Qualification to the Europa League groups stages was secured last night in Bosnia with a pretty forgettable 1-0 win over FK Sarajevo.
There isn’t really much to say about the game with the hosts defying my prematch expectation and pretty much showing no ambition at all mirroring the sit back and defend approach of Riga seven days previously.
Celtic registered one tame shot on goal in the first half but upped the ante in the second stanza and finally got the winner 20 mins from the end when Odsonne Edouard finished at close range after Bosnian keeper Vladan Kovacevic spilled a Ryan Christie effort at the Frenchman’s feet.
It was all that was needed against a side who packed out their own box all night and failed to really show any ambition even when a goal behind and with the minutes ticking away.
All that matters is that we are through with the draw for the Europa League group stages having taken place earlier where we were drawn in Group H with Italian giants AC Milan, French side Lille and the Czech Republics Sparta Prague.
AC are of course the big name and we played them in the Champions League group stages during Neil Lennon’s first tenure in charge, back in 2013.
Since then though they’ve struggled badly in Serie A and haven’t finished any higher than sixth and have only qualified for European competition in three out of the last eight campaigns.
They’ve also won nothing since their last league title triumph in 2011 unless you count Supercoppa Italiana successes in 2011 and 2016.
A total of ten managers have been in charge since our last meeting with current incumbent Stefano Pioli having guided them to sixth place in the league 17 points behind winners Juventus.
Their star man is striker Zlatan Ibrahimović who turns 39 tomorrow and there is no doubt they are an ailing superpower in seemingly terminal decline.
Lille finished fourth in the French top-flight last season and sit second after five games of the current campaign whilst Sparta finished third and won the national cup last term and lead the Czech top flight after five wins from five this season.
Definitely not easy and some might call it the group of death but if you break it down it’s actually no more difficult than last years draw where we faced an in form Lazio, Romanian Champions Cluj and a Rennes team who ended up finishing above Lille in Ligue 1.
Anyway, we can preview all of that in more detail when it all kicks off in just under three weeks time.
For now, it’s St. Johnstone away on Sunday as we get back to domestic league action.
Under new manager Callum Davidson the Perth side have struggled with six defeats in nine games with a draw and only two wins.
They generally keep it tight with four of their defeats and one of their wins ending 1-0 and have in total conceded eleven goals but have only scored four so it’s down the opposition end where the problem mainly lies.
Veteran attackers Michael O’Halloran and Stevie May have the pedigree but both have failed to shine since returning to the club and much was expected of 22-year-old Callum Hendry after he hit nine in twenty-seven games last term but he’s failed to find the net in nine outings so far this season.
Since defeating St Mirren 1-0 on the 29th of August they have lost three on the spin with no goals scored and were never really at the races during a 2-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Livingston last weekend.
Safe to say we’ll be huge favourites and it’s a guarantee that a goal-shy Saints will be dead set on sitting in deep and making it difficult but we have a great record at McDiarmid Park with seven wins from our last seven visits and 24 goals scored with only four conceded.
Indeed the last time we dropped points there was during a 2-1 defeat, back at the tail end of the 2015/16 campaign by which point we’d already secured the league title.
I’m hoping Odsonne Edouard has his mojo well and truly back now that he’s ended his ‘goal drought’ and it’s likely he’ll be leading the line.
The question is will he be joined by anyone in a front striker pairing with Leigh Griffiths back on the bench and raring to go whilst Albian Ajeti is still recovering from a strain picked up in the 3-0 Hibs win.
We could also see David Turnbull starting if Lennon decides to rest some of his midfield stars after last nights match.
Either way, let’s hope for a result and a performance.
....Always A Tim! 