Well the time has come again, and this time i do believe we will finally win away from home in the champions league. Aalborg were extremely poor at Parkhead and i can't see us being beaten.

Lets hope the mancs do us a favour and can set up an amazing night against Villarreal in December

How will that work out if Man U and Celtic do win?

Will it be a winner takes all for Celtic/Villareal on the last day, or is it more complicated than that?

Villareal would only need a point at Parkhead to qualify. Celtic could win, but a 1-0 win would see it come down to goal difference I believe - where Villareal are currently stronger (obviously tonight's games would have a bearing though). Any other 1 goal winning margin for Celtic would still see Villareal go through (ie 2-1, 3-2 etc). A two goal winning margin for Celtic would see them qualify.

Edit: By tonight I mean tomorrow night, obviously.

Personally I hope Celtic qualify - if only to further discredit the anti-Strachan brigade

I hope we just go for it. put this away thing to bed, i'm still fucked off from the home game where we got a legit goal chopped off :/ 2-0 to us im going for!

Even an away win tomorrow night would surely do that.

There would have to be an Extrordinary meeting of the anti-Strachan brigade if that nightmare scenario comes to pass.

Celtic will never beat Villareal by 2 goals, no chance. We're talking about easily the second best team in Spain here.

That's if Man U even beat them tonight, which is by no means a certainty.

I think Villareal will get the point they need against Man U.

If it goes to the last game though, I think Celtic might well beat them by 2 goals. Don't underestimate Celtic's ability at home.

Yes, I think so too. Most likely all three points to be honest.

Baiting aside, Celtic are the clear third seeds in this group. Second would be an incredible achievement, third is expected. Fourth would be a very poor effort.

i personally think Celtic will get pumped

they were shit on saturday shit last week and are due a defeat if they keep playing like that

2-0 Aalborg

0-2 Celtic I would say but I can see Villareal holding Manchester United to a draw. Where would that leave Celtic?

In the draw for the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup.

Au contraire Colin. We've already booked the open top bus for wee Gordon to be acclaimed as he proudly shows off his latest "last sixteen" trophy.

Back on planet common sense - we head into the match more in hope than expectation, as has become the norm after so many away defeats. I sincerely doubt that this modest collection of plodding Scandinavian journeymen will be quaking in their boots at the prospect of facing us.

No doubt the likes of Wilson, Naylor, Caldwell, Brown, Hartley, Robson and McDonald view simply playing in the Champion's League as an unlikely chance they're desperate to grab with both hands. And good luck to them I say. Meanwhile other diddy SPL players at Hibs and Dundee United etc. can "dare to dream" that Strachan will proffer a big fat cheque to their club and give them a turn next year!

Oh f**k off and die

You're absolutely right, you should celebrate the achievement of not even making it into the groups

The away record is so bad that it's impossible to think Celtic can win the game. In fact I would even view a draw as an encouraging outcome.

I would dearly love to be wrong but common sense suggests it will be another Rosenborg/Copenhagen style fiasco.

Yea, I'd love to see us pull it out of the bag but let's get real: we are now a poor, poor side at this level and with all the away losses it seems 'learned helplessness' has set in amongst our squad.

I would wager that none too many neutrals across Europe will be tuning into this match via the red button on their television remotes. In fact even when I settle down on my own sofa, it will be with a degree of reluctance that I switch past Man U v. Villarreal.

Celtic can only hope they avoid the humilation Strachan led them to against Rosenborg.

That really was a disgusting capitulation.

Definitely the most shaming of all Celtic's Champions League away humpings.

I will be hoping for Celtic to win tomorrow by a couple of goals, and Man Utd to win by a similar margin.

Celtic will surely end their misery away from home in the competition, and this result will spur them on for the last game against Villareal and a win that will take them through

Spoken like a true diehard Celtic fan.

I echo celtic_glasgow's sentiments earlier in this thread.

I hope the ' No Conscience Brigade' get pumped in Denmark and then get pumped against Villarreal. That's all folks.

It must be over 30 years since Celtic were a good side at that level.

Dear me that was dreadful.

You really have to try a lot harder than that.

Celtic should really thrash this useless mob, but then again they should have done the same to Rosenborg/Copenhagen/many others. Still they have to win eventually so i'll go for a 3-1 win to Celtic with Man U beating Villareal leaving a tense night at Celtic Park next month.

If Celtic & Villareal win it means we have to beat them by 2 goals at Parkhead to progress. Anything less , Celtic win 2-1 for example , and Villareal go through. Head to head is the primary factor . Goal difference and goals scored etc are secondary. That would only come into play if we win 1-0 , a result that would see Villareal qualify.

They put 3 past Villareal so we wil have to play 2 up front and score a couple ourselfs. I can see a draw sadly.

its always a possibility. celtic have only ever been on the wrong side of the line away from home in europe by very little, and the record cant last forever.

if you dont have hope, what have you got?

Celtic haven't played Rosenborg under Strachan, your thinking of O'Neill.

I think he means Copenhagen

Granted we came close in Lyon, Munich and Milan under Martin.

But in those cases we had a cracking team albeit with a dodgy keeper. Now we've got a top class keeper but, outfield, only really Aiden capable of excelling at the top table.

If only WGS was irish and or catholic eh? Would soften the blow if we was to lose tomorrow.

You really are an insatiable child aren't you.

OH NOW I SEE WHAT THESE IRISH SPECKS DO, I SORT OF UNDERSTAND YOU NOW.

Why break the habit of a lifetime? 3-1 the Hoops.
& Man Utd to win 2-0 and then it's back Paradise for a showdown with Villareal. (no, i'm not putting money on either score)

Gordon could be extremely Irish and Catholic for all I care, it wouldn't have stopped him being pish at his English clubs. It wouldn't mean that he wasn't a cheap option.

It wouldn't make the players he's bought any less hopeless, or his team selection and tactics any less infuriating.

I don't think anyone can argue Strachan isn't Celtic minded. Just look at his reactions to most of the goals in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw99bh4zpD0


Anyway, I'm looking forward to this game moreso than any other game so far this season. I reckon Villarreal will beat Man Ure, but if they don't and we push Villarreal to the last day of the group stages it'll be a great achievement considering how we were written off after one game.

Prediction: Aalborg 1 - 2 Celtic

It would make a huge difference to you.

There is not one person on this board who would think it wouldn't.

If you seriously believe that it wouldn't then you have finally moved lock, stock, and two smokin barrels into cloud cuckoo land.

I'll be going for the same score.

Was going to carried away (again) and go for 1-3 but I'll settle for 1-2.

Settle for??? I'd be over the fookin moon!!!

Mon the Hoops.

It is true that even if Celtic do win they're still the worst away team in the history of the Champions League?

Here's my bothered face.

It will also be true that even if we lose our next game at Celtic Park we will still have one of the all time best home records in the history of the Champions League.

Just to clarify for any idiots on the thread, the scorelines have no bearing tonight, if Villareal get a point Celtic cannot qualify, ONLY if United win in Villareal and Celtic win tonight will Celtic have a chance of getting through.

They have to beat Villareal by 2 clear goals at Celtic Park to advance, providing we have two away wins tonight.

I fancy Celtic to get the win tonight , was fancying a sizeable wager. Maybe I am just trying to convince myself - Aalborg are clearly no mugs.

Aalborg @ 2/1 widely available look value to me.
Cant see a win sadly on the grounds of recent struggles to beat p!sh like St Moaning and Hunilton.

If there are two away wins tonight, and Celtic then beat Villareal 1-0, would it not be settled by goal difference?

In which case, tonight's results would have a bearing.

yes you are correct

In reality there isn't going to be an 8 goal swing in Celtic's favour is there?

Even if there was, the 6 goals against Aalborg would mean it would need to be an even bigger swing.

Still, it's good to be correct on these things

Celtic will get pumped tonight.

Even more infuriating since he is the 2nd most succesful manager in your club's history and has won the title every season against a Rangers team so impressive that it made a European final unlike the mediocrity that O Neill was up against ( and managed to lose out to as well )