Celtic won’t be looking ahead to this game just yet, as there are league and Betfred Cup games before it, but the Hoops’ next Europa League group stage game will be against Cluj at Celtic Park in just under two weeks.
The game will be interesting for a whole host of reasons. Most notably, Celtic will be hoping to defeat the team that knocked them out of the Champions League earlier this season. The Hoops will also be looking to build on the 1-1 draw with Rennes.
Perhaps most importantly though, the Hoops will need to improve on their home form in the group stages, which has been patchy to say the least.
Home record could be better
In five Europa League group stage campaigns, the Hoops have only won six out of 15 home games. That has meant that Celtic have only qualified from the group stages on two occasions.
On those occasions, the Hoops have taken six points out of a possible nine at home. With how tight this group could be, six points might not be enough for the Hoops to reach the last 32 of the competition.
Neil Lennon and his players should be aiming to win nine points out of nine at home this season. That would give Celtic a real chance of making out of the group stages.
Time that Celtic Park was once more a fortress
It is about time that Celtic Park was a fortress in Europe like it used to be in the early 2000s. In those days, Celtic would regularly win games at homes in Europe. That has not been the case in recent years.
Even though the goal for this season is obviously to win nine in a row, Celtic should be aiming to make progress in the Europa League.
That started with the recent draw against Rennes. Three wins at home would greatly help the chances of progression even more.
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