Benfica v Celtic, 20/11/12, 7:45PM.

Our manager isn't know for his... ability to play with words. Don't take him too seriously.

 

Sort of true though if we are being honest.

 

Takes a lot more than luck to beat Barcelona.
Welcome Benfica fans,enjoying reading your posts.

 

Benfica deserved to win, but that quote implies that we're only where we are b/c of luck, and w/o it we lose. I'd prefer if Jesus spoke to the merits of his own team's performance rather than try to denigrate our success, but he's entitled to that opinion.

Luck doesn't have u 45 seconds shy of taking 4 points off Barcelona. Luck doesn't bring u back from 2-1 down in Moscow to win 3-2.

 

The worst thing is, Celtic actually are a good technical team. Mulgrew, Ledley, Wanyama, Forrest, McGeouch, Hooper, Sammy.... they can all pass the ball and control it very well. We're not just a typical British long-ball team, infact we've played some beautiful football under Lennon. But in the CL this year we've just been too scared to play properly, and against Benfica we did just blast it long as we panicked.

A few more years at this level, and when our ever-improving youth talents come into the first team we will be much better and not only we will beat the likes of Barca and Benfica, we will actually get praised for doing so.

 

Not long back in the flat, what a trip that was! Playing on the pitch of the estadio national (even seen myself on skysports news in the pub!), lifting the big cup where Billy did and as always experiencing a great atmosphere. Even got a cheeky stadium tour of the Bernabeu on the way home, ahead of our last 16 tie

The result may have been disappointing but Benfica are a far far better side than the last time we played them and I can't really fault our players for getting over run by them.

 

Long long overdue after the plethora of bad luck we've had away in Europe over the years.

 

i read a lot of the posts before and some people were wondering why we only had about 40 000 people in the stadium. in portugal big stadiums are only filled in games like benfica vs porto, benfica vs sporting or against the likes of barcelona. the tickets are kinda expensive for the portuguese reality. people love football but theres more important things to think about right now. just registered to explain that, and because i like celtic since you honored Miklos Feher in the last time you played in our stadium. GL for the rest of the season and if possible i hope you are the 2012-2013 winners of SPL and Europa League

 

Cheeky *! :smiley-laughing002:

I REALLY REALLY hope you guys win the Europa league, sure you will!

:bbpd:

 

Benfica will need to be very very lucky to win in the Nou Camp in 2 weeks time, silly comment from the Benfica coach. Barcelona are not the type of team that will allow someone to come to their patch and pick up an easy win. I reckon Celtic remain slight favourites to qualify for the last 16.

 

you really dont know our coach. dont make a big deal of the words he says, he talks a lot of crap and is arrogant.

 

Barca will pump Benfica, Hooper and the team will be up to speed and Spartak have * all to play for.

Advantage US.

 

I just want to post something, Portugal's biggest football newspaper, Record, wrote about Hooper: "(...) In Attack, they (Celtic) have a boy that can perfectly be every Central's best friend: Gary Hooper. If this guy is a striker in Champions League, then, anyone else can have that aspiration."

In my opinion it's abysmal the difference of quality between your strikers. Samaras is excelent, truly a great forward. However Hooper seems...well, pretty much what Record wrote about him.

 

He wasnt great at all last night and half fit.

If he was sharp he would of buried that chance when Watt fired towards goal.

 

You can't judge a player on one game,Hooper has been our top goal scorer for 3 seasons now and is far superior to Samaras as a forward.

Hooper app-72 goals-47
Samaras app-117 goals-33

I think your newspapers write total garbage as much as they do in this country.

 

the thing about hooper....give him half a chance and he will bury you.

he was just back from injury, but when fit and on form, hes excellent

 

He didn't play in the home match and was half fit for the away match. Did you watch him against Spartak? He tore them apart. 1 goal and got one of them sent off. You're right in everything you say; just switch the names Samaras and Hooper around. Samaras, although a great player, is a terrible striker.

 

For my first comment after being banned 2 weeks, I'd like to say the following 1 word reply to Miguel's remarks about Hooper:

BAWS




















































Anyway, it was a disappointing result and an even more disappointing performance but not catastrophic by any means. Hooper wasn't impressive but he wasn't given any service because there was a total lack of cohesion throughout the side. Ball retention is critical away from home in Europe and we failed miserably on that account. I can't say I had any qualms about the starting eleven but Brown needs to get the operation and stay out for the next 2-3 months. We sorely lack a creative midfielder that has that spark, a true goal scoring threat and can actually run unlike Messrs Commons and Mulgrew. Wanyama's suspension for Spartak Moscow is a big blow but we should have more than enough; passionate 60,000 crowd, Spartak Moscow guaranteed bottom with nothing to play for and we with the chance to reach the Last 16 for the 3rd time in 6 years. It's simple: If we win, then Benfica will have to beat Barcelona in the Camp Nou. If Benfica manage it? By all means they deserve the Last 16 place and not us, not only because over our 2 games they have been clearly superior. Even if it goes * up, we have guaranteed European football beyond christmas for the 1st time in 5 years and it's not an awful alternative. I think we'll beat Spartak Moscow 2-0 and whatever Barcelona line up stars, our Catalan comrades won't lose to Benfica. Bring. It. On.

p.s Congratulations Georgios on becoming THE FIRST PLAYER IN CELTIC HISTORY TO SCORE IN FIVE CONSECUTIVE AWAY EUROPEAN GAMES, IT'S A STUNNING ACHIVEMENT FOR THE GREEK * OF GLESGA'S GREATEST FITBAW TEAM!

p.p.s The last time we were in the UEFA Champions League group stage, 4 years ago, after Matchday 5 we had bottled a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes to go against mediocre Danish outfit Aalborg to lose 2-1 and crashed out of Europe entirely with a game to spare, leaving a dead rubber against Villarreal which couldn't have had less of an atmosphere if entire 40,000 or so that night had suddenly developed lockjaw and arthritis to the fingers. A bit of perspective required.

 

Is he in the Glesga mafia by any chance :icon_mrgreen:

 

The Portugese journalist's don't happen to work for any Scottish newspapers also do they? It's clear to see that there is a lot of ignorance in the statement. They have obviously seen a half fit Gary Hooper playing once and made up there minds on him. As for the guy saying about Samaras being a great forward, can i remind him that Samaras went through a spell of scoring 4 goals in almost 40 games. That is for another debate though. I would still much rather be in our position than Benfica's in the Group. Away game against the best team in the world, and your closest opponents are at home to a side with nothing to play for. Even though Barca have topped the group, they will certainly not want to drop any more points.