After 13 European matches Brendan Rodgers is hoping to play his perfect central defensive partnership for just the second time.
Craig Gordon, Mikael Lustig and Kieran Tierney have been pretty regular in European adventures but in the centre it’s been a different story.
Dedryck Biyata and Filip Benkovic were put together for the home tie against Rosenborg and are expected to be back together in Norway tonight.
CLICK HERE for Herald finally covers King’s jail threat
It’s highly unlikely that either will be at Celtic next season but it’s all about the here and now as the hoops aim to keep alive their Europa League aspirations.
“The two of them are top-class,” Rodgers told The Sun about his central defensive partnership.
“I was talking to someone the other day, and I said if I was managing in the Premier League you would be happy with those two as centre halves.
“Both have different attributes. But they are really stable and secure. They work very well off each other.
“They love playing with us, and it’s great for us as a team to have that stability.
“Sometimes we haven’t had that. So to have those two and their qualities gives us a really strong base.
“Any team, if you’ve got that stability in your centre- halves, then that’s important.
“But it’s a collective thing. The team feed off that confidence. Defensively, though, it’s about the team and pressing from the front.”
While Celtic chase a win in Norway they will have half an eye on events in Salzburg.
A home win or a draw leaves Celtic needing a win at home to the Austrians in the final match to qualify but a win for RB Leipzig opens up the possibility of three teams finishing on 12 points.
If that is the case the results against Rosenborg are cast aside with Celtic likely to be looking for a three goal win over RB Salzburg to progress unless the Germans win heavily tonight in the Red Bull derby.