Celtic must match Cluj’s desire or it could be a long night in Romania

Add as preferred source on Google

One factor that may need to be taken into account when Celtic take on Cluj on Wednesday night will be the desire that the Romanian side will show.

They have not made the Champions League proper for seven years. That could be a motivating factor for the Romanian Champions.

Winners are only two games from group stages

They know that if they get a good result on the night, they will be only two games away from reaching the group stages.

Thankfully, Celtic have plenty of players and staff who know all about making the group stages. Neil Lennon has both played and managed Celtic in the group stages.

Therefore, he won’t be intimidated by the atmosphere. He will have to ensure that his players aren’t intimidated either.

Hoops will need to counter furious start

Cluj will no doubt start the game at a furious pace. It will be up to Celtic to counter that. The likes of Scott Brown and Callum McGregor will be vitally important in making sure that the Hoops get a foothold in the game.

Making sure that Celtic don’t concede an early goal will also be vital. It’s one thing to come back from an early goal against Sarajevo like the Hoops did in the first round of qualifying, than it is to come back against Cluj.

Celtic know how to reach the group stages and have players that have done it in the past. Cluj do not. However, that does not mean that the trip to Romania will be anything but very difficult for the Hoops.