If you’ve been chatting to any Celtic fans about this Thursday’s Europa League clash away to Lazio, chances are you’ve heard the phrase “a free hit” mentioned.
Many supporters believe Neil Lennon’s men have earned themselves such an opportunity after their positive start to their Group E campaign. The Bhoys have taken seven points from their first nine on offer meaning that they can’t be toppled by Lazio on Thursday – no matter the score.
But what does “a free hit” mean? And will it even register with the Celtic first-team?
Celtic players won’t see the game as a free hit
The phrase has originated from the perceived less-meaning surrounding the game in Rome. Looking at our final three Europa League fixtures, the game in the Italian capital is arguably our least important.
Even if we lose to Simone Inzaghi’s side we will still be able to secure top spot in the group with two wins in our final two matches while four points will almost certainly secure safe passage to the last 32.
Perhaps some fans are just safeguarding themselves against some disappointment on Thursday by calling the game “a free hit”. That gives the impression that defeat is almost expected and not the end of the world as a result.
The reality is that the words “free” and “hit” won’t even come into Neil Lennon or his player’s thoughts. They’ll look at the group and see a wonderful opportunity to effectively kill Lazio’s hopes off by avoiding defeat. If we do so we’ll be four points ahead of the Serie A side. With two games to go that’s a very big margin.
So don’t fool yourself into thinking that there’s any sort of free hit here. There are three very big points on the line and things are far from over. We’ve beaten Lazio already and have nothing to fear from them this time.
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