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Opinion: Unexpected break can play into Celtic's Champions League hands

Read Sport logo Read Sport 12.09.2022 16:51:57 johnreid
Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Sport

As everyone knows, Celtic weren't in action at the weekend, as the Hoops had a free weekend. As the result, the Bhoys had extra time to prepare for the upcoming Champions League group stage tie against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday the 14th of September, and that can only be a good thing for Ange Postecoglou's squad.

Instead of playing against Livingston, the Hoops players had time to rest their weary limbs after what was a difficult 90 minutes against Real Madrid, and that break can help the Bhoys make progress in the Champions League.

The break can play into Celtic's hands, as it could mean that the Bhoys are more likely to get a result in Poland against Shakhtar. The players have more time to work on their plan for the game, and it will be interesting to see what Ange Postecoglou will come up with, perhaps he will look to tweak his usual system as the Hoops aim to get the three points which would put them well in contention for getting second place in the group.

The game will be an interesting one for a number of reasons, most notably the fact that it is being played in a neutral venue, and it will be intriguing to see how that affects the game, as 67 Hail Hail reports that the match is the game is almost sold out, so it seems that it will be like a 'normal' home game for Shakhtar.

Celtic don't have the best away record in the Champions League group stages, the Hoops have only won twice on the road in the biggest club competition in European football. So the Bhoys will need to be at their best if they want to make a bit of history and win only a third Champions League group stage match away from home.

The added time the team have had to prepare this weekend could help the Hoops in that quest to make history. Any slight injuries that players may have had going into the game against Livingston will have cleared up by the time the Bhoys play in the Champions League. 

After the loss against Real Madrid in the Hoops' first Champions League group stage game, the most important thing for Celtic to do is to avoid defeat, and a draw wouldn't be a bad result for the Bhoys, but obviously a win would be an incredible result for the Hoops, and the break before the Livingston game gives Celtic a decent chance to get the three points. 

lundi 12 septembre 2022 19:51:57 Categories: Read Sport

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