Gordon Strachan has compared Celtics task tonight to climbing Everest. Barcelona outclasses Celtic in every department and Celtic must be at their best to avoid anything other than a defeat.
Having said that, there is only one team who has anything to lose tonight and that is the hosts. One goal to the good from the first leg and with three away goals hands them the advantage in this tie. This should be our main focus; if we can capitalise on Barcelona's fear of losing and challenge them all over the park we may knock them off their game. Even the best players in the world can't fail to be rattled by the fear of giving away such a superior position.
We need to show them no respect, to hassle and harry them, to play to our snarling, aggressive best. To stand up to each and every one of them, with chest puffed out and look them square in the eyes and say "you're getting it"! Maybe we should even add in an element of the 'crazy factor'. How about a chorus of the Celtic Song as we take to the field!
Strachan has stated that it doesn't matter how you try and play against Barcelona, if they are on their game they are going to win. He said: "How do you stop Ronaldinho and Messi? Everyone is looking for that answer.
"Every system has been used against them and I mean EVERY system.
The main weakness in Barcelona's armour would appear to be high balls into the box. Celtic managed to score two against them from balls whipped in from wide areas for our front men to get on the end of and this will be our best chance tonight. I would also like to see us utilize the space between their defence and midfield to a greater degree and the best way to do this would be to play either Naka or McGeady in a more central role. One of our best away performances against better opposition came with McGeady playing in this position in the second tie against Milan in the San Siro and I believe that this could cause Barca more problems than our current 4-4-2 system which is too rigid to allow for out and out attack against formidable opposition.
Strachan also stated that every single player in a Celtic shirt must play to beyond his full potential if Celtic is to get anything from this match tonight, saying "it is so important that we have 11 performances out there. We were nowhere near that in the first leg."
I can't remember the last time I saw 11 performances from Gordon Strachan's Celtic team in Europe that had a positive outcome, Benfica at Parkhead last season would be one of the rare occasions where you could say that the team was truly firing on all cylinders. We would require a performance greater than that one if we are to prevail tonight.
So enjoy the mathc Bhoys and Ghirls, whatever happens it is going to be a cracker. It is nights like tonight that define what it is to be a Celtic supporter. Go get 'em Celtic. Your destiny is on your own hands!
Clydebuilt