Recent good history against Champions League opponents

Celtic will play three familiar opponents in the Champions League group stage: Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow.  We have a mixed recent record against Barcelona, eliminating them from the Uefa Cup in 2004, but finishing behind them in the Champions League group stage in the autumn of that year.  Barca also knocked Celtic out of the Champions League in the round of 16 in 2008.  The Camp Nou is the only ground Celtic have managed to avoid defeat on away Champions League duty.

Gordon Strachan’s Celtic eliminated Benfica from the Champions League group stage in 2007 and again in 2008.  They also got the better of Aiden McGeady’s current team, Spartak Moscow , in the Champions League play-off round in 2007.

It is a difficult group for Celtic but each of their opponents will be wary of the Celtic.