Champions League Celtic v Slovan Bratislava | Wed 18 Sept 8pm | TNT Sports 2

Boooooo

Lol

 

Far too much confidence, sure there's a real opportunity to a good start but my biggest worry is we haven't had a single meaningful test yet this season. This is our first, shouldn't forget that.

 

Watched a bunch if their highlights there, and theyre not to be * with in all honesty.

Theyve some very tidy players, know where the net is, and are very aggressive individually.

On paper we should demolish them, but this is the CL, no team in this comp is without ability or threat, with the exception of sevco.

Not counting chickens on this one. Need to be at it from the whistle, and not let our concentration drop, which is how they picked off Mitjiyland.

 

Read a bit about them too. They seem to have a few good, technical players who have some aggression as you say.

The big weakness is apparently their athleticism and pace. They are a pretty old team, most of their key players being mid 30s. Not sure if that includes the defenders, but Kyogo, Maeda and Kuhn could cause some serious damage if so.

 

Seen us trip up far too often on these occasions. Can't see Rodgers being complacent but sometimes it's the group mindset that takes the edge off these games.

 

You’ve summed up my thoughts nicely here

We should be pumping them and there’s absolutely no excuse for us to not win the game. All that said, I’d take 1-0 now if you offered it to me.

 

Has to be same today as today, but Bernardo in for Hatate.

 

Hatate will start 100%

 

This will be a tough game, definitely our toughest so far, hope the crowd stay with the team and don’t rock up expecting a walkover.

They have plenty experience, 5 or 6 players with over 50 caps for decent countries. Slovakia, Georgia, Austria etc.

They look quite an old team though so hopefully our energy and running power will overwhelm them.

 

We will need to be more ruthless when the chances come along.

 

Schmeichel

AJ CCV SCALES GT

CALMAC
BERNARDO HATATE

KUHN KYOGO MAEDA

 

Huge game for several reasons.

Everyone would love to waltz out of there celebrating a 3-0 win, but need to keep the head. A 1-0 win or any margin that gets us 3 points is big for us. Gets us another UCL win and gives the Bhoys big confidence ahead of those tough away games where the pressure is then a touch more relaxed

 

Need to be better than today and I have a feeling we will be.

 

I'd be very tempted to drop Hatate for Bernardo for this game, Engels doesn't deserve to be dropped after that performance and it'd Bernardo has been excellent recently too, whilst I thought Hatate was really poor today.

Be interesting to see what Rodgers does, rest of the team picks itself..

As others have said, for us to have a chance of progressing, we need to be winning this, a loss or draw and we're making it very, very hard for ourselves early on.

 

So what's the read on this lot? Will they come and attack or sit in and hit us on the break? I'd imagine they probably have this as a fixture they can get a result too.

As many have said, our first real test so far this season

 

They'll deffo look to hit us on the counter..

Did the same against Midgetland, who I'm no sure how they put them out..

Think we'll comfortably do them..

 

They remind me of Cluj we played a good few years back. Full of experience who have good chemistry. Shouldn't underestimate them but if we want to establish ourselves at this level we need to be making an example of them here.

 

Kasper
AJ - CCV - Scales - GT
CalMac
Bernardo - Hatate
Kuhn - Kyogo - Daizen
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Hatate wasn't great against the diets, but he only got back from international duty on Thursday. Think he'll be right at it on Wednesday. Daizen will step it up a level too. And when they are both at it Kyogo plays better. Would be bringing Engles on around the 60 mins mark to give him a taste of CL football rather than pitching him in from the start.

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Pretty sure that will be the team