Three recent examples prove Celtic can't be complacent against Cluj

Some Celtic fans may have been fooled into thinking that the team had done the hard work against CFR Cluj last week.

Neil Lennon’s men earned an impressive 1-1 draw in Romania, with James Forrest’s away goal giving them the slight edge ahead of Tuesday’s rematch.

Make no mistake about it though, Celtic still have a big job to do against Dan Petrescu’s side. The tie is very much alive and Cluj will still fancy their chances despite what they’ve said in the press.

And if that’s not enough then history should also remind Celtic fans that 1-1 away draws don’t always mean good things for the second leg. Here’s the three most recent times we’ve been in this position in the Champions League.

2016 – Astana (drew 1-1 away, won 2-1 home)

Many felt Celtic had done the hardwork when Leigh Griffiths battered in a late equaliser in Kazakhstan in 2016. We looked even surer of progression when the forward thumped in a penalty to put us ahead in the return leg too.

(Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

However, the tie was put right back in the balance when Agim Ibraimi’s excellent lob levelled matters. The Astana strike just showed how much away goals can swing a tie in the visiting side’s favour.

Thankfully Moussa Dembele’s first ever goal saw us through in this pulsating evening at Celtic Park. We may not be so lucky tomorrow.

2014 – Maribor (drew 1-1 away, lost 1-0 home)

Again, most Celtic fans felt the team had a foot in the next stage of the Champions League after Callum McGregor’s strike had earned us a 1-1 draw in Slovenia.

(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

But the second leg was a fractious affair that reached nightmare status when Marcos Tavares netted a late winner for Maribor. The lesson to learn from this tie is that Cluj can still advance with a win tomorrow.

We may be in an advantageous position, but it’s still rather precarious.

2007 – Spartak Moscow (drew 1-1 away, drew 1-1 home, won on pens)

The most remarkable of the three was this two-legged affair with Spartak Moscow in 2007. Gordon Strachan’s side were pretty good in both legs but up against a very good side that boasted talent like Mozart and Roman Pavlyuchenko.