Our Euro opponents this weekend

Galstonian Oranje

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Standard Liege
1-1 draw at home v Club Brugge, equalised with a 90min penalty.
League position 4th
1 point behind leaders Club Brugge
Last 5 results - LWDWD


Benfica
3-0 away win v Rio Ave
League position 1st
Last 4 results - WWWW


Lech Poznan
2-1 defeat away v Jagiellonia
League position 8th
8 points behind leaders Rakow
Last 5 results - DDWWL
 
I think we will take full points from Standard Liege and Lech Poznan but will be a harder game against Benfica but will be disappointed if we dont qualify as we are playing well just now
 
Should be beating Lech home and away.

Get 4 points from the Standard Liege games and try and salvage something off of Benfica.

Benfica are a cracking side but no reason we can’t get something off of them.
 
Benfica have spent £85 million in the window just there, really good outfit but we should be aiming to get a result against them home and away. We did it with Porto.
The transfer model of these sides is what we need to copy. It might need greater investment in scouting and we will need to build up the value of our squad and transfers but I feel we are moving in the right direction.
 
Here, it's actually £88 million.


So interesting business there. Don’t know much about their forwards (although 21 mil on a striker from 2nd tier of spanish football is a fair wedge) but we could be up against a potential CB partnership of Otamendi and Vertonghen so our forwards would need to be on their game.

Hopefully Poznan are the whipping boys and straight shoot out between us Benfica and Liege for top 2. Fancy our chances.
 
Not that I can remember and I'm long time grey.
I know we have been in the EL, not the CL but we have played a good number of CL sides and generally have held our own.

We are still getting back to our natural position and facing harder draws than hopefully we might face in years to come, when we have a more ‘normal’ European standing but it’s hard to imagine that anyone could have done a better job in this arena than Gerrard.
 
So interesting business there. Don’t know much about their forwards (although 21 mil on a striker from 2nd tier of spanish football is a fair wedge) but we could be up against a potential CB partnership of Otamendi and Vertonghen so our forwards would need to be on their game.

Hopefully Poznan are the whipping boys and straight shoot out between us Benfica and Liege for top 2. Fancy our chances.
Otamendi and Vertonghen are undoubtedly highly experienced international centre backs but neither is the quickest, so depending on the dynamics of the game, they can be caught, a la Pepe last year.
 
I know we have been in the EL, not the CL but we have played a good number of CL sides and generally have held our own.

We are still getting back to our natural position and facing harder draws than hopefully we might face in years to come, when we have a more ‘normal’ European standing but it’s hard to imagine that anyone could have done a better job in this arena than Gerrard.
Next hurdle will be getting further than the last 16. Obviously I'm looking too far ahead but can't help it, meanwhile I will continue to enjoy the progress we continue to make in Europe. Every team in our group will fear us no doubt, that's how far we've come.
 
It’s probably not a popular opinion but I’m not to fussed on Europe.

My ideal scenario would be to see out the games and perform well but qualification isn’t essential.

The league is my focus and Celtic have fixture challenges, 1 game in hand, 2 weekends away to last seasons Scottish cup assuming they win.

Would actually like them to qualify in EL and us not just to rack more pressure I up then domestically.

Gerrard has to tell them that points on the bored are more important and creates more pressure on them. I want them in a position where they are on the bus to games knowing they have to win.
 
It’s probably not a popular opinion but I’m not to fussed on Europe.

My ideal scenario would be to see out the games and perform well but qualification isn’t essential.

The league is my focus and Celtic have fixture challenges, 1 game in hand, 2 weekends away to last seasons Scottish cup assuming they win.

Would actually like them to qualify in EL and us not just to rack more pressure I up then domestically.

Gerrard has to tell them that points on the bored are more important and creates more pressure on them. I want them in a position where they are on the bus to games knowing they have to win.
Whilst I always want us to win every game, I understand where you are coming from.

The money and coefficient points in Europe are vital while we are still recovering.
 
They are a better side than Porto last year, but we are experienced enough at this level that we certainly shouldn't be scared of them.

Second place is probably the most likely scenario but I doubt there will be much in it.
 
Benfica Captain subbed at 14" so must be injured, also there line up with Weigl, Vertonghen and Otamendi strikes me as being similar to Galatasary's transfer policy, filling top heavy on high earning, older foreigners.
Fear no foe, they also got papped out of the CL but PAOK so no world beaters
 
They are a better side than Porto last year, but we are experienced enough at this level that we certainly shouldn't be scared of them.

Second place is probably the most likely scenario but I doubt there will be much in it.
PAOK knocked them out the CL and they were subsequently beaten home and away by Krasnodar. So I think if we are on our game we should take something from at least one, possibly both of the games.
 
It’s probably not a popular opinion but I’m not to fussed on Europe.

My ideal scenario would be to see out the games and perform well but qualification isn’t essential.

The league is my focus and Celtic have fixture challenges, 1 game in hand, 2 weekends away to last seasons Scottish cup assuming they win.

Would actually like them to qualify in EL and us not just to rack more pressure I up then domestically.

Gerrard has to tell them that points on the bored are more important and creates more pressure on them. I want them in a position where they are on the bus to games knowing they have to win.
I think it was crucial that we got this far for financial reasons. We obviously don't know the exact ins and outs of it but I was worried that our stance on Alfie's asking price would have softened and/or the additional signing(Zungu) would not have been done if we never made the groups. I also don't think we can sniff at anything that ensures that they got no financial advantage over us by making the groups when we don't.

As it happens, I would have been happy enough with group stages and out but after the draw (and without wanting to get ahead of myself), I'd be surprised if we don't pick up good points and go further into the competition.

Any advantage they might have gotten from us going further than they do is likely negated by the extra domestic games the carve up from last season has given them so I'm fairly relaxed whatever happens.
 
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If Benfica take it seriously (full strength) they will be a challenge.
Not to be over confident but I don't expect much from Poznan, they aren't threatening at all.
Standard games will be key, a draw on Thursday will do fine.
 
Benfica Captain subbed at 14" so must be injured, also there line up with Weigl, Vertonghen and Otamendi strikes me as being similar to Galatasary's transfer policy, filling top heavy on high earning, older foreigners.
Fear no foe, they also got papped out of the CL but PAOK so no world beaters
Understand Vertongen and Otamendi but Weigl is only 25 and a really good player.
 
It’s probably not a popular opinion but I’m not to fussed on Europe.

My ideal scenario would be to see out the games and perform well but qualification isn’t essential.

The league is my focus and Celtic have fixture challenges, 1 game in hand, 2 weekends away to last seasons Scottish cup assuming they win.

Would actually like them to qualify in EL and us not just to rack more pressure I up then domestically.

Gerrard has to tell them that points on the bored are more important and creates more pressure on them. I want them in a position where they are on the bus to games knowing they have to win.

I think, more than ever, we need the Euro cash.

Of course, the league comes as a priority, as well as a crack at the CL and the riches that brings, but we likely need EL knockout qualification again due to the lack of match day revenue.

It goes a long, long way to balancing the books.
 
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Not that I can remember and I'm long time grey.
Weirdly, between 06 & 08, we were in the champions league knockouts, then uefa Cup last 16, then obviously Manchester. That's the best progress in Europe in my 20 odd years watching rangers. Strangely, we were honking in the league 2 our of 3 years but it was a good period for us in Europe.
 
We should be able to beat Standard Liege and imo with relative ease.

They are doing well in the league but I feel we have a considerably stronger squad. They are also involved in somewhat of a rebuilding process after some disappointing years so they are not yet where they want to be.

Benfica will be favourites, Lech will likely finish last imo.
 
Benfica will be favourites for the group but I see no reason why we cannot compete in every game and aim to win the group.

We have nothing to fear from them, we are a really decent side too. Plus we almost always perform well against Portuguese teams, for whatever reason.
 
Looking forward to these games, I want us to go as far as possible.
Some amount of cash spent by Benfica so they must be favorites for the group.
 
Benfica certainly will be tough but no reason we can get through. Win home games and take it from there.
 
Benfica have brought in a lot of new and quite high quality players recently. Let's hope they've not fully jelled just yet. Got a very experienced manager as well. Liege and Poznan are both relatively unknown quantities to me. Did Poznan not shift two players on deadline day? Pretty sure I heard that anyway.

Think we've got the squad and the nous to qualify.
 
Doing a bit of reading on Benfica. They are big favourites to win the group. The signings they have made along with their manager should put them levels above Porto and Braga of last season.

Hopefully they beat everyone else in group which I think will do us a big favour
 
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