Champions League Qualifying Draw Made

[loz]

Support your local team

Pretty tough draws for the British sides apart from Rangers

FH Hafnarfjordur or BATE Borisov v Zaglebie Lubin or Steaua Bucharest

Tampere United or Levski Sofia v Astana or Rosenborg

Spartak Moscow v CELTIC

Werder Bremen v NK Domzale or Dinamo Zagreb

FK Ventspils or FC Salzburg v Pyunik or Shakhtar Donetsk

Ajax v MSK Zilina or SK Slavia Prague

Valencia v Debreceni or IF Elfsborg

Genk or FK Sarajevo v Dynamo Kiev

Fenerbahce v Anderlecht

RANGERS or FK Zeta v FK Crvena Zvezda or Levadia Tallinn

Toulouse v LIVERPOOL

Benfica v FC Copenhagen or Beitar Jerusalem

Lazio v Dinamo Bucharest

Sparta Prague v ARSENAL

FC Zurich v Sheriff or Besiktas

Sevilla v AEK Athens

[sergeyMS]

Good to see Spartak vs Celtic.

I know Spartak very good, you know Celtic very good.

There`s a matter to be discusses.

I want to see both Russian team in group stages this year, but I have a very bad feeling.

Russian leading teams are far from their best form, although half of season is already past.

Frankly, Spartak was a s**t last year in Europe, qualifying with big difficulties. And I have fears it wouldn`t be better this season, because of some internal changes, in particular - new manager was appointed one month ago. Still no improvement, obviously we need time.

What can you tell about Celtic?

[Liam]

Toulouse v LIVERPOOL

Is this a potential banana skin? Pleeeease.

[loz]

Sergey

Celtic have looked pretty poor in pre-season so far. In terms of Europe they, in recent years, have been very impressive at home and abysmal away form home. Their main danger is from set pieces as Nakamura can fire in some absolute peaches from all sorts of angles and distance so Spartak will need ot be careful not to concede too many unnecessary free kicks.

[BackInBlue]

Sergey

Celtic have looked pretty poor in pre-season so far. In terms of Europe they, in recent years, have been very impressive at home and abysmal away form home. Their main danger is from set pieces as Nakamura can fire in some absolute peaches from all sorts of angles and distance so Spartak will need ot be careful not to concede too many unnecessary free kicks.

Slightly off topic, but what are your thoughts on Nakamura?? Do you think he can cut it in the Prem or is the Scottish league just about his level??

[loz]

I think you are spot on with the idea that the SPL is his level.

He disappears far too often for my liking, and was especially inviisble on a number of occasions on the big European nights. He gets away with it sometimes because he can have a pretty ineffective night and then smash in an unstoppable free kick in the 83rd minute.

However in the Premiership I think he would not get into any of the top four teams, might get 10 or 15 games for a top 10 team and would even struggle to hold down a regular spot in a bottom half team.

[Sofa Manager]

Actually, loz I'm not sure if Rangers will have such an easy time assuming Crvena Zvezda go through. They are an historic team and usually very hard to beat, especially at home, although they're obviously - since the fall of Yugoslavia - not what they've used to be.

P.S. Don't mean to sound pedantic, just wanted to clarify. Crvena Zvezda = Red Star Belgrade

[sergeyMS]

Sergey

Celtic have looked pretty poor in pre-season so far. In terms of Europe they, in recent years, have been very impressive at home and abysmal away form home. Their main danger is from set pieces as Nakamura can fire in some absolute peaches from all sorts of angles and distance so Spartak will need ot be careful not to concede too many unnecessary free kicks.

Now I can remember last year Celtic was in a group with ManU, Anderlecht(???) and Benfica.

Yeah, at home they were good.

The 2nd game is at Celtic, so I think they have better chances to qualify...

[The Moos]

My favourite team in Sweden (yes, I have one there too) is Elfsborg an they will face Valencia if they get through to the next round. Talk about a nightmare

I just hope for the best

[loz]

Actually, loz I'm not sure if Rangers will have such an easy time assuming Crvena Zvezda go through. They are an historic team and usually very hard to beat, especially at home, although they're obviously - since the fall of Yugoslavia - not what they've used to be.

P.S. Don't mean to sound pedantic, just wanted to clarify. Crvena Zvezda = Red Star Belgrade

I don't think Rangers will harbour any ambition of getting a win away - they will be hoping to do enough in their home leg. Point taken that it won't be an easy tie, I just think they have the easiest of the British teams.

[sergeyMS]

2 pairs which are most suited for Chelsea:

For me -

Genk or FK Sarajevo v Dynamo Kiev

Tampere United or Levski Sofia v Astana or Rosenborg

I think Rosenborg or Dynamo Kiev have enough rating to qualify to 3rd basket. If not then my 2nd choice is:

Spartak Moscow v CELTIC

[Sofa Manager]

Actually, loz I'm not sure if Rangers will have such an easy time assuming Crvena Zvezda go through. They are an historic team and usually very hard to beat, especially at home, although they're obviously - since the fall of Yugoslavia - not what they've used to be.

P.S. Don't mean to sound pedantic, just wanted to clarify. Crvena Zvezda = Red Star Belgrade

I don't think Rangers will harbour any ambition of getting a win away - they will be hoping to do enough in their home leg. Point taken that it won't be an easy tie, I just think they have the easiest of the British teams.

Possibly, yes.

Unfortunalty...there's no way IMHO that Toulouse can throw Liverpool out of the competition.

Alezz Toulouse !

[undertow]

My favourite team in Sweden (yes, I have one there too) is Elfsborg an they will face Valencia if they get through to the next round. Talk about a nightmare

I just hope for the best

they will get through. loki has no chance after the home defeat.

[Alan]

Toulouse v LIVERPOOL

Is this a potential banana skin? Pleeeease.

I hope so

[clubhappy]

Watching Sky talking to Liverpool officials and the expression on their faces suggest there a bit pissed off with the draw . Going out in the qualifers , now that would make my year although i cant see it happening . Fingers crossed though.

[evissy]

I hope it is Tampere United. Would be really great to drive to Tampere and watch Chelsea put 6 or 7 behind TamU.

[loz]

Backinblue

Just to go back to the Nakamura question - last night he showed again that he is a class or five below Premiership standard. Totally invisible throughout the Champions League qualifier but kept on the pwrk purely because if Celtic get a free kick ikn a dangerous area then he is bloody good at them. They were in effect playing with 10 men. In the SPL he can contribute enough to get away with it but in Europe he does nothing (although he does make Celtic a lot of cash)

The Rangers vs 'Artists formerly known as Red Star Belgrade' was ugly as hell to watch. Rangers played poorly, far too deep and rarely pressured the red Star defence and Red Star went out there with a clear instruction to kick everything that moved as soon as that something got more than 1.5 yeard away from you. I think they ended up with about 6 or 7 bookings but were smart enough to make sure they rotated who was doing the kicking so that nobody was at risk of a second yellow. I think Rangers will go through because their late goal means Red Star will have to come at them and Rangers may cpaitalise on the break. Even if I didn't have a soft spot for the gers I would want them to go through as the way Red Star approached the game was just crude and ugly.