Champs League Group, All Chat In Here.

Only three or four of the players who featured today will play against Spartak. And everyone will raise their game on Wednesday. Nothing to worry about.

And Spartak got pumped yesterday so their confidence will be lower than ours.

 

One thing that I'm not too confident about heading into this match is the way we're being billed as the favourites. That's not something Celtic are really used to in European competition.

We always seem to play better when touted as the underdogs and then regard it as our mission to prove everyone wrong. Look no further than Inter in 1967 and Barcelona just last month. I worry that the fact we are favourites might go to their heads and the players might become a bit arrogant on the night, but I hope I'm proved wrong and we win, with Benfica losing/drawing.

 

Barça have a small squad so regardless of how they rotate their squad players such as Fabregas, Villa, Song, Delofeu and Messi will be playing so I can't see Benfica getting a result. Spartak are in awful form and we have been amazing in Europe. We can do this.

 

Messi only needs 1 more goal to equal Muller I think. He will want to play.

 

Even if the worst happens on Wednesday night, we'll still be in the Europa League after Christmas and could even reach the quarter finals or something in that competition, depending on the luck of the draw and who we sign in the January window, whilst retaining our best players.

It's great to be a Tim

 

Feyenoord '70.

There's no chance this will happen on Wednesday though. Everyone will be up for this and I think the players will still see themselves as underdogs despite being the better team. There's also the added pressure of knowing we have to better Benfica's result - no settling for draws here - which should have a positive effect on the players and keep them on their toes. The atmosphere will be electric as well so there's no way they'll underestimate how much this matters to the fans.

I'm feeling confident.

 

I know we have a good chance here but it doesn't stop me absolutely * it.

Nervous as * for the game. Excited as well obviously. The atmosphere should be amazing, hopefully there's some good news through from Barca early on, that would give us a huge lift.

 

I'm really hoping they start Messi on Wednesday night and don't rest him just because they're through already.

He should be trying to get as many goals as he can in the remainder of 2012 to break Muller's record, so I say unleash him on Benfica midweek... please? :smiley-laughing002:

 

I knew things were bad at Spartak, but didn't know they were this bad (article is from about a week ago)

 

Ian Black wrote that?


Probably does get a fair amount of spare time when he isnt playing part time football, I suppose.

 

:smiley-laughing002: It's legible and not written in crayon, so I doubt it.

 

Back of record tomorrow.

"I'll do it for Celtic fans"

Lionel Messi.

 

Hope that means Messi's asked to play.

 

He needs 2 more goals to beat the world record in a calendar year I think so I'm sure he'll play.

 

Messi:

I would've initially guessed Leo would only play 30 minutes but now I'm not so sure

 

Right Lio, im expecting a Hattrick against Benfica on wednesday! The atmosphere at Parkhead will just be bedlam if news keeps coming through of Barca humping Benfica, hopefully that will spur on the players to get the victory.

 

And............ another reason to love Messi the *

 

V bookie section has odds up for all of Tuesday and Wednesday's games. Celtic game with extended outcomes will be put up as soon as possible.

 

Would love for chants of "Messi, Messi, Messi" to break around Paradise if he scores a few. Do us a favour Leo and we'll love you forever!

 

* Messi.

Our players just need to get the heads down and try to break the chain of our horrific home form.