Alex Valle rates Celtic’s Champions League progression chances after exciting draw

Add as preferred source on Google

Despite the late window scramble for arrivals at Celtic, Alex Valle is already in the door and has ended their hunt for a left-back.

The Spain Under-20 international has joined for a loan fee of £1.3 million from Barcelona and is expected to push Greg Taylor for his starting slot this campaign.

Possessing an exciting pedigree as a La Masia graduate, Valle will have no qualms in facing some of Europe’s cream of the crop in the Champions League as Celtic bid to finish as high as possible in the new Swiss-style league format.

With the draw conducted yesterday, the Bhoys have some fantastic tests to look forward to at home and on the road. Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa and Atalanta represent some brilliant away days at storied venues.

Meanwhile, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys and Club Brugge are three ties on home soil that offer the opportunity to claim points. Here is what Valle had to say about the Bhoys’ chances.

Alex Valle on Celtic’s Champions League draw

Speaking to official club channels, Valle is raring to go as Celtic take on the challenge of eight different opponents in the Champions League for the first time.

He stated: “I’m really happy, to be honest. I think it’s a good group to be competitive; it’s an opportunity to be competitive here. If nothing else, we will face it with hard work as we do every week, so I’m happy.”

Later, he added: “It’s obvious that every team in the Champions League is there because it’s a really competitive team. Every game will be competitive and very difficult. I think it’s another group where we’ll have to work really hard in to achieve another stage.”

Lastly, Valle finished by saying: “To be honest, I’ve heard a lot about Celtic Park, its crowd and their fans, the sell-out of a really good environment here, and I’m looking forward to live it in real life. Celtic is a historic club that plays really good football, so it’s an attractive opportunity for me.”

Alex Valle has a chance to blossom at Celtic

Valle has a chance to establish himself at Celtic and already has an impressive grounding in senior football.

Last term, he featured on loan at Levante, making 29 appearances across all competitions before reporting to Barcelona for pre-season.

Now, his challenge is to unseat Taylor at left-back, which won’t be an easy task. However, with the volume of matches set to come this season, he will gain plenty of opportunities.