Dabour hoping for collateral damage to pair
Salzburg’s star striker Moanes Dabour is hoping Celtic and his club’s Red Bull stablemates, Leipzig do each other some damage on Thursday night.
With two rounds of the Europa League fixtures gone, the Israeli international’s side top Group B with six points.
The Hoops and Leipzig both have three while Rosenborg, who play Salzburg away while the other two teams are in action in Germany, have yet to open their account.
That’ s a positive scenario for Salzburg, and one which would look rosier still were Celtic and Leipzig to draw and the Austrians to justify the odds by extending their winning run in the next run of games.
Dabour, scorer of a brace against the Scottish champions in his side’s 3-1 victory at the start of the month plus a single in their surprise opening day win over Leipzig in Germany, wouldn’t be ruling the possibility out.
“For me Celtic and Leipzig are two Champions League clubs who happen to be playing in the Europa League,” said the Nazareth- born forward.
“For us to be drawn with them made it a very tough group straight away.
“Having faced them both I can testify they play with completely different styles.
“Leipzig are more of a pressing team and they play a faster game than Celtic.
“Celtic are well organised in defence, so I was very pleased to get my goals against them when we met.
“And while I say that Leipzig play a faster game, Celtic also have some very quick players.
“So, all in all, I believe it could very tight.”
Dabour’s own team are, of course, not too shabby themselves.
Last season they went all the way to the Europa League semi-finals where they were squeezed out by only a single goal on aggregate by competition runners-up, Marseille.
“We have had a really great start with six points from six,” said the man who netted 22 times in 2017-18 and has also been in prolific form this season.
“That’ s a big achievement because it’s a tough group – both Celtic and Leipzig are really tough teams and Rosenborg, who we play next, are not a bad team either.
“But we are in good shape ourselves, both in Europe and in our domestic league.
“While I know we are only two games into our Europa League group the results, which will hopefully be even better for us after the next round, leave us a position where we are on course to go through.
“Certainly if we manage to beat Rosenborg then we will have a great chance to qualify.
“Ideally we want to win these two games if we possibly can but it will not be easy.”