What a really unfortunate time to be on night shift. I've effectively missed the greatest week for Scottish football in Europe since...well...a few weeks ago in Paris, I guess. But what a week!
My confident quips on the day of the Champions' League draw that Rangers were already out have been shoved right up where the sun doesn't shine. It could be pointed out that Lyon hit the woodwork three times, mind. But what odds would you have got on maximum points from the first two games? Before Castle Greyskull's inmates get too excited though, they might want to look back to about 2000, when Dick Advocaat's Gers beat Sturm Graz and Monaco in their opening two games and still managed to miss out on the knockout stages. With a double header against Barcelona and the "Messi-ah" (journalists started it, not me) to come, there's a long, long way to go.
They're probably in a better position to qualify than Celtic, however, despite the Hoops' win over AC Milan. Enough has been said already about that prat on the pitch (make up your own mind whether I mean the idiot fan or Milan's goalkeeper Dida), but Celtic's big problem is that Shakhtar are flying high and must be a decent bet to get through. At least as good a bet as Rangers, anyway.
And hooray for Aberdeen! A Darren Mackie goal is a rare enough occurrence to be a collector's item anyway, but this one was truly crucial. Note that among the teams who failed to get to the group stage were Sampdoria, Ajax, Blackburn Rovers, Real Zaragoza and Palermo, sides who are pretty darn good. Now I bet every red in the City would kill for a group with home games against the likes of Spurs, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid...not quite as exciting as what Celtic and Rangers have, but a damn site better than playing Gretna!
L.
1 comment:
Lyon hit the woodwork with long shots (one a freekick won by a shocking dive) and didn't create a clearcut chance all night - Rangers created three and took them all.
The games against Barca don't matter that much, it was always going to be them running away with it and the other three fight it out among themselves. Also, worse teams than Rangers have held Barca this season.
Stop calling it Castle Grayskull.
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