With Celtic preparing to kick off their Champions League adventure with a home tie against Slovan Bratislava, the supporters will be looking forward to this week with a sense of excitement.
The new Champions League format gives Celtic another home tie and many fans believe that if Brendan Rodgers can win all four games, then qualification from the league phase will be guaranteed.
Rodgers has done his bit in the transfer market to strengthen the team but former Celtic hero, Lubomir Moravcik, has warned that it’s not just the Parkhead club’s players his fellow countrymen need to be wary of.
A ‘great experience’ awaits Celtic’s Champions League opponents
Moravcik has told Bratislava’s players to go and enjoy the Celtic Park atmosphere that the fans will create but he has done so with a warning.
Moravcik told the Daily Record, “It will be a great feeling for Slovan’s players to run out in such a stadium with 60,000 fans there. They should enjoy it because it is a great experience for every player. Slovan’s players must go into the match knowing they have to give their absolute maximum.
“They have to manage it physically and mentally at the same time. After all, the team is made up of experienced footballers and not young boys.
“Guys like Vladimir Weiss, Robert Mak, Guram Kashia and Juraj Kucka have all played enough football on big stages and are experienced enough to keep their emotions in check.
“But Slovan must prepare for the fact they won’t be given a second’s moment of peace on the ball. This will be an incredible experience for them. Perhaps they might surprise everyone and steal a point from Celtic….but it will be very, very difficult to do that.”
Celtic’s relentless press will be key
Celtic’s press has been evident this season as Rodgers’ side rack up win after win on the domestic front.
Having players like Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi leading Celtic’s defence from the front has been crucial to the attacking flow of the team.
If you couple that with the pace that Nicholas Kuhn offers and the ground that Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor cover, Bratislava will need to be on their mettle on Wednesday night if they want to get something from the game.
Hopefully, with the crowd behind them and their relentless style of play, Celtic can get the first three points on the board and win their first Champions League group stage opener since the 1-0 win over Porto in 2001.
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