Champions League Draw

hello Buckers old chap many happy returns to you and yours ;)

It's a bit of both really, i strongly believe if we can get a good result @ Celtic Park, we can weather the storm as it were in Barcelona and scrape through, it's not an impossible task despite what some may think.

Festive greetings backatya my mutli-teamed chum.

Your belief is based on hope methinks, but I wish you luck.
 
manager excited by barca draw

David Friel
CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan today welcomed the “exciting” prospect of facing Barcelona in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and promised Hoops fans that his side will enter the tie full of confidence.

The SPL champions were the first club out of the hat at today's draw in Switzerland and landed a glamour fixture against the Spanish giants. Celtic will play the first leg at home on February 20, before travelling to Spain for the Nou Camp leg on March 4.

With world-class stars like Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Thierry Henry in their ranks, Frank Rijkaard’s side are one of the favourites for the UEFA Champions League, but the Celtic manager insists his men have nothing to fear.

“It’s an exciting draw,” smiled the manager. “I think the lads were getting a bit edgy this morning when they were training and the draw was on.

“The news filtered through to a few of them, so I just decided to stop and tell all of them. Once they were told, they were all fine and the training was good.

“We wanted something different in the draw and most of us have never faced up to Barcelona in a competitive match. It’s fantastic for us and just to be able to look at the last 16 and say, ‘We’re in that’.

“Okay, we might be the outsiders for the competition, but just being there is absolutely fantastic. In saying that, we want to beat them – we really want to beat Barcelona.”

Asked whether it was realistic to think that Celtic could eliminate Barca and the Hoops manager was unequivocal in his response.

And no wonder. In 2004, Celtic met Barca four times - twice in the UEFA Cup and twice in the UEFA Champions League - and more than held their own, winning one and drawing two of the games.

“It is realistic,” he said. “It can be done because we’ve shown that when we are at our best, we can beat anybody.

“We know about our away form and we will try to rectify that. But as long as you give it a good shot in the home game, then you never know what will happen. We’re happy with the draw.”

http://www.celticfc.net/news/stories/news_211207141721.aspx
 
Considering the fact that we played Barca 4 times in 2004 and won 1, lost 1 and drew 2,i can only laugh at people automatically assuming it's a foregone conclusion that Barca will win:eek:
 
Good exciting draws, all the English to go through. If you think Barca are gonna lose at fortress Celtic Park you've got another thing coming though pal. Aggregate result, 5+ difference in Barca's favour.
 
I fancy Celtic too cause an upset, it certainly won't be a walk in the park for Barca! Few people expected Liverpool to beat them last year and look what happened!

Personally I'm happy with drawing Inter, I wanted them or Real and think we can go through!
 
I fancy Celtic too cause an upset, it certainly won't be a walk in the park for Barca! Few people expected Liverpool to beat them last year and look what happened!

Personally I'm happy with drawing Inter, I wanted them or Real and think we can go through!


The usual suspects here have a anti-Celtic agenda going on that's why they dismiss us every time in the CL,sad but true.

I think if Liverpool can reproduce their home form in the CL they might just sneak it but id fancy Inter to win @ home.
 
:lol: I don't think it's an anti-Celtic agenda, Jonny, as much as a well-informed belief that Barcelona are simply going to beat your team :lol:

Quite pleased with Chelsea's draw... on paper probably the best draw we could have had. March on to Moscow :D
 
Barca, a club with massive amounts of history, success and support ( more than Celtic ). Celtic, a club with ginger people, fat ex English pro's and mouthy fans. Barcas best players, Henry, Eto'o, Ronaldinho. Celtics best players, Nakamura, Vennagor of Hesselink & McDonald ? I don't even know but that proves my point. It's not an anti Celtic attitude, it's realism. Although I do prefer Rangers, no dillusions of grandure there.
 
Not anti celtic, just anti the frankly bizarre, almost attention seeking pronouncements regards them (Henry etc) & (albeit very occasional) allusions to sectarianism.

Oh and the 'it was better in the old days' moral high ground of a one eyed football fan, that aswell.

Arsenal, Chelsea to go through for sure I think. Well not that certain but y'know..

Liverpool, I am frankly afraid of Inter, will not make any bones about that, we go in as under dogs.

United will have a game on their hands tho - I imagine they are glad to be at home second leg.

Celtic will be beaten, but well done for getting out of the group stage - it is like an English second div team winninf the FA cup. No seriously;).
 
Jonny, please don't take this the wrong way. It's not meant to be an insult to your team.

But to have an anti-Celtic agenda, I would have to actually care enough about the club to have a negative about them! :lol:
 
Celtic can't even win in their own crappy league. Johnny, snore off, you are both a mug, and a simon cecil drooper. Hail snail.
 
sorry for my late input..

As you can imagine I also think barca will get through. There's a few things that are concerning me though.

- How will Messi come back from the injury? (he's due to come back in mid Jan)

- How will Etoo come back from the African Cup of Nations?

- And will rijkaard have the balls to leave Ronnie out??!!!

It wont be a walk over, but I do think we won't lose at celtic, we are better now than the last few times we've played them.

As for the other draws, im VERY happy. Two strong italian teams facing two strong british teams means an easier path for Barca 8)

I predict Liverpool and AC Milan to get through btw
 
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