Celtic Park is the venue for tonight’s Glasgow showdown and despite Pep Guardiola’s side wearing the favourites tag, much has been made of the significance of the home crowd.
It could be a cauldron like atmosphere and while the boss is looking forward to playing there, the Blues should not underestimate its effect on the Hoops performance, according to the Telegraph.
Acknowledging the difference in value between the two squads, Roddy Forsyth, writes: “Neither calculation factored in the Parkhead effect, the impact of Celtic’s home ground on Champions League nights.
“It is always an imponderable but, at its most potent, it can turbocharge the Hoops’ endeavours, as Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus and Manchester United have all found to their cost.”
The Bhoys boss, Brendan Rodgers, also believes a special Champions League atmosphere could make all the difference for his side.
The Northern Irishman is quoted in the same article and said: “There have been 24 games here at that level [Champions League], of which Celtic have won 16 and only lost three. It’s an incredible record which shows you the power of the stadium and what it gives to the team.”
To our own manager now, and with a record equalling eleventh win up for grabs, Pep has received plenty of praise for the manner in which his side have performed in the early stages of his tenure.
He’s made quite an impression on the Scottish press too, with the Herald’s Scott Mullen bestowing the 45-year-old with the nickname ‘Mr Contentment’.
Clearly impressed with what he saw at yesterday’s press conference, Mullen explains: “You would never have guessed that the man headhunted by the English giants was facing a crucial Champions League away tie in 24 hours’ time without his captain or one of his key playmakers.
“Instead, the Spaniard spoke positively about the group left to deal with the task in hand, expressed his excitement at the renowned atmosphere he and his players will walk out into tonight, shrugging off any sense of flapping at the loss of two of the most vital cogs of his footballing machine in the process.”
Unable to call upon the services of Belgian duo Vincent Kompany of Kevin De Bruyne, there is of course some discussion as to who might feature instead.
Given his recent fine form, who fills De Bruyne’s boots is a particularly intriguing option for the team over at Shoot, who’ve offered their suggestions as to who could replace him.
Jesus Navas and Shoot think it’s the perfect opportunity for the latter in particular.
They write: “Leroy Sane is another player who may look at De Bruyne’s absence as an opportunity to show Guardiola what he can do in this City team.
“There is no doubting the young winger’s capability and Guardiola may give him a chance on Wednesday to really showcase his ability for his new club.”
That’s it for today, folks. City U19s kick off an evening of football at 5pm, before the main event at 7.45pm. Tune in for live coverage here on mancity.com.
