luisrha

The Final Qualifying Round starts this Tuesday. Twenty teams go for the last 10 spots in the group phase.

Tuesday:
Celtic (SCO) vs Arsenal (ENG)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) vs Fiorentina (ITA)
FC Copenhagen (DEN) vs APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Timisoara (ROM) vs Stuttgart (GER)
Sheriff (MOL) vs Olympiakos (GRE)

Wednesday:
Olympique Lyon (FRA) vs Anderlecht (BEL)
FK Ventspils (LAT) vs Zurich (SUI)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)
Levski Sofia (BUL) vs Debreceni (HUN)
Panathinaikos (GRE) vs Atlético de Madrid (ESP)

Already qualified to the group phase:
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla (ESP)
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool (ENG)
Internazionale, Juventus and Milan (ITA)
Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich (GER)
Bordeaux and Marseille (FRA)
Rubin Kazan and CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Porto (POR)
Rangers (SCO)
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Unirea (ROM)
Besiktas (TUR)
Standard Liege (BEL)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)

Ciara's Dad

Celtic v Arsenal
Celtic Park, Glasgow
18th Aug 2009

I have my ticket in my pocket, and I am about to go into the centre of Glasgow to meet up with friends and get a couple of pints before the game to steady the nerves.
Glasgow will be absolutely bouncing with people today. U2 are playing at Hampden which is only 2 miles away from Celtic Park. 60k for that and another 60k for the footy. The city centre will be awash with music and footy fans. Can't wait!

We are underdogs against the top English club, and will probably lose over the 2 legs, but you never know! After losing our home leg 1-0 against Dynamo Moscow, I would never thought we would still be in the competition. To go to Russia and win 2-0 was an unbelievable result for us.
YouTube - Dynamo Moscow - Celtic Glasgow 0:2 Champions League Samaras 91'
So tonight is a bonus for us. I would be satisfied with any win at all, but that is being very optimistic. On form, Arsenal should destroy us.

Ciara's Dad

Celtic 0-2 Arsenal

The English team won with two scrappy goals. They were the better team overall, but they didn't really carry any threat. We never did either. We were well below par. Too many of our players went into hiding when Arsenal scored just before h/t. We had no belief that we could compete with them after this.
Anyway, we still have to go to London next week and play them there, and who knows, we might get a goal from a deflected shot, or an o.g same as them tonight. But as our manager said after the game, if Arsenal score first, it's time to batten down the hatches!!
Really disappointed tonight.
Looks like I'll have to start a Europa Cup thread.

Real World

Sporting Lisbon 2 - 2 Fiorentina

Updated: August 19, 2009, 3:58 AM ET

Two away goals gave Fiorentina the upper hand going into the second leg of their Champions League play-off against Sporting Lisbon.

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tatepatsfan

Hate to say this before Ciara's Dad, but it seems to me most of the favorites are going to go through. Arsenal, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, Stuttgart all seem to have done enough already, and I think Fiorentina will get by Sporting Lisbon at home. I'm really excited to see the draw this Friday.

Ciara's Dad

If Celtic go out on Wed, which they probably will, , I'll look out for Marseille in the draw. You could be lucky and get drawn against Rangers from Scotland.
They are merde!!
Hope you avoid Barca, Real and the English teams.
Bon chance.

tatepatsfan

Thanks! We got stuck in a group with Atletico Madrid coming out of pool #4 last year, so I hope our luck will turn around this year. It is crazy to think that Real Madrid is going to be in pool #2 - that is going to be a terrible group for whichever two other teams get drawn in. Also, I hope we avoid Liverpool, not because I think they are better or worse than the other teams in pool #1, but just because we have played them in the group stages two years in a row, and I'd like to watch OM play someone else.

Ciara's Dad

Arsenal 3-1 Celtic

Arsenal progress to the group stages of the CL at the expense of Cletic.
Eduardo's dive for the penalty for the first goal was embarassing. Ultimately, the best team went through, although if I was an Arsenal fan, I wouldn't believe all the hype surrounding their team. I don't think they are as good as they think they are.
Bring on the Europa league!!

tatepatsfan

Wow Barca and Inter together. Really hoping Marseille avoid that group.

tatepatsfan

Well, no Barca/Inter, but I'm not sure AC Milan/Real Madrid is much better. I think we could get past AC Milan. Have to see who the 4th team is - must avoid Wolfsburg.