Huge Night in Store at Celtic Park

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The Champions League returns this week and there are some fantastic matches to look forward to as Europe’s premier club competition reaches the group stages.

While the draw has been kind to many of the big teams, we have still been given some tough looking groups, one of which is Group B. While Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich will rightly fancy their chances of qualifying from this group, they can expect some tough games from Celtic and Anderlecht, especially away from home.

Paris Saint-Germain start with possibly their toughest fixture outside of playing Bayern Munich away and that’s a trip to Glasgow, to take on Celtic.

Trends show Celtic have played six games in the Champions League this season, winning four, drawing one and losing one. The one match they lost was the second leg of the playoff tie against Astana but having won the first leg 5-0, the 4-3 defeat was not a disaster.

However, during that run of six matches to reach the group stage, Celtic have not faced a team with the quality of Paris Saint-Germain.

You must go back to the group stages to find the last time Celtic met teams of the same calibre as the French club and they struggled, failing to win a single match in the group.  Celtic’s best results were the two draws with Manchester City, 3-3 at home and 1-1 away.

The 2-0 defeat at home to Borussia Monchengladbach hurt Celtic badly and coupled with the 2-0 loss at home to Barcelona make for the only two Champions League matches they have lost at home from the last twelve.

Paris Saint-Germain will arrive in Glasgow with just one thought and that’s to win the game. They have invested heavily in players like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and will hope they can make the difference in tight games.

Trends show their performance in the Champions League last season was their worst of the past five years, having gone out in spectacular style to Barcelona.  Prior to that defeat, Paris Saint-Germain had reached the quarter-final stage four seasons in succession.

Having defeated Barcelona 4-0 at home in the first leg of the Round of 16 last season, Paris Saint-Germain went on to suffer an embarrassing last collapse in the second leg to lose the match 6-1 and bow out on aggregate.

Their away form in the Champions League has been inconsistent and they have won seven, drawn three and lost seven of their last seventeen away games in the competition.

One thing you are guaranteed in the group stages of the Champions League at Celtic Park is goals.  There were 10 goals in three group games last season, while Paris Saint-Germain saw 20 goals in their four away games.

Therefore, we should see goals in this game and don’t be surprised to see the French club leave with maximum points following a tough and exciting match.