Another big European week for SPL sides

By: Ian Rose | October 22nd, 2007

This time of year, there’s not much time for a Scotland fan (or blogger) to breathe. One weekend, we’ve got Euro 2008, the next, an Old Firm derby, and now, a week full of European competition for three sides in the SPL. The fact that we even have three teams still alive at this point is encouraging - last season, by this point, Hearts and Gretna were already eliminated and Rangers were in the UEFA Cup. Now, with two in the Champions League and one in the UC, things are looking much more positive. Still, all three face tough matches this week. Here’s a quick look.

Rangers v. Barcelona, Tuesday
These two have been unstoppable in Group E so far, and both sit on 6 points to Lyon and Stuttgart’s 0. Now they face off for the first time, at Ibrox. Rangers will be buoyed by their Old Firm win here at home on Saturday, but still face an uphill battle against Henry, Messi and the rest. If Allan McGregor can stay strong in goal, and Cuellar and Wier ahead of him, Rangers may have a chance of shutting down the Barcelona offense. A healthy Barcelona wins this match, I think, but Barca is far from healthy, and I tip Rangers for a slight win, 2-1.

Benfica v. Celtic, Wednesday
Celtic may have the most promising week ahead of all three Scottish teams. Benfica is a team they have beaten, and though the Hoops’ road record in Europe is famously bad, Benfica is a team that I believe they can beat on the road. Celtic is still depleted by injuries, and Benfica certainly has a chance to make this a draw, but I really think that Scott McDonald and the Bhoys will take this one, 2-0. They’ll also be watching AC Milan’s clash with Shakhtar, hoping to open up a lead on Milan.

Panathinaikos v. Aberdeen, Thursday
Aberdeen had a very rough start to the season, but seems to be getting things together a bit domestically. Still, even at their best, a trip to Greece would be daunting. Panathinaikos is the first seed in the group, and they are a consistent European team. They haven’t achieved anything huge in Europe since 2003, when they made it to the quarters of the UC, but they’re always in the mix. As much as I’d like to see Dons take this one or even draw it, I have a lot of respect for this Panathinaikos team, and I think they’ll open their group stage with a home win, 2-0. Prove me wrong, Dons.

So, that’s it. I’ll try to keep updated as the week goes on, and since Rangers and Celtic both have team blogs here on The Offside, you should get more than your fill of news on them. Keep the good results coming, boys. Alba Gu Brath.