Celtic v Juve first leg preview

By David Lee Wheatley

12^th February 2013

Great Glasgow night in store at Celtic Park

Attention turns this week to the last-16 stage of the UEFA Champions’ League, as Celtic attempt to make history by reaching the quarter-finals and becoming the first Scottish club to do so in the competition’s current format.

Standing in their way is the mighty Juventus, table-toppers of Serie A by five points coming into the first leg of the tie with Celtic.

The Italian giants have been preparing for the first leg encounter at Murray Park, training ground of Glasgow Rangers. Juve unwittingly managed to ramp up the hype surrounding the game by accepting the blue half of Glasgow’s invitation to train there, as if the game needed it!

Celtic midfielder Kris Commons was dismissive in his assessment of that decision when saying: “If they want to train at a third division training ground, then so be it.”

The atmosphere inside Celtic Park this evening will be electric, which is a point not lost on the Juventus camp.

“It will be a tough game in Glasgow. It is one of the most famous and intense football cities in the world,” remarked new loan signing Nicolas Anelka.

Sporting director Pavel Nedved remembers all too well how passionate the Celtic faithful are from the last Champions’ League encounters between the sides during the 2001-02 season group stages. Juventus narrowly won 3-2 in Turin before losing 4-3 in Glasgow, which proved to be an heroic exit from the competition for the Hoops.

“I’m fully aware of the atmosphere that awaits us in Glasgow because I’ve been there and experienced it first hand,” explained the former midfield maestro.

“We’ll be stepping into the lion’s den and I don’t think the team will need firing up. We’ll have to tough it out.”

Celtic will need all the assistance they can get from the crowd as they attempt to overcome a Juventus side laced with quality. The level of ability the Italian side possess is epitomised by playmaker Andrea Pirlo, star of the Italian national side last summer at Euro 2012 and a man that continues to pull the strings to great effect in the Juve midfield despite his advancing years.

Stopping him will be of great importance if Celtic are to take a lead to Turin for the second leg and captain Scott Brown may well be handed the job of doing just that.

Celtic have doubts over the influential Giorgios Samaras through injury and also African Cup of Nations winner Efe Ambrose, who will only arrive back in Scotland on the morning of the game after playing in Nigeria’s Cup triumph on Sunday. However, James Forrest and Emilio Izaguirre should both be fit to take part in a vital evening of football in Glasgow’s East End.