O'Neill relishes Liverpool double-header

Martin O’Neill is relishing an all British UEFA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool – but despite beating Stuttgart, Celta Vigo and Blackburn he claims they will be underdogs.

Celtic gave their fans a few anxious moments tonight as they recorded a 5-4 aggregate win over the German side despite going 2-0 ahead early on in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium.

But they will face Liverpool at Parkhead in two weeks’ time and the Celtic boss is certainly excited at the prospect of a “Battle of Britain”.

O’Neill said: “We have played before (in 1997-98) – but to be in the quarter-final is the most important thing.

“Closer to the time I will give it plenty of thought. I suppose there will be all sorts of comparisons made. They are a talented side and we will give it our best shot.

“Michael Owen is a top class player and it will be nice to see Emile Heskey, who did wonderfully well for me at Leicester, again. I will concern myself with that closer to the time.

“It’s a great tie for us and we will try and defend a wee bit better than we did in the last 10 minutes or so tonight.

“If you’d have asked me three hours ago would I have taken this then I would have said ‘yes’ and it’s very exciting.

“Liverpool are a top-class side and I am surprised with the way they fell away in the league especially after being in a wonderful position early on.

“They are definitely coming back to form and they have quality players all over the field. We will be underdogs but we will give it everything.”

Celtic will face Liverpool twice and Rangers twice in the space of 12 days next month and O’Neill believes that their arch-rivals will certainly welcome their European success.

“That’s a bother to us no doubt about it,” he added. “Rangers will be quite pleased and they are all big fixtures.

“But we are in the quarter-final and still going for four trophies so that is absolutely outstanding.”

O’Neill also admitted that all the “heart attacks” that came with his side’s nervous progress into the UEFA Cup quarter-final were worth it.

After goals from Alan Thompson, the Celtic boss watched in horror as Stuttgart hit back with three goals to set up a frantic finale.

O’Neill continued: “We felt we had to score. To score two goals and for them to go through was a big ask.

“But to me the disconcerting thing was the goal we conceded before half time. If we could have gone through we would have perhaps won the game.

“It was a lapse of concentration on our part but to go through is the most important thing.

“I would have taken all the heart attacks during the last six or seven minutes of the game and if you had told me the scoreline before I would have taken it.

“I’m obviously delighted to be in the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup. I knew the game would be very difficult tonight.

“We got off to a wonderful start. It was our intention to try and score a goal and I was delighted to get two.

“Over the two games we deserved to win, but I have to say that in the last 20 minutes Stuttgart showed whys they are lying third in the Bundesliga.”