Last week, during a UEFA Champions League qualifying playoff match against Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Celtic Park, supporters of the Glasgow club raised Palestinian flags to raise awareness of what they describe as “the system of apartheid laws and practices including religious and ethnic based colonisation, military occupation and segregation” in Palestinian land.
There are no easy matches in the Champions League — or are there? According to Barcelona’s Gerard Pique, Real Madrid got the rub of the green with regards to Champions League draws last season.
Real Madrid’s route to the final included victories over clubs that were, at the time, hardly at the top of their domestic leagues. So, when a fan asked Pique via Twitter what he’d like to see from Thursday’s group stage draw, Pique couldn’t resist a very obvious dig at Real:
Everyone’s got a soft spot in their heart for AS Roma, apart from Lazio supporters of course. The club represents the Eternal City, the Italian capital with a history spanning more than two and a half thousand years. Its standing as one of the birthplaces of Western civilization makes anyone’s three-day visit turn into conversational fodder for the rest of their lifetime.
Porto are in through the qualifying rounds to the Champions League group stage after defeating Roma (who by the end were playing with nine) 3-0, with the second and third goals being scored by Miguel Layun and Tecatito Corona, respectively.
First, Layun made Wojciech Szczesny look like a sillyhead and rounded the Roma keeper for an easy finish.
Leigh Griffiths played like a man possessed (as did Kolo Toure) during Celtic’s 5-2 victory over Hapoel Be’er Sheva in their first-leg Champions League playoff victory at Celtic Park. The Scottish striker almost willed Celtic into the Champions League group stage with two goals and an assist on the night.
We knew Brendan Rodgers was going to praise Celtic's character this season, we just didn't know when.
Well, the time has come.
Brendan Rodgers praising the character of his Celtic team https://t.co/B5sFiDZ4WH
— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) August 18, 2016
Celtic played Hapoel Be'er Shiva Wednesday in Champions League qualifying, a game that we figured Celtic would win easily. They did, 5-2, setting up what should be a leisurely return leg. Our main takeaway from the game: boy, Hapoel were not ready for Kolo Toure.
When Kolo rips off a gashing dribble and joins in attack you should probably reevaluate your midfield tacticshttps://t.co/0SKlxayLmV
Sergio Aguero is one of the hottest strikers around, scoring a hat trick against Steaua Bucharest in Champions League qualifying Tuesday. You wouldn't know it by watching the first 20 or so minutes of the match though. Watch what Aguero did with this penalty.
Aguero and Silva waste a big chance for Man City to take the early lead. #UCL https://t.co/TcJNWZQ91P
As Celtic prepare to play Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva at Celtic Park in UEFA Champions League playoff action on Wednesday night, some of the club’s supporters plan to give the visitors a rather awkward welcome — by waving the flag of Palestine.
In a country that traditionally favors Gaelic football, hurling and supporting the English Premier League, Ireland’s own Premier Division has hardly captured the national sporting conscious. The league’s UEFA coefficient currently puts them at 41st, behind countries like Latvia, Albania and Georgia.
Clubs that have traditionally dominated the League of Ireland, such as Dundalk, Bohemians and Shelbourne FC have all also flirted with financial disaster — putting their very existence in jeopardy whilst barely treading water.