da pinup bet： Celtic are back in action on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League, taking on Norwegian champions Rosenborg in a clash that has massive consequences for the season ahead. Win this one and they’re guaranteed European football until at least Christmas.
da betobet： The Hoops’ summer has been going well with friendly victories and comfortable progression against Northern Ireland champions Linfield to cheer about.
This tie though sees a big increase in the standard of team with Rosenborg having a decent season by their standards, currently sitting five points ahead of second place in the Norwegian top-flight. They’re also in the middle of their season so are theoretically fitter and have more match practice.
Brendan Rodgers also has a few headaches to consider over the next 24 hours with injuries and suspensions taking their toll on his first team choices. Like last summer he may have to field something of a makeshift side in the qualifiers which is far from ideal considering these games are often the most important of their entire season.
If the Hoops are to get a result then he’ll need to figure out solutions for these THREE dilemmas…
Figure out who’ll fill in for missing strikers
With Leigh Griffiths suspended and Moussa Dembele an injury doubt for Wednesday night, Brendan Rodgers finds himself going into this match-up without a recognised first-team striker. It’s far from an ideal situation and highlights the tricky balance Celtic have of maintaining an elite squad of players without it being too bloated.
The arguments for and against having a third striker and moot now though and the only thing Rodgers needs to concern himself with is figuring out how he’ll have his attack line-up.
Last season when both players were out he turned to Scott Sinclair to play through the middle but it wasn’t the most effective of options with the player naturally wanting to drift out wide to receive the ball and the Hoops lacking a presence in the box.
That could be the play again tomorrow though and this time supported by the likes of Tom Rogic it could prove more joyous. The Australian has the ability to thread through delightful passes and score for distance and fans may find it’s him they have to rely on to see through tomorrow night.
If Sinclair plays through the middle then you can expect to see Jonny Hayes get his start on the left hand side with James Forrest unleashed on the right.
With chances expected to be at a premium, supporters will be hoping the stand-in striker, whoever it may be, will be as lethal in front of goal than Dembele and Griffiths or it could be a long night.
Find the right defensive line-up amidst injuries
Another major problem Brendan Rodgers has is at the opposite end of the park where injuries and departures have decimated his defence. Dedryck Boyata is out long-term, Erik Sviatchenko is a doubt for the match, Cristian Gamboa is out and Emilio Izaguirre has left to join a club in Saudi Arabia. It means that fingers must be crossed that they don’t receive any more defensive injuries and their summer could come off the rails.
The most likely solution to try and combat injuries to Boyata and Sviatchenko is for Rodgers to have his side play with a back three consisting of Mikael Lustig, Jozo Simunovic and Kieran Tierney, with Scott Brown dropping deeper than usual in the midfield to cover the backline.
It’s not ideal but it seems to be the best option available and something that Rodgers has experimented with on multiple occasions in his time at the club.
Alternatively he could give young Kristoffer Ajer a start alongside Simunovic, although the youngster has not played many matches in the position and is untested at this level.
It’s a slight worry for supporters who will be desperate not to concede an away goal.
Create the perfect balance in midfield
Celtic’s strongest area on Wednesday is undoubtedly in the central midfield positions. If Brendan Rodgers finds the right blend and combination of players then he’ll have gone a long way to securing the victory needed to bring to Norway next week.
He as plenty of options with Olivier Ntcham, Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor all in contention play in a deeper role. That’s without considering where Tom Rogic might fit in further forward too.
For us a trio that must start regardless of formation is Ntcham, Brown and Rogic. All three players look in good form, whereas Stuart Armstrong has been a little off the boil in recent matches, his passing not quite up to the standards of last term quite yet.
Brown is the muscle and could anchor the midfield with the young Frenchman Ntcham given free reign to link defence to attack. Rogic is the attacking wildcard and can create goals out of nothing and must be accommodated somehow.
Depending on formations and picks elsewhere there might be space for Armstrong too, he is still an excellent midfielder on his day after all.
What will Rodgers go for? That’s hard to determine but this is a selection he must get right.