“After a run of difficult group stage draws, we expect Celtic to get a favourable Champions League draw this evening,” as you and I hypothesized in yesterday’s blog post. Those of us who are Celtics fans should be optimistic, as more of us will discover later today.
In the Champions League, Celtic’s success primarily depends on our domestic performance. Our priorities should be Leipzig, Club Brugge, Slovan Bratislava, and Young Boys. To take full advantage of what is a real opportunity in this competition, Celtic Park needs to perform at its highest level.
Fiorentina narrowly defeated Brugge in the Conference League semifinals of the previous season.
They have the stamina to keep up the pace during an extended campaign. Leipzig made it to the Round of 16 of the Champions League, however they were defeated 2-1 overall by the eventual winners, Real Madrid. A year earlier, Young Boys was eliminated at the Group Stage and subsequently defeated by Sporting in the Europa play-offs.
The most consoling thing about last season was that Slovan advanced past the Conference League Group Stage, only to be crushed by Sturm Graz (the Austrian League winners) at the next obstacle.
It’s not for the timid to play away games at Dinamo Zagreb, Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, or Aston Villa. We’ve seen so many away Champions League games that we’ve become accustomed to expecting the worst. Maybe things truly start to level out during this season.
Last season, Dortmund advanced far in this competition before falling to Real Madrid in the championship game. They sent PSV, Newcastle, Milan, PSG, and Altetico on their way. When they play Celtic, expect them to shift through the gears with ease.
Atlanta has recently had their most successful season to date. They made sure they won the Europa League decisively with 3-0 victories over Liverpool, Marseille, and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively, in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship games.
Last season, Zagreb was eliminated from the Conference League at the Round of 16, while Aston Villa advanced to the semi-finals. Undoubtedly, this is a fortunate draw; yet, the Champions League does not offer any hiding places.
By the time you hear Zardok the Priest over the Celtic Park PA, your current feeling of anticipation will have transformed into anxiety.
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