Qarabag v Celtic- Wednesday 5th August, K.O 17.30, live on BT Sports

Solid performance

Bitton is quite amazing.

Team are super fit, and what a difference that makes.

 

Defensively we were great tonight! Biton, Brown, Van Djik and Boyata were all immense. Do feel a little bit sorry for Ciftci though ... you can see that he's desperate for his first goal but he did put in a shift.

 

Let's be honest now, we're all hoping to hear that champions league music ringing out midweek at Parkhead, but isnt it brilliant to know that were going to have at least 12 european games this year... big for profile, cash and keeping everything interesting.

 

Diabolical to watch. .....but we're through and that's the main thing

 

I'm pure raging..

 

Aye yer right. A couldn't give two * if we played * or no. If we get to the groups we'll see a different team. The players can just relax and enjoy the games as they come knowing they done what was asked of them. Anything after that is a bonus as far as I see it.

Watching these qualifiers you can see the weight of expectation on the players shoulders.

 

Pitch was terrible, conditions were tricky.. All about getting through and we done that, well disciplined performance.

Another away performance/result like that next round and I'll no be complaining.

 

Match Highlights

http://www.myvideo.az/?video_id=2026213

 

Nice as well that we did a bit better than this stage last season considering at was 4-4 on aggregate

 

Thanks for that.

On holibobs and net acting up, well done bhoys, 1 more round.

 

Have no idea why quarabag didnt have a real go. Had we been in there position virgil wd have been up front and wed be playing direct.

 

I think they did have a go. They just are unfortunate enough to have a strike force thats even more anemic than ours.

 

Playing direct would have suited us. They had a small side. Even from corners they didn't look to put it into the box with height.

 

I actually thought we played quite well considering the pitch and heat.

One thing I did notice is that when we pressed them high their defenders gave the ball away 9 times out of ten. Considering this is usually Delia's tactic I think that it speaks to the effect the heat had on tactics and preparation that we only employed this tactic for spells throughout the game.

 

Yep, I thought it was a completely professional, difficult away day performance. Something we've been dreadful at for so so long now. Aye, they had a load of the possesion but they did NOTHING with it. Over 180 minutes!

Ronny's Celtic team certainly seems to be made of stern stuff. LOVED Broony at full time goin roond pumpin the fists!

I'd fancy any of the possible opponents but, come on UEFA, give us Skenderbeu...or Malmo....or Astana (although Kazakhstan again?!)

 

I'm with you Davie, that anything after reaching the group stages is a bonus, think we're all just desperate to get there and enjoy it!

But, there is a part of me that would like to see us using these tactics in away ties in the groups too. Have a go at Paradise, of course, the Celtic Way etc. But the discipline and savvy of last night shows we might have it in us to frustrate the big boys away from home and pick up draws that otherwise could be defeats.

 

Sure it was Hartson who made the point last night, but these games are truly no win situations for us.

Everyone expects us to get through, so we're never going to get a whole lot of credit for negotiating these qualifiers. However, if we go out, we'll be deemed failures.

The 'big fish in a small pond' problem again.

 

It was Lenny mate, and he's 100% right..

 

Indeed