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Celtic vs. Hapoel Be'er Sheva - Match Preview

Discussion in 'TalkCeltic News' started by Moustache, Aug 16, 2016.

By Moustache on Aug 16, 2016 at 8:52 PM
  1. Moustache

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    Wednesday 17th June

    Kick-Off: 19:45

    Celtic Park

    BT Sport 2



    Following a 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the International Champions Cup, Celtic now turn their attention to a game of far greater importance – the first leg of the Champions League Playoff. After navigating their way past Astana in the previous round, Celtic now face Hapoel Be’er Sheva, the champions of Israel.

    With a place in the Champions League Group Stage at stake, and the financial windfall that brings, these next two games will define the rest of the season – for better, or for worse.



    Celtic

    Brendan Rodgers will be hoping that his side are well out of sight come the final whistle on Wednesday evening, rather than having to travel to Israel with it all to do. So who will the manager turn to in order to make this a reality?

    In all likelihood the side that dismantled Motherwell in the League Cup will be similar, if not identical, to the one that starts against Be’er Sheva; with most of those players being rested for the Inter Milan game.

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    Could Scott Sinclair be the man to lead Celtic to victory?


    Recent signing Scott Sinclair is arguably the man of the moment, having proven himself a potent attacking threat since signing from Aston Villa earlier this month. Sinclair has so far managed to score two goals in as many appearances, and will undoubtedly be hoping to continue that trend on Wednesday.

    Elsewhere on the pitch, and following on from his fantastic match winning penalty against Astana, Moussa Dembele manged to rack up a couple of goals against Motherwell, including his first from open play. The confidence that such a goal brings can only be a positive heading in to such an important game.

    In regards to injury updates, some positive news has trickled out ahead of the game. Erik Sviatchenko has taken part in a full training session today, after returning from injury last week. While Brendan Rodgers may be hesitant to give the Danish international a start, especially given the fact he hasn’t participated in a match in nearly a month, it’s likely that he’ll be involved in some capacity. Meanwhile, Patrick Roberts has also returned to training, with the aim of being fit for the away leg next week.




    Hapoel Be’er Sheva


    Now what of our opponents, Hapoel Be’er Sheva, the reigning champions of Israel?

    Be’er Sheva perhaps aren’t a side that many within the Celtic support are familiar with, but having reached the playoffs by beating Champions League veterans Olympiacos, they’re certainly not a team to be underestimated.



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    How will Be'er Sheva cope without their captain?


    However, Be'er Sheva supporters will have some concerns regarding their squad going in to Wednesday's game.

    Following their victory over the Greek champions, their left back Ofir Davidzada, a starting player who made close to 200 appearances for the club, was sold to Belgian side Gent. Weakening your defense just before such an important game is bad enough, but that wasn't to be the end of Be'er Sheva's fans defensive woes. Portuguese centre back, and star performer against Olympiacos, Miguel Vitor sustained an injury that was set to rule him out of the Playoffs. Recent reports are suggesting that Vitor is back in training however, so he may still play a part in Wednesday's game.

    Unfortunately for Be'er Sheva supporters, the bad news doesn't end at a potential defensive crisis. Their captain, and joint leading goal scorer, Elyaniv Barda is set to miss both legs of the Playoff due to injury - something that will surely worry even the most confident of supporter.

    Whilst these absences are definitely a boost to Celtic’s chances, Be’er Sheva still have some dangerous players in their squad. Nigerian striker, Anthony Nwakaeme is a player Celtic will need to keep a close eye on as he provides a strong physical presence upfront for the Israeli champions, something that our defence has struggled with in recent times. While Nwakaeme has yet to score this season, he did score a respectable 14 times during their title winning campaign. However, his fellow Nigerian John Ogu, an attacking mid, has managed to score during the qualifiers and will undoubtedly be looking to add to that tally on Wednesday.



    Results in Europe this season:


    Celtic - LWDW

    Hapoel Be'er Sheva - WDDW