Juventus will enter the “lion’s den” tonight when they take on a Celtic side flying the flag for Scottish soccer.
The Champions League last-16 first-leg tie in Glasgow is the fifth meeting between the proud old clubs and the first since 2001 when Celtic pulled off a shock.
Celtic beat Barcelona on a memorable night in Glasgow in the group phase and any disparity in the quality of the squads will be bridged by the roars of nearly 60,000 Glaswegians.
While the national team languishes bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and the Scottish Premier League is still reeling from the demotion of bankrupt giants Rangers, Celtic’s run to the knockout rounds for the first time in five seasons has been nothing short of remarkable.
Juventus great Pavel Nedved knows what awaits the Serie A champions tonight.
“I’m fully aware of the atmosphere that awaits us in Glasgow because I’ve been there,” Nedved, now a Juve director, said.
“We’ll be stepping into a lion’s den and I don’t think the team will need firing up. We’ll have to tough it out.”
Ever since the draw for the last 16 was made, all eyes have been on February 12 and Celtic manager Neil Lennon said the crowd would play a huge part.
He said: “I’m always optimistic and the crowd will play a huge part.
“It’s a two-game tie, so it won’t be over no matter what happens on Tuesday (today). I want us to get a good foothold in the tie. Of course, we want to go to Italy with a lead.”
Antonio Conte’s Juventus beat Fiorentina 2-0 to open up a five-point lead in Serie A before turning their attention to Celtic – a team they lost to on their most recent meeting when a side containing Nedved and Alessandro del Piero were beaten 4-3.
Juve’s new signing Nicolas Anelka, a veteran of many Champions League campaigns with Real Madrid and Chelsea, has warned his new team-mates that they are in for a big test.
“What Celtic have going for them is no pressure,” he said.
“For the team that nobody expects to win there is a freedom for the players in the way they approach the game and sometimes that is when you can play your best football.
“It will be a tough game in Glasgow. It is one of the most famous and intense football cities in the world.”
Juventus have midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah back in the squad after African Nations Cup duty with Ghana but defender Paolo de Ceglie is not included because of a thigh injury.
Celtic, however, are unlikely to be able to call on Efe Ambrose after he helped Nigeria win the Nations Cup on Sunday.