There Is Still Hope In Parkhead
By Ed_ScottishFitba
Updated Sunday, 23rd November 2008
Can Gordon Strachan steer Celtic to a Champions League away win and keep the dream of a last 16 place alive? Frank McGarvey thinks that he can.
There has to be one game which ends Celtic's away-day hoodoo in the Champions League so why not on Tuesday against Aalborg? So asks ex-Celt Frank McGarvey who believes the win-or-bust situation will focus the collective minds of the Celtic squad. Gordon Strachan's side sit on top of the SPL and are currently favourites to win their fourth title in a row but their European aspirations this season are dependant on the game in Denmark. Celtic have secured just one point from a possible 51 in their Champions League group phase games away from home and will make an early exit from this season's competition if they are beaten by the Danes on Tuesday. If Celtic do win and Manchester United beat Villarreal in Spain in the other Group E clash the same night, then Strachan's men could reach the last 16 of the tournament for the third year in succession if they beat Villarreal in Glasgow.
McGarvey, who played for Celtic from 1980 to 1985, said the need to win in Aalborg will make their task straightforward. He said: "If Scott McDonald and Georgios Samaras are playing and 100% fit then I think Celtic will win. They are two top-class strikers and if they have Shaun Maloney behind them then their chances are better. But the biggest difference on the night will be the mind-set of the Celtic players. They know a draw is no good to them. They know that they have to win if they want to reach the knockout stages again and that is the difference from all the other times that they have played away. The situation they are in will make the players more positive, they will need to attack and they don't usually do that on their travels in Europe. Aalborg aren't great but they have shown they can score goals in this group so I don't think it will be a goalless draw, I think there will be a winner one way or the other. But if you wanted to go to one ground having to win away from home to give you a chance to make the last-16 of the Champions League then you would want it to be against a Danish side. Scottish football isn't great but it has the edge over Danish football. So it will be a very interesting game. If Celtic and Manchester United win on Tuesday night, then that sets it up for Villarreal coming over for last game at Parkhead. Celtic's record at home in Europe is second to none and so they could still make it in to the last-16 and that would be a great achievement." | Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba.net)
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