Ange Postecoglou has named the Celtic team he hopes can get off the mark in the Champions League and keep hopes of playing European football after Christmas alive.
The Hoops are yet to taste victory in the group stage with just one point from four outings. That draw came in the reverse fixture with Shakhtar Donetsk in a game the Scottish champions created more than enough chances to win. They will go into tonight's game with real belief and if they can win they will move to within a point of the Ukrainian outfit going into the final fixture with the chance of Europa League football.
But before Celtic think towards next week, all focus will be on tonight's clash with another packed out European night under the lights at Parkhead. Postecoglou and his troops go into this one off the back of a seven-goal thriller against Hearts at Tynecastle. VAR made its big debut in Scotland and it had its worked out in the capital alone. It proved to be a big result for the Parkhead side with Rangers dropping points at home to Livingston to create a four-point cushion in top spot.
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Speaking in the build up to tonight's game, Postecoglou said: "In the context of us continuing in Europe obviously it's a must-win game. Our ambition is to achieve that and keep us alive.
"It's not just because I think we deserve something that you automatically get it or you feel like you are owed something.
"My thought process around this whole thing is that if you keep putting yourself in a position of playing the kind of football we want and creating chances then eventually you get the rewards.
"That's the key to this game, we have got to tackle it in the same manner, particularly at home. If we can create the same number of chances then it's about converting them.
"From my perspective, it's a lot better being in that sort of situation then trying to figure out how we are going to create chances."
CELTIC XI: Hart, Taylor, Jenz, Giakoumakis, Furuhashi, Haksabanovic, Abada, Carter-Vickers, ORiley, Hatate, Juranovic
Subs: Bain, Siegrist, Mooy, Turnbull, McCarthy, Bernabei, Abildgaard, Maeda, Forrest, Ralston
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