Celtic will go all out for a victory tonight at Fortress Parkhead but Andreas Hinkel and his defensive partners know that keeping a clean sheet in European home games is especially vital. "It's always important in Europe not to lose a goal at home, but we have to play offensively and win," he said. "A draw would not be so good. We need to win. It's as difficult a start as we could have asked for but we have prepared very well for this game, as best we could in the short time we've had. For me, it's important to play in the Champions League and be on that platform to prepare myself for the World Cup."
Hinkel has singled out his ex-Sevilla team-mate Aleksandr Kerzakhov as the big danger to Celtic's Champions League ambitions and he has given his defensive partners the low-down on the striker. Kerzakhov came to the fore with Zenit St Petersburg and was preferred to Andrei Arshavin in Russia's qualification games for the 2006 World Cup. He moved to Sevilla in 2006 but, just like Hinkel, he found quality players, in his case Kanoute and Fabiano, blocking his route to regular first team football. He returned to Russia in 2008 after signing a three year deal with Dinamo and his international career has flourished again recently following his recall by Guus Hiddink.
"He is a very dangerous player," said Hinkel. "We'll have to pay close attention to him because he is a very clever striker. If you don't see him in the game, it doesn't matter. He always running the line. He's small, but strong and quick. I've spoken to the other defenders about him."
The German right back has been impressed by new boss Tony Mowbray's philosophy on the game and his willingness to give players their head, to free them from the confines of rigid systems. "I think the manager likes to play football and the players to play intuitively," said Hinkel. "There is a general tactical shape, but he tells us to play football with the heart and not like machines."
Mowbray's readiness to make his own judgement on the players based on his own assessment of what they can offer the squad has meant a new start for guys like Massimo Donati and that's a bonus according to Hinkel. "We have a good squad and Massimo's a good example of what is happening," he said. "The last half-year was frustrating for him, just to train with the reserves and he wasn't involved in games. Sometimes a new manager can like a player, not playing for the past half-year does not make him a bad player. I had the situation (at Sevilla) and I learned a lot in those times."
The Brazilian Daniel Alves, now with Barcelona and the most expensive right-back ever, was the man who kept Andreas on the sidelines at Sevilla, a very frustrating period in his career "Alves was very good and I thought Juande Ramos, my manager, was good. I did everything I could and I knew my qualities. I had frustrating times - with the national team, too - but you can only do your best and the manager decides."
Frustration for Hinkel this season would be if the club failed to progress to the Champions league proper. "Everybody knows it's important to get through for the club but also for every player." he said. "It would be very disappointing not to be in Europe and just to play the SPL this season. Last season, Rangers played against Kaunas and it might be better for us to play against a good side like Dynamo. We know the Russian league is good and we are 100 per cent concentrated."