No one wanted Celtic from Pot 4

Let’s be honest with each other, there’s a bit of a leap between our European performances in recent seasons and the standards of Champions League football. My expectations for this season’s tournament hasn’t seen me check out accommodation options in Cardiff in May.

With that in mind, if we’re going to fall short, let’s do it against genuine quality opposition, some of the best players and tactically organised teams in the business. Barcelona, Manchester City (think Pep, but with more money) and Borussia Monchengladbach will bring this to Glasgow over the next few months.

Over our 15 year Champions League lifespan, Celtic surprise on the upside more often against better teams than against relative minnows. The biggest disappointments came in Scandinavia, not Iberia.

When the group stage finishes in December, we will faced enormous challenges. Players will have stretched themselves to lengths they didn’t know existed. What we know for sure, is that none of the other three teams in our group will have wanted Celtic from Pot 4. This is a hard draw for everyone.

Huge game tomorrow. Anything less than 100% and we’ll drop points. Enjoy it.