FROM NEIL DOHERTY IN BARCELONA: A large contingent of Hoops fans from Co Donegal are here in the Catalan capital today ahead of tonight’s clash with Barcelona.
Among them is Gweedore GAA player and former county star Kevin Cassidy.
For now the build up to the game is all about enjoying the sunshine and the unique atmosphere that comes with a Champions League match against the best side in Europe.
No-one is giving Celtic much of a chance against Lionel Messi and his fellow players.
But we can all hope and pray; we did draw here once you know!
We came here twice in 2004 in both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League and on both occasions drew.
Wouldn’t it be great to do it for a third time!!
Hoops boss Neil Lennon has told his players not to be starstruck. And he’s banned his players from swapping their shirts at the end of the game.
He is acutely aware of what Messi can do.
“He just walks around as the ball is being popped about and lets everyone else deal with it. Then, all of a sudden, boom! He comes alive,” said Neil.
“He just has that burst of pace to get away from people. One minute he looks as if he’s not interested, the next thing he’ll drop a shoulder and he’s away. But my centre halves will have to be so mindful, not just of Messi, but also of players around him like Fabregas and Iniesta.
“We can talk about them all night – how we go about stopping them – but they come at you in so many different ways that it’s near enough impossible.”
We can hope.
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