Champions' League 2013/4

[OwlsFan]

Saw the game last night between Celtic and Elsborg. Izaguirre would give anyone palpatations. Celtic reminded me of Ireland unable to hold the ball but well organised defensively apart from Izaguirre giving the ball away in dangerous positions.

I thought Kerr was unjustified in his knocking the quality of the opposition as Swedish football isn't bad and deserved more respect that Kerr was offering. Certainly on a par with Scotland. A good win for Celtic. I thought Stokes came on as a sub and other than getting booked was ineffective although he did have one good run. Celtic badly miss Wanyama in midfield whom they sold to Southampton. Not sure where Kayal is.

[Cuyahoga]

Interesting game on Setanta Ireland now Paok Salonika v Schalke. 1.1 from first leg. Stadium almost empty because of sanctons against Salonika.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd be delighted to see PAOK make it. Great fans, pity they won't be able to watch this one live.

[Cuyahoga]

Its a great game 2.1 to Schalke on the night 3.2 to Schalke on agg.Schalke down to 10 men also.

[Cuyahoga]

2.2 now. Great game, how can anyone who has Setanta watch the Arsenal game on ITV when this game is on.

[Cuyahoga]

Schalke won 3.2 . 4.3 on aggregate. tough on PAOK.

[Charlie Darwin]

Looks like the same again for Celtic - create a million chances and score none of them. Stokes looking lively though.

[Colbert Report]

Great atmosphere in Glasgow tonight. Celtic all over them, they should score ten at this rate.

[DannyInvincible]

The Shakhter keeper is in inspired form so far this evening.

[Charlie Darwin]

The Shakhter keeper is in inspired form so far this evening.
He's one of those goalkeepers who makes the difficult saves look difficult and the easy saves look even more difficult.

[Charlie Darwin]

Can't see Karagandy finishing this game with 11 men. They're lumberjacks.

[DannyInvincible]

Absolute screamer from Commons. Crucial to get it before half-time as well as it relieves some of the pressure for the second half. Celtic really should score another one or two at least here though.

[Stuttgart88]

Yes, get in. Come on Ireland :)

[Charlie Darwin]

That was a super hit and they really needed it. The Celtic defence looks dodgy enough that Karagandy could easily score from one of those ridiculous long throws.

[Charlie Darwin]

Level now!

[DannyInvincible]

Not sure how Stokes managed to hit the crossbar from about three yards...

[DannyInvincible]

Great play by Stokes to bring the ball deep into the box and set Forrest up for Celtic's third. That should see them through.

[Colbert Report]

How much money is this worth to Celtic, anybody know?

[DannyInvincible]

Their run to the knock-out stage of the competition last year saw them net £20.4 million: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/celtic-net-204m-reward-from-champions-league.21689306


Celtic's reward for their run to the knock-out stage of the Champions League last season was £20.4 million, according to figures released by the competition's organisers.


Neil Lennon's side *memorably beat Barcelona 2-1 at Celtic Park in November last year, enroute to success in the group stages.

But official figures released by UEFA reveal the share of total distribution it handed to clubs in Europe's top competition.

On top of the club's group stage fee of £7.3m, Lennon's side were rewarded an additional £3m for qualifying for the last 16.

Celtic also received £6.9m in market – pool funds and a performance bonus of £3m.

However, English clubs' earnings from the Champions League last season were dwarfed by those in Italy, Spain and Germany, UEFA's figures have revealed.

The four Premier League representatives – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City – earned between £24.7m and £30.5m each, almost half the income of top-earning club Juventus who received a record £55.9m in TV money and bonuses from UEFA.

For the last six years, the English clubs have been the biggest earners from the competition but a combination of factors has led to the quartet slipping back in the Champions League earnings list last season.

The first factor was the relatively poor performance by English teams, with none in the quarter-finals and Chelsea and Manchester City failing even to make it out of the group phase.

Secondly, UEFA's latest television coverage deal with ITV and BSkyB saw no rise in its value, meaning no extra income for the English clubs.

By contrast, in Italy the Champions League TV deal increased by around 35% and in Spain by around 20 %.

Finally, the fact that only two Italian clubs qualified for the group phase meant there were fewer clubs to share their market share of TV money, while the German clubs' income was boosted by Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund both getting to the final – Bayern earned €55m (£47.3m) and Dortmund €54m (£46.4m).

[Charlie Darwin]

How much money is this worth to Celtic, anybody know?
I have it on good authority they'll be donating all the money to the Department of Finance to help with the bail-out, as per green jersey requirements.

No, really, the prize money for just getting to the group stage adds up to about €10m and anything further they get is dependant on results. Their share of the TV money will be relatively small given Scotland is a small market.

That was some finish to the game. Stokes did what Samaras couldn't do all night and lifted his head to pick a pass. Super performance, call him up Trap, etc.

[Colbert Report]

Their run to the knock-out stage of the competition last year saw them net £20.4 million: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/celtic-net-204m-reward-from-champions-league.21689306

Thanks for posting this. Though, upon reading it, it says that they received a group stage fee of 7.3 million, 3 million for getting out of the group stages, and 6.9 million in market pool funds and an additional 3 million for a "performance bonus". Can anyone break these numbers down for me?

[DannyInvincible]

In dollars?

[Charlie Darwin]

Thanks for posting this. Though, upon reading it, it says that they received a group stage fee of 7.3 million, 3 million for getting out of the group stages, and 6.9 million in market pool funds and an additional 3 million for a "performance bonus". Can anyone break these numbers down for me?
It's all broken down here:

http://www.uefa.com/uefa/management/finance/news/newsid=1845591.html

[pineapple stu]

Surely the question should be "How much is it worth to Celtic's players?"

[Stuttgart88]

Cracking game. Love em or hate em, you can't deny that Celtic do home European games like nobody else can. If only Ireland could generate a fraction of that atmosphere at the Sweden game. If only we could play at something resembling that tempo too.

[Closed Account 2]

A
Man Utd
Shakhtar Donetsk
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Real Sociedad

B
Real Madrid
Juventus
Galatasaray A.S.
FC Kobehavn

C
Benfica
Paris SG
Olympiacos FC
RSC Anderlecht

D
Bayern Munich
CSKA Moscow
Man City
Viktoria Plzen

E
Chelsea
Schalke
Basel
Steaua

F
Arsenal
Marseille
Dortmund
Napoli

G
FC Porto
Atletico de Madrid
Zenit
Austria Wien

H
Barcelona
AC Milan
Ajax
Celtic

[Closed Account 2]

My predictions

Shakhtar, Sociedad
Real Madrid, Juventus
Paris SG, Benfica
Bayern, City
Chelsea, Steaua
Dortmund, Napoli
Atletico, Zenit
Barcelona, Milan

[DannyInvincible]

Group H looks feisty; all former winners of the competition.

[Closed Account 2]

Decent away trips for the Celtic fans, not massive distances to any of those places, but I think the best they can realistically aim for is 3rd.

Take Dortmund out of group F (say swap them with Leverkusen) and you have 2 league titles in the last decade from the other 3 teams, but it's ahard group even if it's a bit devoid of "champions".

[DannyInvincible]

When are the fixture lists to be announced?

[Charlie Darwin]

They've been announced already I think. Should be up on Wikipedia.

David Moyes could hardly have asked for a tougher group for his first campaign. Chelsea and City have it handy after difficult campaigns last year, and when I saw Arsenal being paired with Marseille I was sure they were going to get yet another soft group, but then came Dortmund and Napoli! Wenger's men will be lucky to qualify from that. Celtic... well I think even this might be beyond them. They'd be doing well to get 3rd.

[Stuttgart88]

all former winners of the competition.has that ever happened before?

[ArdeeBhoy]

Cracking game. Love em or hate em, you can't deny that Celtic do home European games like nobody else can. If only Ireland could generate a fraction of that atmosphere at the Sweden game. If only we could play at something resembling that tempo too.

'Twas there. Right by the Karagandy fans, some craic but nerve-wracking. Stokes & Commons interventions crucial for me.

[Closed Account 2]

Quiz: can anyone name the 9 Italian and 10 German teams who have played in the Champions League group stage (since it was renamed in 1992)? There are also an 11th and a 12th German team who fell out in the qualifiers (in other words they've "done an Everton").

[Stuttgart88]

Italy:

Inter, AC, Juventus, Roma, Napoli, Lazio. Then I'd guess Sampdoria, Parma and maybe Genoa. Udinese failed at the play-off round 2 years ago.

How many English?

MU, Arsenal, Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Spurs and Blackburn?

[Charlie Darwin]

Italy:

Inter, AC, Juventus, Roma, Napoli, Lazio. Then I'd guess Sampdoria, Parma and maybe Genoa. Udinese failed at the play-off round 2 years ago.

How many English?

MU, Arsenal, Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Spurs and Blackburn?
Udinese were in it a few years back. Fiorentina are another and I can't think of the ninth.

From England, Newcastle made it as well.

From Germany... Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke, Stuttgart, Leverkusen, Kaiserslautern, Wolfsburg, Hamburg, Bremen and... one other? Moenchengladbach would be one of the teams to do an Everton.

[Closed Account 2]

Yeah between the 2 of you you've got the Italians.
1 Napoli
2 Lazio
3 Roma
4 Fiorentina
5 Parma
6 Udinese
7 AC
8 Inter
9 Juventus

The Germans were:
1 Bayern
2 Stuttgart
3 Dortmund
4 Kaiserslautern (think it was around the year Dortmund won it)
5 Werder Bremen
6 Hamburg
7 Hertha Berlin (the Ali Deai years)
8 Wolfsburg (a few years ago, when Dzecko was there)
9 Schalke (a few times)
10 Leverkusen (a few times)

those 11th and 12 teams were, as you pointed Gladbach (last year I think) and TSV Munchen 1860, who lost to Leeds in the playoff when they had the Ian Harte, Gary Kelly and a (I think) cup tied Robbie Keane in their squad that got to the semis.

Leeds are another English team into the group stages.

[geysir]

Thanks for posting this. Though, upon reading it, it says that they received a group stage fee of 7.3 million, 3 million for getting out of the group stages, and 6.9 million in market pool funds and an additional 3 million for a "performance bonus". Can anyone break these numbers down for me?

Add in to the cash till, the CL qualifier games. Celtic had 2 rounds to navigate last season and 3 rounds this season. About £1m prize money on average per round.
Also income from 6 or 7 home games.

[geysir]

I wonder is the Karagandy manager off the fags, as he promised (bargain with God or Satan?) if his team won the 1st leg against Celtic? Nicotine is tough bástard to get off your back. His resolve would surely have been tested in the gloom which followed the 2nd leg defeat.

As is said, 'Let the Games Begin'.
It's lopsided towards Wednesday for the tasty fixtures. There are 6 games there I'd have no problem watching.
Arsenal the perennial knockout stage qualifiers, have a nasty group. I suspect this time they will be scrapping for a Europa league place with Marseille, who they play on Wednesday. Milan are shipping a lot of injuries, might be a leveller of sorts for Celtic to get a result. It will be interesting to see how Celtic's CH pairing handle this occasion.

[culloty82]

Short notice, but if anyone wants to try the UEFA Fantasy League, the code is 1652367-529396 (http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/UEFA/15809/createminileague.do) if you're interested.

[geysir]

Only 2 small surprises this evening with Copenhagen hanging on against Juve to draw and Shakhtar winning handy in Spain.
I ended up watching the Copenhagen Juve game, mandated by having a Danish visitor to the house, but glad to as it turned out.
I didn't know Tevez was now with Juve, he missed a sitter late on, Pirlo is still there, still finding an acre of space and the killer passes.

[Charlie Darwin]

Shakhtar winning possibly isn't as surprising as it seems. Sociedad are a quality team but so were Dortmund when they first entered the competition and they were dominated by such sides as Marseilles and Olympiakos. There aren't many teams that do well in the Champions League at the first attempt and Shakhtar are still a good side despite losing several top players.

[geysir]

Shakhtar winning possibly isn't as surprising as it seems. Sociedad are a quality team but so were Dortmund when they first entered the competition and they were dominated by such sides as Marseilles and Olympiakos. There aren't many teams that do well in the Champions League at the first attempt and Shakhtar are still a good side despite losing several top players.
I said a 'small surprise' to lose the game.
Possibly you can argue just how small.
a small surprise
or
a small surprise on the little side of small,
or
a small surprise on the larger side of small :)

[Closed Account 2]

I still think it's a bit of a surprise that Shakhtar won there. Yes Sociedad are new to the CL (I think they were last in it around a decade ago), but so were Malaga last year (who I think topped a group with Milan, Zenit and Anderlecht) and they breezed past Lyonnais in the playoff and Shakhtar have floundered a bit in the last few Ukrainian league games, losing at Karpaty and Dnipro and drawing home with Metalist. Also away in the CL Shakhtar dont have a great record, they've only won 2 games away in the CL in the last 2 years (vs Nordsjealland last year and against an already qualified APOEL), and have lost away against teams of similar strength to Sociedad (like Zenit and Porto) as well as big ones (Chelsea, Dortmund).

Shakhtar's weakness in defence last year seemed to be from set pieces / balls into the box (Dortmund destroyed them on this) by Sociedad never really exposed those weakenesses. Overall I'd probably expect Shakhtar to finish above Soceidad, but I was surprised they werent given more of a test in Spain.

[geysir]

RTE's pundit preamble to Milan v Celtic kicks off with 'sure Celtic have a bad away record in the CL they have never won away from home'
(hand slap to the head smilie goes here)
Eamon to the fore as expert on Scottish football speaks and doesn't suss that the Celtic players are in the wrong position in the team sheet.
Why would Lustig be at Centre Half and the Dutch guy at Right Back?

[geysir]

Indirect free kick to Celtic after the goalkeeper infringed in the box.
George and Ray think the ref got it wrong, but the camera in the replay (I suspect) shows the ref got it right.
The Milan goalie controlled the ball with his hand along the ground, then later he picked the ball up into his hands. I presume more than 6 seconds elapsed since he first touched it with his hand, or something to that effect.

[ArdeeBhoy]

It's 4 seconds these days apparently.
And Lustig is R/B, not that it much matters, just the TV use some dubious criteria to pick out their 'formation'.

[geysir]

I wasn't pointing out the tv error, I was pointing out that the rte expert didn't cop on to the glaringly obvious error.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Hey, but that's nothing new...

[geysir]

First time i've ever heard Ray say 'he used the right option there',
but not until after first examining about 4 other possibilities, re Samaras' effort.