It’s fair to say if Celtic are hoping to achieve any form of European football after Christmas, then the double header with Ferencvaros, starting tomorrow afternoon, is a case of win or bust.
If we hope to remain alive and kicking in the Europa League then it will quite simply take six points from this double header to ensure we are left with a chance at qualification, if it’s to be the Conference League then you would expect four out of six will be required to reach that aim.
The 32 times Hungarian Champions are of course a side well known to Celtic having defeated the Hoops under Neil Lennon in last year’s Champions League qualifiers, a game that probably saw the unravelling of a nightmare season really begin.
In truth there will be little to be learned from that experience that will have much bearing on tomorrow’s game, so what of our opponents this season and what can we expect from Ferencvaros?
Ferencvaros – The season so far…
Ferencvaros in terms of domestic progress have started the season in fine form. After an opening day defeat to Kisvárda FC the Hungarians were stung enough by the defeat to put six straight wins together before eventually losing to Zalaegerszegi again by two goals to one on Saturday. It should be noted that particular reverse, surprise as it was, came as a result of heavy squad rotation with today’s game in mind, however the defeat saw our opponents surrender top spot in the Nemzeti Bajnokság, which perhaps indicates the level of importance they have attached to this Europa League tie.
Domestic form has also been accompanied by strong European performances this season. In Champions League qualification Ferencvaros defeated Kosovans FC Prishtina and Zalgiris of Lithuania before claiming the impressive scalp of Slavia Prague to reach the final round of qualifying where despite losing to Swiss side Young Boys, it was by the odd goal in five on both occasions. From those games alone we can get a fair impression of a decent opponent lying in wait.
Meanwhile in the Europa League so far, Ferencvaros have lost both encounters going down 2-1 away to Leverkusen having opened the scoring in that game and 3-1 to Betis at home last time out. The Hungarians have however been lauded for their performances despite two defeats.
How they line up…
In terms of formation Ferencvaros had been fairly easy to predict, that is until they dropped into the Europa League, where some tactical alterations have muddied the waters somewhat.
In their domestic games a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation has been used predominately and in Champions League qualifying it was much the same story, bar the home game to Young Boys where an attacking 4-4-2 was employed with a double pivot in midfield giving the team licence to try and turn around their first leg defeat.
Since dropping into the Europa League however a 3-5-2 has been the formation of choice and in truth the wing backs sit so deep it’s fair to argue a 5-3-2 is probably nearer the mark. With Celtic having three attackers and with Rogic and Turnbull often used as a part of a high press, it will be interesting to see if Peter Stöger will stick with that formation to allow defensive strength allied to the speed they have in wide areas to counter, or if the change in formation was to allow for an extra central defender to cope with both Leverkusen and Betis playing with a sole number 10 and tomorrow the Hungarians return to a more familiar formation.
Players to watch…
The main threat to Celtic will come from star striker and Moroccan international Ryan Mmaee, who has scored elven and assisted a further six times this season. With six goals in seven games in the league, he also netted four times in eight Champions League qualifiers and already has scored one from two in the Europa League so far, that being that opening goal against Leverkusen on Matchday one.
Supplying the ammunition will be left sided attacker Myrto Uzuni. The 20 times capped Albanian international managed to score against Betis last time out and in all competitions has netted a staggering 13 goals from 19 appearances with a further seven assists to boot. He has also been deployed as a co-striker to Mmaee in the recent change in formation and is capable of playing in any of the attacking positions Ferencvaros operate including on the right wing.
And should Uzuni play on the right, then we may well see an old adversary take the left sided berth in Tokmac Chol Nguen. Tokmac of course was the winger given the freedom of Celtic Park to score the winning goal last season and remains a player with a real turn of pace, much like Uzuni and one who takes a rather direct style to his matchday task. We know all about Tokmac, but then again, we did last season too, and despite his pace being an obvious threat we decided Hatem abd Elhamed was a better option to counter his threat than Jeremie Frimpong. Not that I’m one to hold tactical grudges of course!
Attacking intent and a twelfth man to be the difference…
This will be a tough encounter for Celtic but this is also an opponent no better and no worse than ourselves.
As such an attacking line up and a high press should be the defending from the front that keeps our opponents busy can only be beneficial. And despite the recent tactical changes, I’d be surprised if Ferencvaros don’t play with two wide players with a view to exploiting the space our inverted full backs will offer them in transition. It’s sure to be a busy night in transition for both Montgomery and Ralston and the support of Callum McGregor is going to be vital to offer a layer of protection.
Celtic’s big advantage will come from the movement of Kyogo allied to the trickery of Jota and the directness of Liel Abada. The Hungarian backline is far from solid and more than capable of conceding. It also suffers from a lack of mobility and pace, something Celtic’s front three should be able to take advantage of, particularly if further pressured by the support offered centrally by Turnbull and Rogic.
This we know is a must win game for Celtic, and although Ferencvaros are a danger on the counter, Celtic have more than enough firepower to draw first blood in this vital double header. Tuesday afternoon or not there will still be enough of a support in the stands to add that twelfth man to the occasion and we all know the difference that can make in a European tie at Celtic Park.
Niall J
