Champions League 2009-2010

**EAFC_rdfl** · 06/08/2009, 10:53 AM

my understanding was that celtic would get one of:
arsenal
lyon
stuttgart
fiorentina
athletico

them 5 are drawn against:
Celtic
Panathinaikos
Politehnica Timisoara
sporting
Sivasspor

OR is it an open draw, all 10 in together?

I couldnt honestly pick one from the top 5 as an easy game, maybe arsenal or stuttgart??

**DeLorean** · 06/08/2009, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by EAFC_rdfl

is it an open draw, all 10 in together?

No, the teams that I said that Celtic may play are the seeded teams in the Non-Champions category. Celtic are non-seeds in the same category. There is also a Champions category consisting of 5 seeds and 5 non-seeds who will play each other. 10 winners overall to join the other 22 teams already in the group stage. See here

**Junior** · 06/08/2009, 11:06 AM

There seems to be confiusion on whether Celtic could get Fiorentina and Athletico or Pana and Sporting. Various MB and Media outlets all have differing versions.

Either way if we get Arsenal can I be first on the 'Stutts88 can you get me a ticket' list?

If we are to have any chance of getting through, then for me its Pana, Sporting, or Fiorentina - though no game will be easy and we wont be favourites in any tie we get.

Great result for us last night, even if we crash out in the next round. It was an attacking performance, where only one team wanted to win the game. It gets the bloody 'away win' monkey off our back and hopeful should give the lads some confidence when 'on the road' in the future and it does guarantee Europa league, though obv heres hoping we can get the CL spot.

I

**eirebhoy** · 06/08/2009, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Junior

There seems to be confiusion on whether Celtic could get Fiorentina and Athletico or Pana and Sporting. Various MB and Media outlets all have differing versions.

Don't mind the media, Bert is never wrong.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/...eedcl2009.html

How on earth the media are getting it so mixed up I don't know. There's 1 list of seeds and that's it.

btw, last nights win earned Celtic €2m from UEFA. A lot of money for a qualifier.

**DeLorean** · 06/08/2009, 12:11 PM

I suppose the Celtic game should be put in perspective a bit as well. Dynamo Moscow are only a few points ahead of that crowd Krylya that Pat's beat last week in the Russian League, with 16 games gone.

Russian Premier League

Still a great result though in fairness and a giant monkey off their back. I'd love to see them get (and beat!!) Arsenal for entertainment value but I suppose for the best chance of qualification they'd be better off with Sporting Lisbon or Panathinaikos.

**superfrank** · 06/08/2009, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

I'd love to see them get (and beat!!) Arsenal for entertainment value but I suppose for the best chance of qualification they'd be better off with Sporting Lisbon or Panathinaikos.

Pana would be a kind of dark horse in the draw. They came close to putting Villareal out last year and they topped a group with Inter and Werder Bremen (beating both sides away from home).

Sporting (12-1) on the other hand...

**eirebhoy** · 06/08/2009, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

I suppose the Celtic game should be put in perspective a bit as well. Dynamo Moscow are only a few points ahead of that crowd Krylya that Pat's beat last week in the Russian League, with 16 games gone.

Russian Premier League

Also ahead of Zenit though. Anyway there's no arguing that Celtic had better players than Dinamo. Not often it looks that way away from home with Celtic only ever really looking classier than the likes of Aalborg.

I agree that Celtic - Arsenal would be some match to watch. The tempo from the current Celtic team is unreal. End to end stuff.

**DeLorean** · 06/08/2009, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by superfrank

Pana would be a kind of dark horse in the draw. They came close to putting Villareal out last year and they topped a group with Inter and Werder Bremen (beating both sides away from home)

True but they must no have even won the greek league to say they're in Celtic's category. Olympiakos are usually decent too though to be fair. I still reckon they'd be happier just to avoid Arsenal and Lyon. Stuttgart might not be bad, they beat them comfortably enough in the UEFA Cup, allbeit a good few yrs back.

**Closed Account 2** · 06/08/2009, 1:05 PM

This is the official list as at UEFA.com:

Seeded
Arsenal FC (ENG)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR)
Panathinaikos FC (GRE)
VfB Stuttgart (GER)

Unseeded
ACF Fiorentina (ITA)
Club Atl�tico de Madrid (ESP)
Celtic FC (SCO)
RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
FC Timişoara (ROU)

Any of the first can play any of the second. I suspect Celtic would want to avoid Arsenal or Stuttgart. Lyon are beatable and Sporting or Panathinikos would be the best draw. I would say the latter 2 are easier than Dynamo Moscow. Arsenal are probably the hardest team and have an abundance of quality and experience. Stuttgart have some quality players including recent signings Hleb and Pogrebnyak and also Boka and Hitzlsperger. Marica is starting to show promise too. Lyon have had a lot of changes in the squad, Juninho, Benzema, Kader Keita all out, Cissokho, Pied, Gomis and Lisandro Lopez in - they are in transition and it's a good time to play them. Panathinikos are probably the weakest seeded team in this part of the draw.

Arsenal on the other hand would probably prefer to face Anderlecht or Timshoara. Fiorentina and Atletico are very strong.

**briancool21** · 06/08/2009, 7:39 PM

I wouldn't mind fiorentina or athletico there nothing special as an arsenal fan. I wouldn't fancy Celtic against any of those teams to be honest

**DeLorean** · 06/08/2009, 8:16 PM

Originally Posted by briancool21

I wouldn't mind fiorentina or athletico there nothing special as an arsenal fan. I wouldn't fancy Celtic against any of those teams to be honest

You're probably right about Fiorentina but Atletico are a very useful side.

**Junior** · 07/08/2009, 9:09 AM

Originally Posted by briancool21

I wouldn't fancy Celtic against any of those teams to be honest

We wont be favourites in any of the potential ties.......but.....there is usually at least one side that goes through against the odds? If we can go back to our previously 'almost guaranteed' win at home and take confidence from the away performance in Moscow....please god we can do the business over 2 legs.

**Closed Account 2** · 07/08/2009, 10:13 AM

It is Celtic v Arsenal

**Closed Account 2** · 07/08/2009, 10:15 AM

Full draw:

Sheriff v Olympiacos
Salzburg v M. Haifa
Ventspils v Zuerich
Kobenhavn v APOEL Nicpsia
Levski Sofia v Debrecen

Lyon v Anderlecht
Celtic v Arsenal
Timishoara v Stuttgart
Sporting v Fiorentina
Panathinikos v Atletico Madrid

**Junior** · 07/08/2009, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Junior

Either way if we get Arsenal can I be first on the 'Stutts88 can you get me a ticket' list?

*Cough Cough..ahem*

**Closed Account 2** · 07/08/2009, 10:29 AM

Not a draw many people would want... to think that one of Lyon or Anderlecht will go through and two of Arsenal/Celtic Sporting/Fiorentina will be eliminated.

**Schumi** · 07/08/2009, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo

to think that one of Lyon or Anderlecht will go through and two of Arsenal/Celtic Sporting/Fiorentina will be eliminated.

What's wrong with that? Lyon got out of the group stages last year (and for several years before), Celtic and Fiorentina didn't.

**DeLorean** · 07/08/2009, 10:41 AM

Class draw. Can't wait for those matches. Not sure what your saying Edmundo, Lyon might be in transition but they're still Champions League quality, I'd imagine. Themselves, Stuttgart, Fiorentina, Atletico and the winners of Celtic and Arsenal will all add something to the competition I think.

**Closed Account 2** · 07/08/2009, 5:49 PM

I just think they've lost a trio of key players in Kader Keita, Benzema and Juninho and they didn't really replace Hatem Ben-Arfra when he moved south a year or two ago. They looked past it domestically last year, ligue 1 was about 10 games too far for them, they ended up 9 points off the pace, 10 if you factor in their worse goal difference.

They have signed some new players with the Benzema money, but the only one who is proven quality is Lisandro Lopez. Cissokho was good for Porto but he was only at that club for 6 months, with respect it's hard to judge a player off 4 champions league matches (2 draws vs Atletico and one draw one defeat vs Man Utd). He didn't set French football alight at Gueugnon. Bastos and Panjic are fairly good, but I think Lyon are nothing like the force they were even 2 seasons ago.