[Official TC Thread] FC Astana v. Celtic, CL 3rd Qual Rnd 1st Leg, Wed 27th July, 15.00pm ko, Premier Spor

I think we need to appreciate the impact Scott Brown had on the game and his team mates tonight. He was excellent and his influence was there for all to see. Ok not the most skilful of players but tonight he more than done his job.

 

http://www.snspix.com/27-07-16-fc-astana-v-celtic/photo/156334.html

 

We're probably 4 quality signings away from being be able to compete in CL and at least hold our own there. Take out Roberts, Griff, Tierney Sviatchenko, maybe Bitton & Lustig as well and we're poor. I'm glad Rodgers hasn't bought for the sake of it tho, Deila clearly did that, and we ended up with quantity over quality. It's clear to me that a creative CM is badly needed. Brown is finished, Johsnsen looks to be leaving, Rogic doesn't seem to be fancied for one reason or another, and Armstrong & McGregor are nowhere near good enough. Really really vital we reach champions league and get that big money rolling in.

 

Cheers Crow

(Dembele looks chuffed)

 

aye looked really happy

 

fixed that for you.

 

You know * all about football if you think we need more than 4 players. That ain't a debate it's a fact :bbpd:

 

Thought Brown played well today. He was constantly closing players down and making sure they did not have the time to look up or take an extra touch. Led by example in my opinion. McGregor went missing all night and Armstrong was poor again. Certainly think Rogic, Bitton, Ajer and Johansen should be ahead of these two.

 

Rodgers not say much about the pitch? It played untrue to any real pitch. Ball was going 100mph with every pass.

 

I'm playing on a 4g tonight! Cannae wait, love pinging passes like that

 

Excellent result given the circumstances with our defence; I was expecting us to bottle it and * goals away. No opinion on how we played as I was stuck at work but it's the first time in a while we've taken an away advantage of any description back to Celtic Park so huge positives to take tonight. Reading that we played * but the result is the most important thing in the qualifiers; how many times have we seen more of the ball and generally played ok but ended up getting done? Malmo, Maribor, Molde and even Red Imps away springs to mind.

Gives us a week to regroup and hopefully get the defence back and sorted out. It also gives us breathing space if we concede.

 

Think the pitch was what we expected. We played on these plastic pitches enough now to know what we are dealing with. It was Lincoln's plastic pitch that was particularly bad. Probably brought for 5 quid from B&Q

 

No doubt disappointed to have been subbed.

 

They're 20 odd games into it.

 

Yeah. we started really well on thefirst 15 mins (think we had like 70% possession) then suddenly a set piece and they scored from a free header and I was like *! here we go again. But thankfully we got our act together and also had a wee bit of luck. Efe's lapses fortunately did.not cost us tonight

 

I thought it was totally different from the likes of Kilmarnock or Hamilton's 4G pitches to be honest.

I don't recall the ball going so fast for what would be a normal pass?

 

LEIGH Griffiths’ late strike sealed a priceless 1-1 draw for Celtic away to FC Astana in the first-leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.
The striker lashed home from the edge of the area with 12 minutes left on the clock after brilliant work from Patrick Roberts on the byline.
After making an encouraging start, Brendan Rodgers’ side had trailed to Yuri Logvinekno’s first-half header and they had Craig Gordon to thank for keeping them in contention, the Scotland internationalist making a series of superb saves, before Griffiths silenced the home crowd with a fantastic finish.
Having banked a valuable away goal, Hoops will fancy their chances of completing the job next week in Paradise, where they will be backed in their quest by a partisan crowd.
Irish youngster Eoghan O’Connell made his European bow for the Bhoys as the manager made two changes to the team that started in the previous round last week against Lincoln Red Imps. The Celtic Youth Academy graduate, who impressed in Saturday’s friendly fixture with Leicester City, replaced the injured Erik Sviatchenko.
Efe Ambrose was also restored the backline at the expense of Saidy Janko, with Mikael Lustig and Kieran Tierney filling the full-back positions. Up front, Griffiths and new signing Moussa Dembele continued their partnership.
Roared on by a vocal home crowd, Astana looked to take the initiative from the kick-off, launching a number of long balls towards the reshuffled Hoops rearguard, but they dealt with that early bombardment with relative comfort, Gordon not having a save to make in the opening 15 minutes.
When they did get on the ball, and the Hoops were having plenty of possession in the early stages, they were moving it around confidently, fashioning some promising positions around the home side’s box.
Griffiths had the first effort of the game when he dragged a shot wide from 20 yards and some incisive play from the lively Roberts gave Dembele a sight of goal, but his shot was charged down by Igor Shitov.
Everything looked to be going according to plan for the visitors but then the Kazakhstani champions broke the deadlock with their first chance of the game.
A swift break down the right for the visitors saw the ball crossed in low. Although Ambrose was positioned in the middle to intercept it, the ball zipped through his legs on the slick surface but, thankfully, striker Junior Kabananga was unable to capitalise. However the reprieve was short-lived. From the resultant corner, centre-half Yuri Logvinekno was left unmarked to head home.
Celtic sought an instant response and Dembele looked to be bearing down on goal when he fastened on to Griffiths’ flick on until he was sent tumbling to the ground by an Astana defender, though referee Paolo Mazzoleni deemed it to be a fair challenge.
Emboldened by their opening goal, the hosts were attacking with greater vigour and Gordon had to make two excellent saves to keep them at bay. Firstly, he clawed away a spinning shot from Azat Nurgaliyev, who had reacted quickest to the loose ball, and then he was well-placed to block Kabananga’s shot from an acute angle.
Roberts looked the most likely outlet for the Hoops, leaving defenders in his wake several times on foraging runs down the right, yet the majority of Celtic’s attacks were fizzling out with the final pass. Dembele did manage to get on the end of Tierney’s cross, though he couldn’t get enough purchase on the header to divert it on target.

Both sides started the second-half with plenty of enterprise, aware of the importance of the next goal. Midfielder Roger Canas had the first effort of the second half, lashing over from distance before Callum McGregor had a shot blocked at the edge of the area after another jinking run from Roberts.
Astana were looking the more menacing at this stage, however, and Gordon had to react quickly to stop a swerving shot from Patrick Twumasi and then the Hoops had a lucky escape when Nurgaliyev’s drive cannoned off the top of the bar.
Ambrose saw a header deflected wide from McGregor’s corner and Armstrong couldn’t find the target after darting in from the left as match continued to flow from end to end.
The aerial route almost proved profitable for the Kazakh side midway through the second half when Ambrose sliced Canas’ header over his own bar.
But Celtic had doggedly stayed in the tie and they came up with the crucial away goal in the 78th minute. Roberts was the provider, stealing possession on the byline and then teeing up Griffiths, who showcased his predatory instincts with a blistering strike that flashed past Nenad Eric.
Stunned, Astana threw men forward in search of another goal and Roberts came close to a quick-fire second for Celtic on the break when he curled wide.
And the Scottish champions survived a late barrage by the home side, with Canas heading over in stoppage time, to secure a battling draw that puts them in a favourable position ahead of the return match in Glasgow.



Website Man of the Match: Craig Gordon

 

one match at a time etc but if we beat these guys who could we get next?

 

Main difference for me was Gordon kept us in the game, we got lucky no doubt about it, once bounced off the bar, and Brendan's subs and tactical changes altered the dynamics of the game, Ronny wouldn't have done that, he would have persisted with the same tactics.

Maybe Brendan is a lucky manager, but we will need more than luck going forward, but some better defenders coming back from injury, and one or two more signings, it should look better.