Champions League Celtic V Young Boys January 22nd kick off 8PM TNT sports 3

No game at this level is easy. We walloped Slovan in the first game and outclassed them but they had their moments. Young Boys are having a very poor season but have a big result in them as qualifying proved.

We should however be looking to impose ourselves on the game early doors and if we believe in ourselves and play as we can we should have enough to pick up three points which should see us into the next phase. The team will pick itself really, I don't think any of the rotation players like Bernardo or Idah have done enough recently to really be demanding a start. So I expect us to line up barring injuries

Schmeichel

Johnston
CCV
Trusty
Taylor

McGregor
Engels
Hatate

Kuhn
Kyogo
Maeda

I can see the game being a little nervy if we don't get an early goal but will go for a 2-1 to us.

 

Biggest game we've had in seasons, it feels..

Rodgers comments a couple weeks ago, I think were with this game in mind.

An early goal would be massive.

 

It's simple if we can't beat the worst team in the format this year at home to qualify for the knockout phase then we don't deserve to be in the Champions League. We have a full strength team and I am certain the players, Manager & Fans will be up for this from the off.

 

Hopefully this will be the game that the real Celtic turn up - the one that beat Leipzig and drew with Atalanta. The crowd will need to play it's part too and back the team 100% and keep the noise levels up at all times and not get on the teams back if they make a mistake

 

On paper we should walk this... Just like the Zagreb game.

If we turn up, we win. They're in honking form this season but we've become a hard watch this last couple of months.

Regardless though, I'm sure we're safe to the knock out rounds. We'd need 4 teams from a group of 8 to get to 9 or more points to leapfrog us and knock us out the competition. We'd also need the three teams under us to leapfrog us - Real Madrid (who probably will), PSV (who will if they beat Red Star and we don't pick up any more points) and Zagreb (who definitely won't)

Red Star, Salzburg, Girona, Strum Graz, Sparta Prague and Shaktar need to win all of their remaining games to leapfrog us. The only ones who that's realistic with their fixtures are Red Star (but that would mean PSV won't be able to go above us) or Shaktar. The rest have one or two impossible fixtures.


PSG and Stuttgart are the other two sitting 2 points behind us but they have to play each other. Stuttgart will qualify as they are playing Slovan first. PSG have Man City.

All moving parts but I think we're safe on nine points, but obviously we want to be as high and safer up the table as much as possible.

 

Biggest game of season, bar none.
It's going to be twitchy, nervy and tight given the huge pressure and expectation from both players and fans.
These guys are no mugs, certainly a level better than Dundee.

Patience is key.
Fans in the stadium have to loudly support team, no matter what - no groans or silence or booing if its not going to plan.
It all transmits to players and makes it harder, ref Brugge.

Encouragement all round is what's required, let's give our team the best chance to win and truly be the 12th man.

 

We are going into this game shaky at the back and far from clinical up front, that's never a good combination. If we play like we have against Dundee and Killie we will be lucky to get a point. The frustrating part is we all know we can play so much better, we just haven't been showing that for months now.

If the players show up and play to the standard they did against RBL we win and win comfortably, if they are nervy and tentative, particularly at the back (as that always seems to spread through the entire team!), we are there for the taking. Unfortunately the performances of late would indicate the latter is more likely currently, but I really hope it's the former. I am anticipating it's going to be a nervy evening.

 

Players coming back at the right time and last night seen a bit of hunger and zip and our game. Kyogo was being noticed making the right moves. Maeda...is maeda.
Can see us winning

 

Someone is going to get it very soon and what brilliant timing it will be, we will win 6-1, if i am wrong we win 5-1, very very wrong we win 4-1

 

PS We .ucking WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I certainly don't think it is a coincidence how much better we looked yesterday with both Maeda and Kuhn back in the team. Looking forward to this one knowing they both should be fully fit and raring to go. Its a huge opportunity for us to make real progress at the Champions League level.

 

Early goal and pump them silly..

 

Schmeichel
AJ CCV Trusty Scales
Bernardo McGregor Hatate
Kuhn Kyogo Maeda
​

 

We should be going into this flying having took about 6 each off Dundee and Kilmarnock the past week but because we made a * of chance after chance you don't have the confidence of scoring 3/4 here.

 

Any win as usual. Hopefully we've got the misses out our system as should have scored a barrel load in last few games, need to be far more clinical. Looking forward to it.

 

In a weird way this has become a season defining game for us. The stellar work done up until now, particularly up until the end of November time really comes down to winning this game to determine whether this is viewed as a really good season or another good domestic one with a sense of what if in Europe.

The league is in a strong position to come back to us with a maximum of 11 wins from 15 games required to secure that and 8 of those being games at Celtic Park. The Scottish cup we are in the draw for the next round and the league cups in the trophy cabinet.

Win this game on Wednesday and we will have reached knockout football within the CL. Regardless of the new format or draw it’s the best performance in Europe for quite some time, probably since the season where we beat Barcelona and got to the last 16, which is more than a decade ago.

It’s all there for the manager and the team to go and do it and put themselves forward to be remembered fondly for achieving a degree of European success. It would also spell an impressive 10 from 12 points available at home and be 6 games unbeaten at home in the CL and help again build some credibility like we used to have with Celtic Park being viewed as a tough place to come for European opposition.

 

If we beat YB then only 2 teams below us matter and that’s PSG and Stuttgart and PSG play Man City at home.
If PSG and Stuttgart lose then with a win we are guaranteed a playoff spot with 1 match to go.
If the above happens then needs wise Villa match doesn’t mean anything.

 

Going to need to be a lot better than we've been recently. They look fairly ordinary at best but so were Zagreb and we stunk the place out that night.

Should win this. No excuses not to.