Elena Sadiku has right kind of headache for Glasgow City challenge

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Celtic F.C.

·16 August 2024

Elena Sadiku has right kind of headache for Glasgow City challenge

A campaign-opening 9-0 win over Dundee United on Flag Day last weekend, a midweek try-out behind closed doors and routine training at Barrowfield have given Celtic FC Women’s manager, Elena Sadiku a headache when it comes to choosing her team this Sunday.

The Ghirls host Glasgow City in Airdrie for the second game of the SWPL season, with the opposition also recording a high-scoring 7-0 win on a trip to Montrose.

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However, it’s not the threat of the opposition that is giving the manager problems in picking a side, it’s the attitude, fitness and work ethic of her charges that has been exemplary in the lead-up to this weekend’s derby.

The Swede said: “We had a game on Wednesday behind closed doors and the players are always making the job very, very hard for me.

“So I said to them today I had a mind of how I want to play on Sunday. Then we played on Wednesday and they changed my mind again.

‘I said to them to try to take this training again to prove me wrong, and that’s what they did.’

“So I have a hard time, but this is the best job I can have when it’s like this, so I’m very happy and pleased how it looks right now.”

And there is more to come on the fitness level as the Celtic Head Coach said: “I think the players are surprised how much I can push them still, because the season has started.

“But, for me, football players should always try to get better physically, tactically and individually throughout the whole season.

“I’m not going to peak them now. Their peak is going to be the whole season through.

“So where we are right now, we are going to get better even next month, and the next month after that and the next month after that.

“We are still under season and I’m pushing them to get better.”

It’s fair to say that both Celtic and Glasgow City can expect more of a challenge from each other than that they did from their respective opponents last weekend, and the Swede is looking forward to that test.

She said: “That’s something that I’m very excited to see because they have pretty much a new team.

“I respect their history and the team that they have been in this league, because they’ve put themselves on the map when it comes to Scottish football.

‘But, for me, it’s about telling our own story now.’

“We play the way that we play no matter who the opposition is, so hopefully we can come out confident and play how we want to play against them, but also respect that Glasgow City is Glasgow City.

“I would say it’s nice to play a good opponent because we will get tested, and testing will make us better.”

The Celts do go in to this game with confidence, though, and not just because of the high-scoring league opener against Dundee United.

Elena Sadiku said: “Look at the pre-season, we’ve been playing against really good teams and we’ve been performing really well, and I think that should give us enough confidence to go into this game as well.”