Celtic were drawn into a tough but exciting group in the Champions League. They will come up against Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Feyenoord in Europe’s elite competition. Now, it is by no means a simple task for Brendan Rodgers’ side. On the contrary, most would consider them as the underdogs against all of those teams.
But at the same time, if Celtic are able to perform at their best, there is a chance that they could navigate through the group or at least finish in third place. Let’s see how things play out.
Atletico Madrid are the heavy favourites to top the group. But the Spanish side’s star player, Antoine Griezmann, is certainly not taking Celtic lightly.
As reported by the Daily Record, Griezmann said while talking about Celtic:
"“Celtic are a team who consistently win their league, score a lot of goals and will be a very difficult game away. This group is wide open. This is not an easy group. I don’t buy into that at all just because there is not one of the favourites in the competition.”"
Griezmann makes superb claim about Celtic
Celtic put in some very positive displays in the Champions League last season. They outperformed Real Madrid in the first-half at Parkhead and should have been two or three goals going into the break. They were also arguably better than Shakhtar Donetsk on both occasions.
At the end of the day, football is about finding the back of the net. And finishing is what let Celtic down time after time.
A lot of these players will have learned from that experience though and should be better prepared when playing in the Champions League this season. It remains to be seen how they end up doing this time around.
Of course, Rodgers also has a decent bit of experience when it comes to managing in the Champions League. That is also some cause for optimism.
Ultimately, if Celtic are able to do well in their home games and come out with positive away results, then there is a chance that they could get out of their group. Let’s hope for the best.