Despite the pessimism ahead of the visit from Zenit St Petersburg Celtic have a great record against Russian sides despite the wealth gap.
In 2007 there was a famous penalty shoot out win over Spartak Moscow with Neil Lennon’s side doing the double over the same club five years later on route to the last 16 of the Champions League.
In between those matches there was another clash with Russians which arguably turned out to be Tony Mowbray’s finest moments as Celtic manager.
With an all in draw for Champions League qualification it would take quite an effort from Celtic to get through to the group phase with Dinamo Moscow presenting the first qualifier.
It didn’t look hopeful when Dinamo won 1-0 in the first leg in Glasgow with Mowbray’s side taking the baggage of Celtic’s Champions League away record to the Russian capital a week later.
Scott McDonald joined Marco Fortune in attack and levelled the scoring with a header just before the half time break.
Celtic took heart from that knowing that another goal would leave their nervous hosts looking for three to go through.
Extra time seemed a certainty but in stoppage time substitute Georgios Samaras came up with the winner to take Celtic through, unfortunately Arsenal were waiting with the European ‘adventure’ continuing in the Europa League against Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hamburg and Rapid Vienna.
ARTUR BORUC
The holy goalie was starting his final season at Celtic with much of the sharpness of his early days no longer around.
A clean sheet away from home is always a great building block with Boruc responding well although well protected by his team-mates.
It was to be an erratic season for Boruc under Tony Mowbray and Neil Lennon before he moved on to Fiorentina followed by stints at Southampton and Bournemouth.
ANDREAS HINKEL
Promised so much but it never quite happened for the German who had been signed from Seville.
His pedigree was top notch with international caps after coming through the ranks at Stuttgart but his Celtic highlights were fleeting.
Neil Lennon wasn’t a fan but injury halted his Celtic career 12 months later, after moving back to Germany he retired through injury and is now coaching the Stuttgart B team.
GARY CALDWELL
A player that the Celtic support never quite took to with Mowbray sharing that opinion.
With a year left on his contract this was a crucial season but it was obvious that his valuation of himself was miles higher than the club.
He can look back on reaching the last 16 of the Champions League twice during his Celtic days, after moving to Wigan injuries kicked in with his coaching ambitions in doubt now after spells in charge of Wigan and Chesterfield.
GLENN LOOVENS
Football – Celtic v Motherwell Scottish FA Cup Final – Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland – 10/11 – 21/5/11
Celtic’s Glenn Loovens celebrates with the trophy after winning the Scottish FA Cup
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Pool Pic
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Like Hinkel he never quite lived up to expectations, he was neither the hard man central defender or silky ball player.
There always seemed to be a player waiting to break out but Gordon Strachan, Tony Mowbray and Neil Lennon struggled to bring out.
He scored in the 6-0 win at Kilmarnock that won the 2012 title, moved on to Real Zaragoza and is now in his fifth season at Sheffield Wednesday.
DANNY FOX
Mowbray described his left foot as a wand, it was pretty useful but after six months he was on his way to Burnley.
Fox returned to the EPL with Southampton and is currently playing away in the Championship with Nottingham Forest.
He could console himself with the knowledge that his place was taken by World Cup finalist Edson Brafheid with his six month Celtic career rather mysterious and including a Scotland cap.
AIDEN MCGEADY
Strangely enough the midfielder was bound to make Moscow his home in 12 months time.
Had Strachan stayed on at Celtic he would probably have left in the summer but he went on to have a big impact as the main man in a team that regularly struggled.
His career never reached the heights many expected, a return to Celtic has been rumoured from time to time but in recent seasons he has been playing in The Championship for Preston North End and Sunderland.
MASSIMO DONATI
His Celtic days were coming to a close with a flurry of goals and a return to Italy with Bari.
Bringing in a midfielder from AC Milan in 2007 seemed an inspired move but it never quite worked out although there was a spectacular Champions League highlight with a late winner against Shakhtar Donetsk.
There must have been something in the Scottish air for him with an unlikely move to Hamilton arriving in the summer of 2016, he retired from playing in January and is now coaching at the Accies.
LANDRY N’GUEMO
An imaginative signing that appeared risk free with a season long loan deal arranged with Nancy.
He took the holding role a little too far with no goals from any of his 43 Celtic appearances.
Neil Lennon wasn’t interested in making the deal permanent with the Cameroon internationalist returning to France to play for Bordeaux and St Etienne and is now in Turkey with Kayserispor.
SHAUN MALONEY
His second Celtic spell never really kicked off with a move south to Wigan looming a year later.
He threatened to be a number 10 type playmaker but that season injuries took hold with McGeady the main creative influence.
A third spell at Celtic started earlier this season working with Tommy McIntyre and the Celtic development squad where he appears to be working wonders.
SCOTT MCDONALD
It was very obvious that the Aussie wasn’t to feature much under Mowbray despite his tried and tested goal record.
He had excelled under Strachan with various strike partners but the new manager was happy to move McDonald out to Middlesbrough during the January transfer window.
Life under Strachan at Middlesbrough never worked out, a return to Motherwell suited both parties but these days his media career seems to be progressing better than his games with Dundee United.
MARCO FORTUNE
Mowbrays placed an awful lot of trust in the former West Brom man but he seemed to be more of a link striker than a scorer of goals.
There were a few highlights but a year later Lennon sold him back to West Brom with no tears shed as Stokes and Hooper hit it off.
He is a great survivor and is now at Southend after spells at Wigan and Coventry where he was reunited with Mowbray.
SUBSTITUTES
It didn’t happen often but Scott Brown was on the bench and replaced Marco Fortune.
Match-winner Georgios Samaras came on for McDonald with Lucasz Zaluska, Paul Caddis, Darren O’Dea, Marc Crosas and Chris Killen the others on the bench.