Celtic vs Arsenal
After barely a couple of days to draw breath following the weekend’s games, tonight sees the first leg of an intriguing Champions League qualifier between Celtic and Arsenal at Celtic Park.
With the stakes so high, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that Tony Mowbray and Arsene Wenger would probably have preferred alternative opposition in the final qualifying round of the competition. Both teams go into the game on the back of impressive opening day league victories, and confidence should be high in both camps.
Whilst Arsenal’s victory over Everton grabbed all the headlines, Celtic’s 3-1 defeat of Aberdeen served to highlight their intentions and further proved the stabilising influence that Tony Mowbray has had on the team since his arrival. Their aggregate victory over Dinamo Moscow in the previous qualifying round underlined a newly found resilience, something which Mowbray will hope serves his team well this evening.
Whether they are able to contain the attacking potency of their opposition remains to be seen however. Arsenal have the air of a team who are desperate to prove their critics wrong and show that there is life after Adebayor and Toure. Qualifying for the Champions League is an absolutely crucial part of that and, whilst the stakes are arguably higher, there is no reason to suggest they won’t be looking to take the same devastating approach to this game that they did to the match at Goodison Park.
Celtic should provide a sterner test however, backed up by a noisy and partisan Celtic Park. Mowbray’s side will surely need to take a winning advantage with them to the Emirates stadium, and their fans will be hoping for another match winning performance from Aiden McGeady. Either way, it should be a full blooded affair and provide a good indication as to who will be in the draw for the Champions League proper.
Let us know your thoughts on the game at Celtic Park, as well as the evening’s other fixtures. In the Premiership, Chelsea travel to Sunderland and Wolves go to Wigan, whilst there is a full programme of Football League games. Who did you see being the winners and losers tonight?
