LIAM SCALES insists Celtic are in with a shout as they open their Europa League campaign with an encounter against Red Star in Belgrade tomorrow night.
The hosts’ 50,000-capacity Rajko Mitic Stadium has earned the reputation as one of the most notorious sporting arenas in football.
But the Republic of Ireland international centre-back admitted he is eagerly anticipating performing in the bearpit of the Serbian capital and is ready to be a big noise amid the racket created by the home side’s followers.
PASS MARKS…Liam Scales in control in Celtic’s 2-1 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
Scales, who is likely to team up against with Cameron Carter-Vickers in the heart of the Hoops rearguard, is not fazed by the prospect of running the gauntlet in a hostile environment and said: “I’ve never played in Belgrade before, but I’ve heard it’s a tough place, so I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s always good to feel the atmosphere before a game.
“Once we start playing, though, that all goes out the window and we’re fully focused on what’s happening on the pitch.
“In terms of the best atmospheres, I’d probably say Dortmund. Feyenoord was up there, as well, that was loud.
“But Dortmund was intense and I do enjoy the noise.
“For me, once the ball’s in play, it doesn’t really matter whether there’s 70,000 or no-one there.
“You’re so focused on what’s happening in the game. It’s all background noise.
CHEERS…Benjamin Nygren congratulates Liam Scales after the defender’s goal in the 4-0 Premier Sports League Cup win over Partick Thstle at Firhill.
“But when you walk out and you feel the atmosphere, like we do at Celtic Park, it’s nice for the first couple of minutes and then the whistle goes.”
Scales has sampled a packed and throbbing Ibrox Stadium without a Celtic fan in sight during frantic derby encounters and he reckons that has assisted in coping with one-sided confrontations.
The defender, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “Yeah, experience is brilliant at helping you cope with those sorts of big games.
“You know you’ve been there before and you know you’re at the level and you can deal with that sort of atmosphere and that level of opposition.
“It has helped being part of the games in the Champions League and winning big ties in Europe.”
Brendan Rodgers’ side blew the opportunity to mix with Europe’s elite as they stumbled to an embarrassing exit against Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty where they hardly laid a glove on their unfancied rivals in three and a half hours of football.
DOWN AND OUT…Daizen Maeda in Kazakhstan.
Emphasising their shot-shy display and dire lack of cutting edge, Adam Idah, Luke McCowan and Daizen Maeda all squandered penalty-kicks in the spot-kick shoot-out following two dismal scoreless stalemates.
Inevitably, that led to expulsion from the elite competition and Scales added: “We’ve had the time to be disappointed about the Champions League and it was tough getting knocked out.
“But it’s a huge opportunity for us to go and do as well as we can in this tournament.
“When you look at the draw, the quality of opposition is still really, really high. They’re going to be good, enjoyable games.
“We’ve brought in a couple of the players and we’ve got a lot of strength in depth now. We’re in a good place.
“We just need to kick on now and go on a nice run to set us up.”
