CELTIC manager Ronny Delia is aware that history is against him as he attempts to be the first Celtic manager ever to lead the club to a victory on Italian soil.
However the positive thinking Norwegian is certainly not dismissive of Celtic’s chances in the 6pm kick off second leg Europa League tie in the San Siro.
Last night at his press conference Delia said: ‘You need mentality and discipline and I think we showed that in the first leg.
‘We were 2-0 down and turned it around to get back into the game and that took really good team spirit.
‘To win away in Europe is the hardest thing. But you have to have your own way of play and the confidence to do it and we have a good chance.
‘It’s so important to play the game and not the occasion. Afterwards, you can sit and remember and reflect about it.
‘We showed in the match last Thursday that it is possible. We’ll need to defend better but I have seen the last three or four matches of Inter Milan and we have a good opportunity to create chances.
‘It is up to us to be clinical when we do create chances. We have put on some good away performances this year and if we go and put on our best performance so far, then we have a good chance to progress.’
The popular Celtic manager wants his players to focus on the job at hand and he gave a special mention to Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk whose performance will be crucial in keeping Inter out tonight.. Ronny said: ‘If you think too much about what is going to happen before the game then you have already lost it.
‘You have to think about the match, take it like it is and treat it like every other game.
‘Virgil Van Dijk is more than good enough to be a top player at this level. It is just a matter of relaxing and doing the same things he does in Scotland.
‘Scott Brown does it and it is all about experience.
‘Sometimes these matches can get built up too much but Brown has more than a hundred big games under his belt and when the pressure is on you that is when you need to show yourself.’
Celtic also put new singing Gary Mackay-Steven forward for the press conference. The new Bhoy was full of optimism ahead of the biggest match of his career. Gary said: ‘It is an iconic stadium and Inter Milan are a massive club but so are Celtic.
‘We are not here to be tourists but to do a job and that is to get a result tomorrow.
‘It is going to be a massive game for me. I played in Europe for Dundee United a few times but nothing on the scale of this game, or the scope.
‘It is the last-32, it is obviously massive for me, but it is a game I am relishing and I can’t wait to experience it.
‘The first-leg was good in a lot of ways but I feel there is a lot more to come from us as a team, so it is exciting.’
The match kicks off at 6pm and is being shown live on BT Sports.
