We’re less than a week away from arguably the most appetising fixture of Celtic’s UEFA Champions League group stage campaign: Atletico Madrid at home.
Okay, we’re all probably still feeling a little wounded from the way things panned out against Lazio. We lost a match that we should have won. We have 0 points from our first two matches in the competition, while all of the other teams have at least three.
But hope springs eternal for Celtic in the Champions League, and we’re all dreaming of notching that first home win in a decade against Diego Simeone’s side.
Like us, the in-form La Liga side have a domestic game to navigate this weekend before they can turn to the continental scenes. They are warming up for Celtic by playing… Celta.
On Saturday evening, Atletico travel north to Galicia to take on struggling Celta Vigo. They will, of course, come up against Carl Starfelt just days before their visit to Celtic Park.
The Swede has been a regular for his new side ever since making the summer switch from Glasgow. He may have a role to play in our preparation for the big one, too.
We know that Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers had a strong relationship in Glasgow. They never lost a Premiership game they started together, for a start. After Starfelt faces Atleti on Saturday are you trying to tell me he won’t be chatting to CCV, international team-mate Gustaf Lagerbielke, or anyone else at the club?
We’d be daft not to get in contact with him and ask him a little about how Atletico play. While we’ll have done extensive research on them ahead of the game, hearing a player’s perspective would be a welcome bonus.
Every little helps, and all that.
In other news, John Kennedy explains the benefits of the international break that Celtic fans could soon see
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
