The match against Newcastle has been one of the best we have performed throughout the season, both at a defensive and offensive level and in the control of the game. Against PSG we also played well, although in the second half we dropped the level. The one in Newcastle was perfect and that means that, if we want to go through, we will have to do it perfect.
Luke McCowan's goal inside 30 seconds was irrelevant in the broader context of this tie. Stuttgart's 4-1 canter in Glasgow a week earlier ensured that. Still, a game that had the whiff of irrelevance for Celtic delivered unexpected cheer.
When Martin O'Neill replaced Brendan Rodgers in October, the Celtic ship was listing. When he returned for a second interim spell after Wilfried Nancy's tumultuous and brief reign, the ship was taking on water at an alarming rate. Celtic have needed a safe pair of hands and a figurehead to unite a fanbase in revolt twice this season. On both occasions they have turned to O'Neill to save them.
We wanted to be aggressive, but made a mistake with the press, allowed a dangerous attack, and it scared us. So, we were too stretched out in the first half, weren't aggressive enough in the press. Having said all that, it's understandable. We knew the difficulties of this match, and when they start to pile up with six in a row every three days, you will inevitably pay a price.
The NWSL imposes a hard salary cap on each of its teams, in stark contrast with top European leagues such as those in England, France and Spain. NWSL GMs are loud and clear here: The salary cap, even with built-in risers over the coming years, is a problem for the league. This year, GMs were so emphatic about the cap issue that 10 of the 15 GMs interviewed named the salary cap as the rule they would change,
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been sacked by Turkish club Besiktas. The 52-year-old took charge of the Istanbul club in January and steered them to a fourth-placed finish last season. But after defeat by Swiss side Lausanne in the Conference League play-offs on Thursday meant the club would not be playing European football this season, the club dismissed the Norwegian.
