SS Lazio v Celtic - Europa League 7 Nov, kick-off 5.55pm, all comments here

Winning Captains

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In many ways Celtic have a free shot at Lazio this evening while for the Italians - the top seeds in the group - it is a must win match. Put it this way, if you were offered the chance to be a point ahead of Lazio after playing them twice and having been to Rennes you would probably have taken that.

Maybe that's going to be on Neil Lennon's mind when it comes to his team selection this evening. It has become increasingly difficult to second guess the manager's starting eleven in recent weeks and even at the weekend he played that game of 'Bluff and Double Bluff' with Scott Brown on whether the captain would be ready for Hampden. There's no doubt that Broony will be needed in Rome.

Reasonable speculation allows us to name 9 of the 11 starters in the early evening kick-off, with the two full back portions being anyone's guess.

The would suggest that Fraser Forster is in goals, the central defenders will be Kris Ajer and Christopher Jullien, in the centre of midfield Callum McGregor will play alongside the skipper, James Forrest and Mohamed Elyounoussi will be the wide players, Ryan Christie will be the number 10 and Odsonne Edouard (who must avoid picking up a yellow card) will lead the line.

So to the full backs. Normally we'd all be happy with Hatem Abd Elhamed at right back as he's likely to play ahead of Moritz Bauer.

At left back Boli Bolingoli went off at half-time against Hibs with a tightness in his leg and apparently didn't travel. So it's a choice between Greg Taylor (who was cup-tied at the weekend) and Jonny Hayes.

So the predicted starting eleven is as follows:

Forster

Elhamed, Ajer, Jullien, Hayes

Brown, McGregor

Forrest, Christie, Elyounoussi

Edouard.

Prediction? A Glory Night in Rome! Lazio 1 Celtic 2

COYBIG
 
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In many ways Celtic have a free shot at Lazio this evening while for the Italians - the top seeds in the group - it is a must win match. Put it this way, if you were offered the chance to be a point ahead of Lazio after playing them twice and having been to Rennes you would probably have taken that.

Maybe that's going to be on Neil Lennon's mind when it comes to his team selection this evening. It has become increasingly difficult to second guess the manager's starting eleven in recent weeks and even at the weekend he played that game of 'Bluff and Double Bluff' with Scott Brown on whether the captain would be ready for Hampden. There's no doubt that Broony will be needed in Rome.

Reasonable speculation allows us to name 9 of the 11 starters in the early evening kick-off, with the two full back portions being anyone's guess.

The would suggest that Fraser Forster is in goals, the central defenders will be Kris Ajer and Christopher Jullien, in the centre of midfield Callum McGregor will play alongside the skipper, James Forrest and Mohamed Elyounoussi will be the wide players, Ryan Christie will be the number 10 and Odsonne Edouard (who must avoid picking up a yellow card) will lead the line.

So to the full backs. Normally we'd all be happy with Hatem Abd Elhamed at right back as he's more experienced and more of a strong defensive option that Jeremie Frimpong. However Lenny might decide to start with the teenager, who is fast, forward thinking and has coped with everything he's faced so far. He might unsettle Lazio.

Did you notice the strange substitution on Saturday at Hampden when James Forrest was replaced by Elhamed, Frimpong moved forward to play as a wing-back and Celtic went with a back-three in the closing stages. Was that to counter what Hibs were doing or was it a practice run for Rome?

Logic says Elhamed starts but I reckon that Lenny might just give Frimpong the nod.

At left back Boli Bolingoli went off at half-time against Hibs with a tightness in his leg. That could have been a sign that no chances were being taken and that he's been kept for Lazio so he'll probably start. If he isn't fit then it's a choice between Greg Taylor (who was cup-tied at the weekend) and Jonny Hayes. If Lenny fancies going with two wing backs as the game progresses then that could mean Hayes is preferred to Taylor if Bolingoli isn't fit enough to play.

So the predicted starting eleven is as follows:

Forster

Frimpong, Ajer, Jullien, Bolingoli

Brown, McGregor

Forrest, Christie, Elyounoussi

Edouard.

Prediction? A Glory Night in Rome! Lazio 1 Celtic 2

COYBIG

I thought bolingoli was one of the players who didnt travel along with Griffith, Rogic and Johnstone??
 
Whatever team Lenny puts out must play with thier heads as well as thier feet,Lazio will be useing the thier usual tacktics of kicking and tripping and anything else they think they will get away with,no doubt the home support will be on Celtic case, don't know who the ref is but I hope he better than the last one each time they fouled one of our players it was hands in the air in innocence yet if they dived or tripped it was straight to the ref demanding a card. Celtic will need to be above all thier antics and stay strong they can Win this match by playing thier own game,good luck to the team and supporters HH
 
It will be the usual cheat at every opportunity nonsense that they always do, so we need to stay calm and not get involved. Hope to avoid injuries and make sure Eddy doesn't get another booking. I'd be delighted getting a point from them but obviously want to win. Let's hope their team and fans behave themselves so we can move on from them and their wonderful outlook on life and sportsmanship! MTH.
 
I would play Taylor rather than Johnny. It's going to be a tough one, but if the team have belief we can score. Won't be surprised if we lose but under Rogers I never had hope in any away game as our defence was a fucking farce. Quietly confident of taking something from the game. As long as we stand up and take the cunts on I will be proud of them.
 

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