Celtic boss Martin O’Neill has challenged his gamers to channel the spirit of the Lisbon Lions and produce a Europa League shock in opposition to Benfica.
Hundreds of Celtic supporters have descended on Lisbon over the previous couple of days, with this season marking the sixtieth anniversary of the membership’s most interesting hour after they beat Inter Milan to raise the European Cup.
Celtic will begin as large underdogs on the Estadio da Luz in opposition to a slick Benfica facet who’re among the many favourites to go all the way in which and win the competitors.
The Portuguese facet received their Europa League marketing campaign up and operating with a terrific 2-0 win away in opposition to AC Milan within the San Siro final month.
Celtic, in the meantime, are already behind the eight-ball after dropping their opening match 3-1 in opposition to Ferencvaros in Glasgow a couple of weeks in the past.
However O’Neill is hopeful that the sense of historical past in Lisbon can encourage his gamers to what can be a seismic end result.
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill addresses the media in Lisbon forward of the conflict with Benfica
Celtic skipper Callum McGregor trudges off as Celtic misplaced on matchday one to Ferencvaros
‘To start with, we’re trying ahead to the sport, it’s a giant match for us,’ mentioned O’Neill, who hopes to have Camilo Duran concerned following the beginning of his baby.
‘You’re proper concerning the historical past of the soccer membership and its connection to Lisbon, so it’s terrific. It’s one thing I believe the soccer membership must be actually pleased with.
‘I believe a variety of the gamers have seen the stadium (Estadio Nacional, venue for the 1967 European Cup Last) from earlier than (throughout a pre-season journey two years in the past), so I suppose they’re conscious of the historical past.
‘It’s actually beautiful, one thing to sit up for. I believe that simply the entire historical past of it ought to have a galvanising impact for us.
‘Hear, we’re below no illusions, we all know it will likely be troublesome. Benfica are a tremendous facet. They are going to be disillusioned to not be within the Champions League and shall be among the many favourites to win this competitors.
‘The purpose I need to make is that whereas the European video games are arduous, they’re thrilling on the similar time.
‘It’s beautiful, even now, for me to come back right here to Lisbon and try to win a recreation in opposition to Benfica. We need to have an actual go.’
Requested for his personal private recollections of watching Celtic’s victory over Inter Milan in 1967, O’Neill continued: ‘I can bear in mind watching the sport. In fact I do, completely.
‘I used to be at a boarding college on the time. There have been round 200 boarders, stretching from 11 years of age as much as 18.
‘I used to be round 15 on the time and we had been allowed to look at the sport. It was a black and white TV and all of us gathered round it – and earlier than the sport began it stopped working.
‘Then one of many clergymen got here down, gave it a thump on the again, and it began to work once more. We thought he’d labored a miracle!
Celtic shall be with out defender Cameron Carter-Vickers for the Europa League recreation at Benfica
‘So we noticed the entire recreation and Celtic had been good. I’ve by no means been to the stadium however I’d like to go. I intend to do it.
‘There might even be a risk of going earlier than our recreation. We’ll see how the day goes.’
Although Celtic misplaced their opening match to Ferencvaros, O’Neill stays adamant that the European marketing campaign shouldn’t be considered as a write-off.
Celtic dropped down into the Europa League on the again of the collapse in opposition to LASK Linz within the Champions League qualifiers after blowing a four-goal lead.
Assured they’ll but go on a run and obtain one thing this season, the 74-year-old continued: ‘To start with, we’re going to try to qualify for the knockout phases for a begin.
‘We did that final 12 months and that’s what we’re attempting to do. We’ve received one other seven video games through which to try to get sufficient factors to qualify.
‘I don’t know what would do it. Ten or eleven or one thing in opposition to you’d qualify. So that may be the ambition for us to do it.’
Celtic shall be with out Cameron Carter-Vickers as he continues to recuperate from a hamstring pressure.
However O’Neill is hopeful that Duran will have the ability to fly out and be a part of the workforce in time for tonight’s match following the beginning of his child.
Duran has been Celtic’s finest participant this season. The Colombian ahead was on the scoresheet within the 2-0 win over Motherwell final weekend and has netted seven targets to date this time period.
‘He ought to come out and be a part of us,’ added O’Neill. ‘It’ll be nice to have him with us. His accomplice has had the child, so it’s good.
‘There’s a risk of attempting to get one thing organised to fly him out to Lisbon this night. However failing that he’ll journey tomorrow (Thursday).’
Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo speaks to the press in Portugal
In the meantime, Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo admits it got here as a shock to lose his place to Sam Johnstone a couple of weeks in the past.
Sinisalo was dropped for 2 video games final month, certainly one of which was the 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox within the Premier Sports activities Cup.
Former England worldwide Johnstone, who arrived at Celtic on a season-long mortgage from Wolves, struggled to persuade earlier than O’Neill swiftly reverted again to Sinisalo.
Now established as first-choice as soon as once more, Sinisalo is decided to carry on to the gloves now and showcase his finest kind.
Requested whether or not it had been a shock to be dropped, the Finland worldwide mentioned: ‘I suppose it was, yeah. I’ll put it bluntly, yeah, it was a shock, however that’s finally a choice that was made.
‘That’s gone now, you may’t actually give attention to it an excessive amount of. It’s gone and now it’s all the way down to me when it comes to staying within the workforce.
‘Like I mentioned, I must carry out in a way that there isn’t a dialog. I don’t need there to be a dialog (about who’s No 1), that’s the underside line.
‘I don’t need that to occur once more. It’s fairly easy. I’ve waited a very long time, labored arduous and performed a variety of video games now.
‘Over the past 30 video games roughly, I believe I performed 28 or one thing like that. When you get a little bit of style of that, you don’t need to let it go.
‘It’s what you need to do. It offers you that little fireplace within the stomach to say: “That is my time now”. It’s as much as me to maintain taking part in nicely and hold the place.’
