Callum McGregor spoke to the media yesterday ahead of Celtic’s potential powderkeg clash with Lazio in the Champions League and insisted it’s got the makings of a special night for the club. No stranger to these games, McGregor has now played his fair share of big and important matches in Europe for the Hoops, whilst he was also a crucial cog in the machine that beat the Italians home and away a few years ago too.
Celtic’s Scottish midfielder Callum McGregor attends a press conference at Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow, on October 3, 2023 on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group E football match against Lazio. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Tonight will be a grander stage again for Cal and his comrades, as we face-off with the Serie A side at the top table of European football. The UEFA Champions League group stages has that aura that separates the good teams from the great ones and for Celtic, we will have to be at our best to come away with all three points on the night. McGregor acknowledged it will be tough but reckons the team have been building up nicely ahead of this one.
Speaking ahead of the game, the Celtic captain said: “Those little bits where you have to come through adversity make the group stronger. We’re right at the start of the journey with this group, so sometimes you need those little moments to push you in the right direction and galvanise the group and give you the belief you’re heading in the right direction. It’s been really positive the last couple of weeks. We’re building nicely and hopefully this is the perfect game to show the difference from a couple of weeks ago to now.
theRangers v Celtic – Callum McGregor and Joe Hart celebrate the win after the cinch Premiership match at the Ibrox Sunday September 3, 2023. Photo Andrew Milligan
“We arrive into the game and we’re building and getting better every week, and there’s a feeling in the group that this is the case. It’s a perfect game and a big game under the lights in the Champions League, so it doesn’t get bigger than that. If you can have a positive performance and match that with a really positive result it gives everyone a lift and makes you feel like you’re going in the right direction. The recipe is there for a big night and it’s up to the players to match that with a performance.”
The captain is of yet to get his hands on a victory at home in the Champions League and insisted that those are the games which prove crucial in how Celtic’s group stage goes overall. “I think we sit here every year and earmark the home games as the ones you make your mark in the group,” he said. “It seems even more important this time around, having lost the first game. If we can get points on the board it gives us a good feeling that we’ve arrived in the competition and we then earmark the other home games to really push in the group.
ROTTERDAM – Callum McGregor of Celtic FC during the UEFA Champions League match between Feyenoord and Celtic FC at Feyenoord Stadium de Kuip on September 19, 2023 in Rotterdam, UEFA Champions League VI ANP Sport JeroenxPutmans IV
“That’s the ambition of the club to perform better on the European stage. This is the highest level and we’ve had some decent wins in the Europa League but in this competition, we’re certainly due a big performance and a statement win. Tomorrow night is the next opportunity to do that and the group is full of confidence so why can’t we make it and it would certainly set us on our way.”
For the Bhoys to get anything from this one, Callum pointed to the fact that the supporters have historically pushed the team onto these glorious nights and wants more of the same later on tonight. “Our approach won’t change,” he said.
“We have been playing a certain style with fast attacking football so we will approach the game in the same way and try to have a quick start and get the crowd involved in the game. If we can get the first goal then great and hopefully it can carry us through, but it will be an intense performance for us. It’s a really exciting game. We start the competition at home tomorrow and hopefully, we can get this place rocking with performance on the pitch and we can have a special night.”
Paul Gillespie
Join The Celtic Star at the Kerrydale on Thursday 19 October when we celebrate the launch of Matt Corr’s new book Majic, Stan and the King of Japan which tells the story of Gordon Strachan’s first season as Celtic manager. We’ll have the trophies that the Celtic team won that season plus well delighted welcome our special guests John Hartson and Stephen McManus, both stars of that Celtic team.
And we have other guests to be announced later this week plus there’s live music from the wonderful Boolavogue. Tickets are selling fast for what is sure to be a wonderful night of Celtic conversation and music and you can order below…
