Elfsborg vs Celtic,Wed 7th August'13 KO 6.45pm (BBC Scotland)

Good luck Celtic. Hopefully yourselves and Saints continue towards the group stages of your respective competitions. I'd like to see Motherwell progress too, but difficult to see that happen.

 

Not worried about the astroturf whatsoever.

Dynamo Kiev, Helsinki, Spartak, Cliftonville.

 

Very confident about the mora night.

 

Celtic are 6/4 to win thats cracking price.lump on.

 

was it not dynamo moscow

 

Don't think we've played Kiev since they knocked us out of the European cup in the 80's :smiley-laughing002:

 

Was Dinamo Moscow, not Kiev mate.

 

I'm going to stick my neck out and say Elfsborg won't score. They're jolly rotten. Maybe even pure pish. Possibly beyond *.

 

Who are we kidding that Elfsborg are good? Mo Bangura is seen somewhat of a superstar for them!! 0-3 tic.

 

I'll go for a 2-1 to us, 3-1 on aggregate.

 

Chill

 

I'll go for a 2-0 win to us

 

Lasse Nilsson and Niklas Hult miss qualifying shocker against Celtic tomorrow but Mohamed Bangura can most likely start.
"We plan for it, says coach Jörgen Lennartsson."

Offensive star, who made a very strong effort at Celtic Park last week (0-1), received on Monday workout a sense of rump. First it was tomorrow's rematch at Borås Arena at risk, but today was reassuring. Mohamed Bangura could complete the entire workout without any problems.
"It is very positive. We hope and believe that he can play, but we take a definitive answer on warming tomorrow, says Jörgen Lennartsson at today's press conference."

Bangura should start
"We have a number of good options if your Bangura could not play, but we anticipate that he will start."

However, not Niklas Hult (thigh) and Lasse Nilsson (bleeding in the calf) to the game.
"Hult's thighs are not one hundred percent. Unfortunately, he is not up to date and that includes Lasse Nilsson, continues Lennartsson."

Elfsborg has a 0-1 underdog-turn at home to keep the dream of Champions League alive.
"Celtic are as clear favorites, but we feel we have a chance. We have no huge pressure on us and can beat underdog.

Jörgen Lennartsson took the opportunity to highlight goalkeeper Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaards importance.
"He has never been better since he got here. Would it slip through any mode for Celtic then we have Kevin in great form."

Elfsborg course hope that it will be crowded tomorrow (10,900 seated), but slicing moment, there are still several hundred tickets left in the expensive segment.
"We need borås are behind us, says Jörgen Lennartsson."

 

So Elfsborg will be without winger Niklas Hult and top scorer Lasse Nilsson tomorrow.

Good news.

 

Think it'll be a lot closer than its being made out, hopefully not though

 

Google Translate for Swedish is terrible.

 

With Gary Hooper already gone to Norwich and Victor Wanyama now installed at Southampton, the departure of Wilson will deprive Lennon of the spine of the team that surpassed expectations in reaching last season’s group stage, but the manager has deferred contemplation of the impact of their loss until after Wednesday night’s engagement.

"All I want to do is qualify, then we will take it from there,” he said.
"It's the same remit as last year. It's going to be a bit more difficult without that calibre of player but, hopefully, we can negotiate this tie – then we have got 10 days, two weeks to prepare for the next one."

"If we get through tomorrow, I'm pretty sure we will add to the squad. It was always an opportunity or situation that might arise. It is what it is. Players come and go."

"We have achieved a lot in the three years. We have built these players up and sold them for good money, which is to the enormous credit to everyone in the backroom staff and John Park [chief scout]."

"So, we will go again. It may take a couple of years to build a team as good as that again but, that's the challenge that lies ahead of us."

Celtic hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Glasgow last week and the substantial benefit of having kept Elfsborg at bay at Parkhead is that any goal scored by the Scottish champions stretches the task facing the home side, who would have to make up the deficit with no possibility of extra time. Although Celtic found it difficult to break through Elfsborg’s packed misfiled in the first instalment, a change of pace discomfited the Swedes in the second half. Despite being halfway through their season, Elfsborg’s players do not have the standard of fitness expected of British footballers yet must take the game to Celtic this evening.

"We play at a different tempo from Swedish football, and I thought Elfsborg did struggle with it,” said Lennon. “We started pressing them a little bit higher in the second half, so that is something we need to look at and maybe try to impose ourselves onto them.”
Of his own players’ competitive sharpness, the manager said: "I think most of them who played the three Champions League games and the Ross County game should be there or thereabouts now."

"We looked a little bit rusty and that was understandable but there were a lot of pleasing signs on Saturday that they are really starting to come to the fore now.”

 

couple of pics from today