An artificial pitch could suit Celtic’s style nicely
CHRIS Davies, the Celtic assistant manager, has predicted the artificial pitch the Parkhead club’s Champions League qualifier against Astanawill be played on in Kazakhstan tomorrow night will suit their natural attacking game.
The Scottish champions suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats in their history in the first leg of the second qualifying round against Lincoln Red Imps on a s y nt het ic su r f ac e i n Gibraltar afortnight ago.
Brendan Rodgers’s side lost 1-0 to their semi-professional opponents in what was the former SwanseaCity and Liverpool manager’s first competitive match in charge earlier this month.
The meeting with Astana, who held Atletico Madrid, Benfica and Galatasary to draws at home in the Champions League group stages last season, will be played on p l as ti c g r as s at the 30,000-capacity Astana Arena.
Celtic lost 2-0 to Shakhter K aragandy when they played there in the first leg of the Champions League play-off when Neil Lennon was manager three years ago.
However, Celtic scout John McGlynn, the former Hearts, Livingston and Raith Rovers manager, watched Astanabeat Z al gi r i s Vi l n i u s 2 - 1 thanks to agoal in injury time in Kazakhstan in the last round.
“We are expecting adifficult game,” said Davies. “They did well in the Champions League last year at home and they got points off some big teams. But the pitch looks quicker than the Red Imps’ one, which could help our game. Having said that, they are aphysical team with quality so we are going to need to be right on our mettle.”
Celtic lost 6-5 on penalties to English champions Leicester City in their opening International Champions Cup game at Parkhead on Saturday after they had finished tied 1-1 after 90 minutes.
However, Davies believes the meeting with Claudio Ranieri’s team was the perfect preparation for the outing in Asia.
“We had the Leicester game and then focused on the game plan for Astana, doing a lot of work,” he said. “We’re confident we can do ajob. We are focusing on the positives and making sure we are going to be prepared physically and tactically.”
Rodgers, who brought in former France Under-20 striker Moussa Dembele last month, made his second signing as Celtic manager this weekend when he landed Kolo Toure, the one-time Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool centre-half, on aone-year deal.
Toure, who worked with Rodgers at Anfield, didn’t travel to Kazakhst an yesterday as the 35-year-old Ivory Coast internationalist is lacking in match fitness.
But Davies believes the 118-times capped defender will be an important player for Celtic this season as they go for their sixth consecutive Ladbrokes Premiership title.
“We’re really pleased,” he told the official Celtic website. “We worked with Kolo at Liverpool and he brings two things – he’s a top defender and has real aut hor it y wi t h experience.
“He’s an inspirational figure so we’re not only getting agood player, we are also getting someone who can inspire players around him and help the t e am an d yo u n g e r players.”