go over tactics, formations and all the rest but if you lose control in your own half continually then you pay the price.

The first 3 games were key. Donetsk, Glasgow v Milan and then Benfica. Bad start butif we beat Milan and Benfica win at home then it's 3 points all round and very much game on.

Walk on ....................

Sandy

He put Hartley into the Lennon role when it went 2-0 but it was obviously too late by then.

Walter Smith would get football stopped but his defensive approach has got Rangers into the group stages, should make for an interesting first Old Firm of the season though with 2 very contrasting styles!

I think people criticising the team selection are going by hindsight. It's the same startin 11 that drew away to Moscow so prior to last night there was no evidence to suggest that line-up couldn't do a similar job in Donetsk.

The first goal was just an individual mistake that could have happened if you were playing 4-4-2, 4-3-3, or 4-5-1 etc... The manager is totally blameless for the 1st goal.

I haven't really heard many people criticise the selection its the formation thats being questioned. Even then its only with hindsight because they haven't seen Shaktar play since the last time we played them. I would like to think that the manager & the coaching staff were familiar with Shaktars set up & adjust accordingly but Strachan can be pretty stubborn. Also Shaktar are not Spartak Moscow & have a different style so what worked in Moscow wasn't necessarily what would work in Donetsk.

I agree with you about the first goal though, managers can't account for basic mistakes like that.

too true mate, but you must remember the coefficient thingy is taken for the past 2 year, and they just spent £40Million during the recent summer to strengthen throughout, so by next year they could be halfway up (if not near the top) of pot 3.....

....everyone knew prior to the draw, shakter were the main team everyone wanted to aviod, looks like we will need to win all our home games this year again, unless they learn from last night before the benfica away!