UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2014/15 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS - Glasgow Thursday 23 October 2014 21.05CET (20.05 local time) Celtic FC Group D - Matchday 3 FC Astra Giurgiu Last updated 03/06/2015 03:13CET

Match background 2 Legend 3

1 Celtic FC - FC Astra Giurgiu Thursday 23 October 2014 - 21.05CET (20.05 local time) Match press kit Celtic Park, Glasgow

Match background

Celtic FC rode their luck to beat GNK Dinamo Zagreb in their last UEFA Europa League Group D game and will hope to have an easier ride against winless FC Astra Giurgiu. Form guide • Celtic fans with long memories will remember the Hoops' only previous European meeting with Romanian opponents; Charlie Nicholas scored twice as they beat FC Timişoara 2-1 at home in the 1980/81 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but a 1-0 loss in Romania – courtesy of a Dan Păltinişanu strike – spelled an away-goals defeat for Billy McNeill's side. • Astra have lost their last three European games but have a decent record in their seven continental away fixtures (W5 D0 L2). Their 5-1 matchday one loss at Dinamo Zagreb was their worst European result to date. Trivia and links • This will be Celtic's 299th UEFA club competition game (the first 298 ended: W141 D51 L106); the return meeting in Romania will be their 300th. • Romanian sides are unbeaten in their last four games in Scotland (W3 D1). The coaches • Celtic coach Ronny Deila took charge of the Hoops in June 2014 following a successful spell at Strømsgodset IF in his native Norway. The former Odd Grenland and Viking FK defender led the Drammen club to the 2010 Norwegian Cup title and, in 2013, their first league crown since 1970. • Astra coach Daniel Isăilă was dismissed during the international break with his side having won just one of their previous seven games in all competitions. • Former Soviet Union forward Oleh Protasov is Astra's new coach, having returned to Romania nine years after a five-month spell as FC Steaua Bucureşti coach. The one-time FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, FC Dynamo Kyiv and Olympiacos FC player has coached in Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus as well as in his native Ukraine.

2 Celtic FC - FC Astra Giurgiu Thursday 23 October 2014 - 21.05CET (20.05 local time) Match press kit Celtic Park, Glasgow Legend Competitions

Club competitions National team competitions UCL: UEFA Champions League EURO: UEFA European Football Championship ECCC: European Champion Clubs' Cup WC: FIFA World Cup UEL: UEFA Europa League CONFCUP: FIFA Confederations Cup UCUP: UEFA Cup FRIE: Friendly internationals UCWC: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup U21FRIE: Under-21 friendly internationals SCUP: UEFA Super Cup U21: UEFA European Under-21 Championship UIC: UEFA Intertoto Cup U17: UEFA Under-17 Championship ICF: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup U16: UEFA European Under-16 Championship U19: UEFA Under-19 Championship U18: UEFA European Under-18 Championship WWC: FIFA Women's World Cup WEURO: UEFA European Women's Championship Competition stages Other abbreviations F: Final GS: Group stage (aet): After extra time pens: Penalties GS1: First group stage GS2: Second group stage No.: Number og: Own goal 3QR: Third qualifying round R1: First round ag: Match decided on away P: Penalty R2: Second round R3: Third round goals agg: Aggregate R4: Fourth round PR: Preliminary round Pld: Matches played AP: Appearances SF: Semi-finals QF: Quarter-finals Pos.: Position Comp.: Competition R16: round of 16 QR: Qualifying round Pts: Points D: Drawn R32: Round of 32 1QR: First qualifying round R: Sent off (straight red card) DoB: Date of birth 1st: first leg 2QR: Second qualifying Res.: Result ET: Extra Time round sg: Match decided by silver GA: Goals against 2nd: second leg FT: Final tournament goal t: Match decided by toss of a PO: Play-off ELITE: Elite round coin Rep: Replay 3rdPO: Third-place play-off GF: Goals for W: Won PO - FT: Play-off for Final GS-FT: Group stage – final gg: Match decided by golden Y: Booked Tournament tournament goal L: Lost Y/R: Sent off (two yellow Nat.: Nationality cards) N/A: Not applicable f: Match forfeited Statistics -: Denotes player substituted +: Denotes player introduced *: Denotes player sent off +/-: Denotes player introduced and substituted Squad list D: Disciplinary *: Misses next match if booked S: Suspended QUAL: All UEFA qualifiers UEL: Current season total UEFA Europa League appearances from the group stage onwards prior to the current matchday UEL: Total appearances in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final only UEFA: All-time total appearances in UEFA club competition including qualifying Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. More information can be found in the competition regulations available on UEFA.com.

3