Group F: The Lowdown

Celtic were today drawn in a tough, tough Champions League Group. The Bhoys have been placed in Group F alongside FC Barcelona of Spain, AC Milan of Italy and Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.

The Group was never going to be easy, being in Pot 3 it was likely we would get two big clubs. We seem to have them with Barca and Milan.

Martin O'Neill is clearly dissapointed in the draw, as we could see from his comments and his face tonight. However, I am sure when everything settles down, O'Neill will begin to feel excited instead of worried.

Some might say we were unlucky with the draw, but looking through the groups, there is not one you can call 'easy.' Teams like Sparta Prague and our new buddies CSKA Moscow are no mugs, yet our group would have been considered 'easier' if one of them, for example, had been in instead of Milan. But you will see in the months to come, that there is not one 'bad' team in the tournament.

It has been a good week, so far, for Celtic. The completion of the signing of Juninho has created a massive buzz around the club, and with the huns getting let off easy by not entering the Champions League, everyone connected with Celtic was happy this morning. By 3.30pm, they were ecstatic!

You just knew we were going to get FC Barcelona. As soon as Henrik Larsson signed for them, the first thought that came into my head was, "It would be great to get them in the Champions League." It will certainly be an interesting night on the 14th September, when Barca visit Celtic Park for the second time in 2004. Their first visit, in last season's UEFA Cup, ended in a 1-0 victory for Celtic, on a great night back in March, where three players (one Celtic, two Barca) were ordered off.

The return leg of the tie was a monumentous result in the Nou Camp, Celtic holding the home side to a 0-0 draw. It was a night where every Celtic player was a hero, and the joy on the players' faces at the full-time whistle was there for all to see. The thousands of Celtic supporters who were scattered all over the Nou Camp were going crazy, and I am sure they will all be back for a return visit on 24th November.

This season, Barca are a changed side, and have one of the best forward lines in Europe. Henrik Larsson will join Samuel Eto'o, Deco and Ludovic Guily as the new boys, while a certain Ronaldinho still lurks.

Barca will fear coming to Celtic Park, as they have sampled the explosive atmosphere already. Going to the Nou Camp will be tough and anything other than a defeat would be a massive bonus.

The same goes for our second Champions League match, a month earlier on the 29th October, where we travel to the San Siro to play AC Milan. Once again we will be up against one of Europe's top sides, Milan won the competition in season 2002/03, and were favourites to go all the way last year. AC Milan also possess some top quality players, in Paolo Maldini, Allessandro Nesta, Rino Gattuso, Filippo Inzaghi, Hernan Crespo and Andrei Shevchenko.

As I said with Barca, we have no one to fear at home. A fact is that 60,000 fans will be packed inside Celtic Park for each of our home Champions League games, and not one will leave with their voice intact. We play AC Milan at home on the last day of the Group Stages, 7th December. By this stage we would be hoping Milan will have already qualified for the next round, which will obviously be an added advantage to ourselves.

In between the San Siro and the Nou Camp we have a double header with Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk. Most of us know little about this side, apart from their win over Arsenal in the Champions League two seasons ago. They are the Champions of their country and are currently top of their league. They will be no mugs.

First we are away to Shakhtar, on the 20th October. They come to Parkhead on the 2nd November. Don't be packing your flip-flops for this away day, as the Ukraine will be bitterly cold. Even though we do not know much about this side, they cannot be taken lightly and are capable of doing as much damage as any other team in the tournament. Yes, they were seeded below us but every game in the Champions League must be approached with the most almighty caution.

Whatever the outcome, we are going to have one hell of a journey. Hopefully it can last longer than the Group Stages, and with a bit of luck, we can certainly do it.