Kasper Schmeichel couldn’t have had a simpler start to his Celtic career.
The ‘keeper has come in the door and had very little to do, making just a handful of saves across his first five Hoops appearances.
His Father Peter has been keeping a close eye on his and Celtic’s recent performances and was in attendance for the emphatic Flag Day victory over Kilmarnock.
Schmeichel senior will monitor the Hoops’ progress throughout the campaign, but he is particularly intrigued to see how the Bhoys cope in the newly formatted Champions League.
The Celts have been drawn at home to Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, and Young Boys, while they will travel to face Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb, and Aston Villa.
On paper, their fixtures look favourable but when one considers they consist of a recent Champions League finalist, the current Europa League winners, and two Europa Conference League semi-finalists from last term, it soon appears more strenuous.
Despite this, the goalkeeping legend thinks the new format will make Celtic more competitive on the continental front, and that manager Brendan Rodgers knows what he is doing.
“If you read Brendan’s quotes, he’s someone who’s very ambitious”, said Schmeichel senior (RecordSport).
“He’s a manager who never cuts corners. He’s very, very knowledgeable and knows precisely what it is he wants. So obviously, domestically, he wants to win everything.
“He’s been brave enough to come out and say that, and he’s also said we want to do better in the Champions League. With this new format, it might just suit a club like Celtic a little bit better than the previous format.
“Celtic, they’re in pot three and they’ve got a better chance of getting into the play-offs of the Champions League, so they can progress from the Champions League in that way.
“Whereas before, if you didn’t finish in the top two, you were out. I’m not saying this is going to be easier. I just think in order to get points, this format will suit clubs like Celtic a lot better than the group phases.”
The Hoops kick off their Champions League campaign in just over a fortnight as Slovakian champions Slovan Bratislava visit Glasgow.
Packages for the four league phase home matches went on sale to Celtic season ticket holders yesterday, and the prices left fans pleasantly surprised.
The Parkhead faithful will be hoping, though, that they get their money’s worth in Europe this year.
