Celtic embark on the next chapter of their Europa League adventure against SC Braga this week.
Braga are in turmoil after the Portuguese side’s latest defeat leaves them winless in five domestic games ahead of their visit to Celtic Park on Thursday night.
Whilst Celtic fans are dealing with problems with the board, Brendan Rodgers at least remains unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership.
And after watching Celtic’s creditable draw with Red Star Belgrade last week, former Dundee United manager Ivan Golac makes a superb Europa League prediction for the Bhoys.
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Ivan Golac tells Celtic they could reach the Europa League final
Celtic fans will remember Golac as the Dundee United manager who defied the odds to beat Rangers in the 1994 Scottish Cup final.
And here, the Serbian has told Celtic that they should be aiming to reach the final of the European tournament after watching their performance against Red Star Belgrade.
Golac told The Sunday Post, “I think Celtic have great potential. It was a disaster for them not to make it into the Champions League but they have to forget about that.
“I watched the game on Wednesday night. I know that Red Star Belgrade can be intimidating opponents but Celtic handled them quite well overall in front of a big crowd.
“To be honest, a club the size of Celtic should be challenging to reach finals in Europe – on a regular basis.
“It’s been over 20 years since they last reached a major European final when they lost to Porto in Seville in 2003.
“That was a very long time ago. Now they should be looking to advance as far as possible in this competition – and it’s definitely not impossible.”
Golac ‘impressed by Daizen Maeda’ and says Celtic signed ‘a player’ this summer
Golac clearly still keeps a close eye on the Scottish champions and tells Celtic that he’s always liked Daizen Maeda and has pinpointed a summer signing as ‘a player’.
Golac continued, “I’m always impressed by Daizen Maeda – even though he was a bit off it the other night – and the goalscorer Iheanacho looks like a player.
“In Brendan Rodgers, they have a top-class manager. What they need to do now is believe more in their ability.
“When I took Dundee United to Hampden to face Rangers in the 1994 Scottish Cup final, nobody gave us a chance. But we triumphed against the odds and Celtic should definitely be looking to do the same thing.”
The UEFA Cup run to the Seville final in 2003 is still remembered fondly by Celtic supporters despite the heartbreak the result caused.
And whilst there is no doubt that in the Europa League Celtic can be competitive, is reaching the Istanbul final a realistic possibility for his current squad?
Celtic supporters will certainly hope that come January the team will be in a good position and that a few additions in the transfer window could make that dream possible.
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