If you’re anything like us there’s a fair chance you’re already fed up of this international break.
Okay, the country-based football may not even have started yet. And that’s nothing against Steve Clarke’s excellent Scotland side or any other nations you may follow. But it’s just a pain to have another break from the club stuff.
Celtic have only played eight Premiership fixtures so far this season yet we’re into our second international break already. To add insult to injury, there’s another one in a month.
Thankfully, we have some good recent memories to tide us over for now, and some big fixtures to come. And they will arrive immediately after the break, with the team returning to a blockbuster week of fixtures.
In most weeks, a visit to Tynecastle or Easter Road would be considered the main event. Our next week of action has both — Hearts on Sunday 22 October and Hibernian on the following Saturday. Yet neither can truly be considered ‘the big one’.
Atletico Madrid will certainly have that honour when they venture to Celtic Park for matchday three of the UEFA Champions League group stage. While Feyenoord and Lazio are major European clubs, Atletico are without doubt the ‘glamour’ side from Group E.
Seeing the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak and Alvaro Morata should be pretty cool. It’s also a huge game for us, and a must-win if we have any hopes of a spot in the last 16.
However, there will be no chance for Brendan Rodgers to prioritise any match during that week. All three are challenging clashes. It’ll just be a case of this Celtic side going for it and hoping to come out of the week in a pretty good place.
It’s a week to be savoured. It could be the making of this team under Rodgers.
In other news, Moritz Jenz explains why he still loves the Hoops
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