They'll be sacrificing sheep in the streets of Karagandy tonight - Champions League 2013/14

is there a Europa League thread btw? meant to flag up that consolation goal against Swansea last Thursday, as good a bicycle kick as you'll see

duke jenkem and it's a deal

paok v schalke game was bonkers, played in a near empty stadium. it was 1-1 60 mins in and jones gets sent off for schalke and then schalke go 2-1 up 3 mins after the sending off. cue a flurry of awful defending, a couple of goals from set pieces and sitters missed. schalke manager brings on youngster meyer who sets up a goal and then takes him off 3 mins later. entertaining game but both sides were really poor and it ended up 3-2 to schalke who have really dropped off although drexler is a really classy player.

just like to reiterate that content was taken from www.arsenal.com the official site of the arsenal football club plc

Michael Laudrup hasn't done his homework Europa League 2013/14

that sounds pretty good michael

i was going to watch it but couldn't really be bothered watching fitba so i watched arsenal instead

max meyer is extremely highly rated in germany, flattering comparisons to gotze and ozil and from the u17 world cup highlights its not too hyperbolic

draxler is just excellent

first half was truly wretched i might add. i was surprised to see that felipe santana ended up in schalke although watching him tonight i can see why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8hCgEavLJo

http://deadspin.com/this-is-how-you-protest-uefa-sanctions-1210719525

Uefa has threatened Shakhter Karagandy with disciplinary proceedings if they continue to perform the ritual slaughter of animals around games.

The Kazakh champions caused a stir when they slaughtered a sheep at the Astana Arena the day before last Tuesday night's 2-0 Champions League play-off first-leg win over Celtic, leading animal rights group Peta to express its outrage in a strongly worded letter to Uefa president Michel Platini, urging the organisation to punish Shakhter.

There were concerns that Shakhter would repeat the ritual at Parkhead in the return leg this evening and, although it is now clear that will not happen, European football's governing body has made it clear that disciplinary proceedings will be launched if the practice is repeated.

In a letter to Shakhter's executive director, Yerden Khalilin, Uefa competitions director Giorgio Marchetti said: "We were informed that an animal slaughter took place at some point prior to the Uefa Champions League fixture involving FC Shakhter Karagandy and Celtic FC at the Astana Arena on Tuesday 20 August 2013.

"Although certain practices may be culturally rooted, they have no place in or around a sporting arena or event.

"In this context, I would like to make you aware that animal slaughter on a football pitch or in a stadium before, during or after a Uefa competition match – or with reference to a Uefa competition – is totally improper, and will not be tolerated.

"In case of re-occurrence, it will inevitably lead to a full investigation by our disciplinary bodies."

So hopefully when Celtic lose the tie we can still sneak through like we did against Sion

this time u are the sheep

if shakhter draw man u i reckon edward woodward should avoid the away leg.

Man U not in the Europa League iirc
</hopeless optimism>

See we're giving them a man of a start by playing Forrest...

Not one of our summer signings deemed worthy of a starting place, well done to our famous worldwide scouting network.

But now is not the time for pessimism. 4-0 us.

Beginning to wish I'd gone to the pub, but the pub doesn't have a couch to hide behind.

Both our right backs on the park, Lenny'll need a new first substitution.

sg are only mild favourites at most bookies

why is james forrest shit? is tony watt not shit? how is scott brown doing these days?

James Forrest is ineffectual when deprived of space to run into.

Scott Brown has been pretty good since coming back from injury last season.

Jury out on Tony Watt - not getting enough time on the pitch or in his position.

hmmn i hope he does alright so he doesn't become another federico macheda

Boateng 1_0. Oh well, psv needed to score anyway.

Balotelli's link up play has been exceptional so far tonight.
Maher looks good tho.

Timely goal from Commons, I think if we'd gone in 0-0 we'd have really struggled to get going again.

<3 Samaras

And Samaras keeps the momentum going this side of half time. I am still not good at this optimism malarkey.

I also fucking love Sami, the big hairy daftie.

My mum, who knows next to nothing about football, has just phoned to say that "that team you're playing" look "really nasty. They all look like thugs not footballers". My mum OTM.

What do Celtic need? One more?

Terrible miss

ffs Celtic

Heading for extra time atm, though I doubt it'll get there. Celtic need to score more than Shakhter from here, or no more goals and win on penalties.

Forrest playing well. Stokes couldn't hit Kenny Miller's arse wi a banjo.

Taking too many chances at the back.

Meh.

the EL's the place to be, man

Cunt's challenge that, easily a red

nice

!

Stokes u beaut

feel a little for the kazakh lads

celtic result ensures animal sacrifice will resume by the truckload. despicably selfish.

Never in doubt though was it, apart from one dodgy moment?
I've got no time for time wasting thugs tbh. Reminds me too much of the domestic game.

ftewe

barca - PSG - man city - napoli

make it happen draw gods

Aw, can't they get Dortmund?

Not Barcelona again, please. I cannae stick commentators going on about them.

Teams that qualify for the group stage will also participate in the newly formed 2013-14 UEFA Youth League, a competition available to players aged 19 or under

Is this what killed NextGen?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_UEFA_Youth_League

Request thread title change plz.

Not insinuating anything obv, but what the hell were those Karagandy defenders doing when Stokes went past them?!

xp NEVER

jeez idk if they were any good tbh

they were 90 seconds give or take from losing the match and they had not outplayed Atleti up to that point, they'd been faced with a team protecting a lead and failed to unlock them. then they scored a couple very late against a team that had run themselves into the ground. the rest is triumphalist bollocks