As ever twitter favourite Moravcik 67 provides the best analysis of Celtic’s European performances and the implications.
Last night’s 3-1 win over Rennes set two important landmarks as the hoops went beyond 10 points for the first time in a UEFA group and ensured top place in Group E with a game still to play.
Between the final of the League Cup and a run of three SPFL matches in seven days (Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen) Neil Lennon will be able to excuse some players a trip to Romania in the middle of the hectic December schedule.
1. Tonight’s win means Celtic have won 9 club coefficient pts so far this season – with at least 3 more games to play. Still a bit off the 16.8pts we won by reaching the CL last 16 in 12/13, but it’s our best for a while.
We’ve only hit 10pts 6 times – and only once this decade.
— Moravcik67 (@Moravcik67_) November 28, 2019
2. Winning the group means we’ll play the 2nd leg of the last 32 at home – barring a change.
Sevilla and Espanyol are the only other teams to have won their group so far.
Current seeded/unseeded teams below, with others still in the hunt. * means definitely seeded/unseeded. pic.twitter.com/xROrtDzXIl
— Moravcik67 (@Moravcik67_) November 28, 2019
3. The bottom 4 rows in the list above are the teams currently 3rd in their CL group. Don’t take them for granted, as it could all change in the last game.
Finally, we can’t play Rangers or Cluj in the last 32. That only becomes possible at the last 16 stage.
— Moravcik67 (@Moravcik67_) November 28, 2019
The draw for the Round of 32 will take place in Nyon on Monday December 16 at 12 noon Celtic Park Time with the hoops seeded meaning that they will be away from home for the first leg on February 20 with the return seven days later.
At this stage there is no way of getting close to guessing at who Celtic could face with the top two still to be decided from the Europa League and the identities of the Champions League drop outs still to be determined.
Celtic COULD face a Champions League side but it won’t be Chelsea or Liverpool if they drop out. Those English sides would go into the seeded part of the draw among the four best places teams to finish third.
