CELTIC face three former European foes after the Champions League draw in Monaco this evening.
Brendan Rodgers’ side will face Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio for three intriguing ties in Group E of Europe’s elite competition.
The Hoops will take on the Dutch title winners who, of course, overcame Jock Stein’s side in the San Siro Stadium in Milan in 1970 to prevent the Hoops from conquering Europe for the second time after the 1967success over Inter Milan in Lisbon in 1967.
The Spaniards of Atletico played their part in a black chapter in the Parkhead side’s Euro history in the top flight when they had THREE players sent off in a roughhouse 0-0 first leg in Glasgow in season 1973/74.
The Madrid club won 2-0 in the return to reach the Final where they lost 4-0 to Bayern Munich in a replay.
And Lazio offered Neil Lennon’s men the opportunity of claiming their first-ever victory on Italian soil in 2019 when a last-gasp winner from Olivier Ntcham gave them a 2-1 triumph, to replicate the scoreline from the game between the teams in Glasgow.
On that occasion, Christopher Jullien headad in the winner.
Now the stage is set for some exciting action replays with the dates and venues to be announced before the weekend.
THE FULL DRAW
GROUP A
Bayern Munich, Manchester United, FC Copenhagen, Galatasaray.
GROUP B
Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Lens.
GROUP C
Napoli, Real Madrid, SC Braga, Union Berlin.
GROUP D
Benfica, Inter Milan, FC Salzburg, Real Sociedad.
GROUP E
Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, CELTIC.
GROUP F
Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle United.
GROUP G
Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys.
GROUP H
Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Antwerp.
The group stage dates are:
Matchday 1: September 19/20
Matchday 2: October 3/4
Matchday 3: October 24/25
Matchday 4: November 7/8
Matchday 5: November 28/29
Matchday 6: December 12/13
The schedule for the knock-out stages is:
Round of 16: February 13/14/20/21 and March 5/6/12/13 2024
Quarter-finals: April 9/10 and 16/17
Semi-finals: April 30/May 1 and May 7/8
Final: June 1 at Wembley
