Ready to trade blows at the top table of European football once again, Brendan Rodgers and Celtic have managed to avoid most of the true heavyweights who have too often left them battered and bruised over the years.
When the draw was made yesterday for this season’s new-look Champions League, there was no Real Madrid or Manchester City for the Scottish champions.
Nor was there a Bayern Munich, a Barcelona or a Paris Saint-Germain. In this most unforgiving arena, Celtic dodged pretty much all of the big hitters.
Instead, they are now facing up to the far more favourable proposition of Slovan Bratislava, Dinamo Zagreb, Young Boys and Club Brugge.
In terms of the calibre of those teams, there’s a valid argument that this represents more of a Europa League draw than Champions League.
Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Aston Villa will be a step up, as will current Europa League holders Atalanta. But there can be no doubt that the draw hands Celtic a fighting chance of actually being competitive, rather than just being trampled underfoot by the real behemoths of this landscape.
Rodgers will be hoping Celtic can fare better in Europe’s elite tournament this time around
The draw has spared Celtic a clash with any of Europe’s true giants such as PSG or Real Madrid
Aston Villa’s John McGinn will relish the chance to come up against his boyhood heroes
Once they get their heads round the new-look format, Rodgers and his players should feel they can finally make an impact in the competition. Without question, opportunity knocks.
They will face eight matches, four at home and four away, after being drawn among the teams in Pot Three.
But it wasn’t just the fact that Celtic avoided the likes of Bayern, PSG, City and holders Real Madrid from Pot One.
Of the teams in Pot Two, they also avoided clubs such as Arsenal, Juventus, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. How’s your luck, right?
Supporters may well bemoan the lack of some genuine A-list clubs or players in the draw and that’s a fair point.
Europa League champions Atalanta will represent a seriously tough away fixture for Celtic
There’s a slight sense of irony in making it into the Champions League, only for John McGinn to be one of the most high-profile players you’ll be going up against.
What a game that should be at Villa Park. A real Battle of Britain, with Rodgers no doubt looking to settle an old score with Unai Emery.
Emery was in charge of PSG when they ran riot against Rodgers’ Celtic in Glasgow back in 2017, winning 5-0 with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe both sensational on the night.
By that point, the rot had already set in for Celtic in Europe. Slowly emerging from the Ronny Deila days, when the top tier of the stand would be shut for Europa League games, they found the Champions League to be a tough school.
Bayern Munich were also in their group back in 2017, with Rodgers and his players thumped 3-0 in Bavaria.
Celtic suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig in the Champions League back in 2022
But their trips abroad this year look like they could be more fruitful, with the four away games coming against Villa, Dortmund, Zagreb and Atalanta. There’s no reason why they can’t go to Zagreb and win. Likewise, the four home games against Bratislava, Brugge, Young Boys and Leipzig are winnable.
The qualification process dictates that the top eight teams qualify, with teams placed 9th-24th in the standings then facing each other in a play-off to determine the make-up of the last 16.
The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated — and, from Celtic’s point of view, that’s essentially the scale of the task right there.
If they can avoid finishing as one of the 12 worst teams, they will have a chance to go further and reach the last 16 via a play-off. Given the favourable nature of the draw, they would be accused of morbid pessimism if they didn’t view that task as eminently achievable, especially with the four home games.
Borussia’s Karim Adeyemi is one of the Dortmund danger men Celtic will have to be wary of
For new signing Alex Valle, the young left-back who joined on loan from Barcelona earlier this week, the draw represents a chance to make an impact.
‘It’s a good draw for us,’ said Valle. ‘Every team will be difficult because you know you are playing against the best in the Champions League, but we have a chance and we will fight for it.
‘It’s obvious that every team in the Champions League is there because they’re very competitive and every game will be very difficult, so we’ll have to work really hard to reach the next stage.
‘The Champions League is the best competition in the world, so playing in it will be amazing.’
Alex Valle is excited about the Champions League and optimistic about Celtic’s chances
For Valle, he will now have a chance to make an impact in Europe’s elite competition after coming through the ranks at Barca’s fabled La Masia academy.
The 20-year-old will compete with Greg Taylor for the left-back jersey and could go straight into the squad for Sunday’s derby with Rangers.
‘When I was coming over, some of the staff at Celtic sent me some videos about the atmosphere on the Champions League nights,’ he said. ‘It was really impressive. So, yeah, this weekend will be amazing as well.
‘This is an important step for me in my career and I am really happy to be at such a fantastic club like Celtic.’