Celtic will once again try their luck in the Europa League following their disastrous exit from the Champions League qualifying round against Austrian side LASK. A 3-0 win at home in the first leg was completely in vain as a result of a 5-1 defeat in the return leg away from home.
Right after the Celts’ 2-1 victory over Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, the club learned about their opponents for the league phase of the Europa League.
Martin O’Neill’s men will begin their European campaign against Hungarian side Ferencvaros and then play against the likes of Benfica, Celta Vigo, Besiktas, Torreense, Omonia, Marseille and end the group round with an away game against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.
Following their Champions League disappointment, the Hoops are expected to do a lot better than their finish in Europe last campaign, more so after their recent high-value signings in the summer transfer window.
Most of the above mentioned fixtures are expected to bring the best out of this Celtic team, who should be eager to prove a point, and Martin O’Neill must certainly be busy evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents.
Europa League opponent excited to play Celtic
One of them is seemingly excited to take on the Bhoys at their home ground. Union Saint-Gilloise captain Kevin Mac Allister talked about the prospect of facing Celtic in the Europa League this season, saying (via 67 Hail Hail):
“There are a lot of good teams in the draw and it is difficult to pick out just one game that excites me more than others
“But if I am honest, Celtic at home will be the most interesting.”
Just like the Hoops, Mac Allister’s side crashed out of the Champions League qualifying round against Bodo/Glimt, summer signing Kasper Hogh’s former side.
As a result, they have now been pitched against the Celts, and the 28-year-old is seemingly eager to face the Scottish side in January next year.
On the other hand, Celtic will need to shake off their recent Champions League disappointment and try to better their advance in the second tier of European football in this campaign.
Celtic should be eager to do well in Europe
The fans are seemingly eager to see their side do well on the continental stage, but their results during the past couple of campaigns have undoubtedly disappointed the Parkhead faithful.
The Glasgow giants were only able to win three of their league phase games in the Europa League last season before getting knocked out of the knockout playoffs by the German side VfB Stuttgart.
This time around, the club management has shown a bit more ambition in terms of summer recruitments, which would be put to the test in Europe, especially when they travel to Belgium next year.
But the Celts are seemingly not yet done with the transfer market, as they look forward to further strengthening their squad with a few more signings before Wednesday’s deadline.
