Barcelona vs Celtic, Tue 23rd Oct, KO 19:45

£2 on Sammy to score and Celtic 1-0 @ 651-1! :icon_mrgreen: :smiley-laughing002:

C'mon ya big sexy Greek beast!

 

Will Celtic be wearing the green and white hoops?

 

Every minute my team changes and others ways of playing just pop into my head. We will almost certainly get beat its Barcelona for christ's sake, we just need to give it our best and do what we know we can and maybe just maybe sneak something as unlikely as it may be.

Forster

Lustig Ambrose Wilson Izaguirre

Brown Wanyama Ledley Mulgrew

Samaras

Hooper​

Anyone know the likelihood of Brown, Forrest and Commons being fit?

I'd only start Brown out of the three but Forrest and Commons could be useful from the bench

 

Scott Brown, James Forrest, Georgios Samaras and Kris Commons are all in Celtic's travelling party for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Barcelona.
The quartet missed Saturday's 5-0 win at St Mirren with various ailments.
Defenders Adam Matthews and Kelvin Wilson suffered knee and calf complaints during the match in Paisley but have recovered.
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets is suspended, while captain Carles Puyol and full-back Dani Alves are injured.
Central defender Gerard Pique is struggling to overcome a foot injury in time, which may leave the hosts relying on midfielders Alex Song and Javier Mascherano to provide cover at the back.
Mascherano was sent off in Barcelona's thrilling 5-4 win at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, during which Lionel Messi netted his 21st hat-trick for the Catalans.
Celtic manager Neil Lennon and his assistant Johan Mjallby were at the Riazor and were hugely impressed by the Argentine superstar.
"I was there watching it live and what can you say, he is up there with the best to grace the game," said Mjallby.

Messi scored his 21st Barcelona hat-trick at the weekend
"He is just fantastic. I don't know how you can stop him. He doesn't really play as a recognised striker.
"What they do, if you are a centre-half, is take you out of your comfort zone and that is something you don't like.
"So we need to tell our defenders that they are going to be out of their comfort zone and need to gamble a wee bit, and that they can't count on their team-mates to give you cover.
"Sometime you are going to end up one versus one with a Barcelona striker and you have to live with it.
"We know we can't switch off for a second, we know they are brilliant going forward.
"But we are not going to focus on Lionel Messi - they have another nine guys who can play football."
Celtic have taken four points from their first two group games: a goalles draw at home to Benfica and a 3-2 away win against Spartak Moscow, while Barcelona top the section with two victories.
"We want to get something out of it but we are not daft," added Mjallby. "We are going to play one of the best teams in the world and they are awesome going forward.
"We will think of a way to stop them but we can't just sit in and defend. It's not the type of football we play.
"When we get the ball we need to make sure we don't panic and we keep it, but obviously it is going to be a difficult task.
"They are a brilliant team but that's what this competition is about, it is a great challenge for us."
Celtic pair Dylan McGeouch and Lassad Nouioui miss the trip to Spain through injury.
Tuesday's match will be Celtic's fifth visit to the Nou Camp, with the Scots having lost twice and drawn twice on the previous occasions

 

Scott Brown, James Forrest, Georgios Samaras and Kris Commons are all in Celtic's travelling party for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Barcelona.
The quartet missed Saturday's 5-0 win at St Mirren with various ailments.
Defenders Adam Matthews and Kelvin Wilson suffered knee and calf complaints during the match in Paisley but have recovered.
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets is suspended, while captain Carles Puyol and full-back Dani Alves are injured.
Central defender Gerard Pique is struggling to overcome a foot injury in time, which may leave the hosts relying on midfielders Alex Song and Javier Mascherano to provide cover at the back.
Mascherano was sent off in Barcelona's thrilling 5-4 win at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, during which Lionel Messi netted his 21st hat-trick for the Catalans.
Celtic manager Neil Lennon and his assistant Johan Mjallby were at the Riazor and were hugely impressed by the Argentine superstar.
"I was there watching it live and what can you say, he is up there with the best to grace the game," said Mjallby.

Messi scored his 21st Barcelona hat-trick at the weekend
"He is just fantastic. I don't know how you can stop him. He doesn't really play as a recognised striker.
"What they do, if you are a centre-half, is take you out of your comfort zone and that is something you don't like.
"So we need to tell our defenders that they are going to be out of their comfort zone and need to gamble a wee bit, and that they can't count on their team-mates to give you cover.
"Sometime you are going to end up one versus one with a Barcelona striker and you have to live with it.
"We know we can't switch off for a second, we know they are brilliant going forward.
"But we are not going to focus on Lionel Messi - they have another nine guys who can play football."
Celtic have taken four points from their first two group games: a goalles draw at home to Benfica and a 3-2 away win against Spartak Moscow, while Barcelona top the section with two victories.
"We want to get something out of it but we are not daft," added Mjallby. "We are going to play one of the best teams in the world and they are awesome going forward.
"We will think of a way to stop them but we can't just sit in and defend. It's not the type of football we play.
"When we get the ball we need to make sure we don't panic and we keep it, but obviously it is going to be a difficult task.
"They are a brilliant team but that's what this competition is about, it is a great challenge for us."
Celtic pair Dylan McGeouch and Lassad Nouioui miss the trip to Spain through injury.
Tuesday's match will be Celtic's fifth visit to the Nou Camp, with the Scots having lost twice and drawn twice on the previous occasions

 

All three traveled this morning, so here's hoping. That said, you're leg would want to be falling off not to say you were fit to go to this fixture if asked.

This tie, in this venue, in this competition, against this particular Barca side would be the pinnacle of many players club careers!

COYBIG!!!

 

ambrose is a superior midfielder to brown?

 

Tbh, their defence could be in tatters, this is probably the best time to play them. As for the rest of the team, it is frightening. Even Alex Song is getting slated on here, I saw him control so many games at Arsenal. Watch Van Persie's goals from last season, Song sets up a lot of them with some unreal passes. He has an even better player up front at Barca, he can do exactly the same. Then there is Xavi

 

My team would be

---------------------------:BavbJ:------------------------
:1uOfF:---:3OLZb:---:sRftf:---:8abLu:
---------------------------:zihOd:------------------------
-------:uM5Or:------:rb1KX:-----:eeybo:
-----------------:sQcCy:-----:WiIQa:----------------
SUBS:
ZALUSKA
LUSTIG
IZAGUIRRE
LEDLEY
KAYAL
MIKU
LASSAD

 

Kayal in place of Wilson with Mulgrew cb and Sammy , team changes every hour

 

As long as we don't lose by more than 3 goals then I think that's a respectable result, however spartak went there and threatened to win so I don't see how we can't cause them some problems as well.

 

I think Lennon will play a 4-4-1-1 with the midfield 4 playing very narrow. We have got to be compact between the width of the 18yard box. More often than not they play through the middle. Lucky if we get 25% possession.

Forster

Lustig
Ambrose
Wilson
Izzaguire

Brown
Wanyama
Ledley
Mulgrew

Samaras

Hooper

 

We're 100/1 to be winning at HT/FT with Paddy Power for this. There's such an incredibly small chance of that happening but at those odds even sticking a quid on it seems worth it.

 

That's a man who believes he can win this match.

 

Kelvin Wilson being a doubt for tomorrow may be a blessing in disguise. A back four of Lustig/Matthews, Ambrose, Mulgrew, Izaguirre is what I'd be hoping for.

 

Ambrose is the biggest dilemma for me, I obviously want him on the pitch but I can't decide if I want him partnering Wanyama and Kayal to Help close the ball down and pressure Xavi and Iniesta or if I want his calmness in the center of defense with Mulgrew

 

Looking forward too this soooooooo much,The whole worlds eyes will be on us tommorrow night, Im not holding too much hope of a victory but I am hoping and expecting a performance we will remember and do us proud! MON THE HOOPS!!!

 

Been discussing all day whether we should play Lustig or Matthews as they are both playing well recently. Lustig also having a stormer in Moscos.

I've went with Matthews because he is faster and better at keeping possession. He thinks Lustig because he is better defensively and would be a danger at set pieces since they have a very small team. Who does everyone else think?

 

One of the toughest decisions is whether Lennon wil go with Matthews or Lustig. Both have been great this year.

Think i'm edging towards Lustig tbh.

 

Weird, been thinking this aswell then wee post at the same time