Strachan: We can reach knockout stage

Gordon Strachan believes there is no reason why Celtic cannot qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The Bhoys play host to Copenhagen at Celtic Park tonight in their first home game of the group stages.

And they know a win is crucial after leaving Old Trafford empty-handed despite a brave performance in their opener against Manchester United.

With Benfica also strong contenders to progress from Group F, Strachan knows his players will need to be at the top of their game to have a chance of making the last 16.

But, after falling at the first hurdle and failing to come through the qualifiers last year, the Hoops boss insists he now has a team good enough to compete with the best.

“It’s reasonable to expect us to emerge from this group,” he said.

“This game is crucial and that determines how crucial the next game is.

“From match one to six you can say they are crucial and that’s why the Champions league is great.”

Rangers last season became the first Scottish club to progress from the group stages to the knockout phase.

But their domestic campaign suffered as a result of their European success and they finished third in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

Celtic are now finding themselves with a similarly packed schedule but Strachan insists he and his players are relishing being a part of the competition despite the gruelling timetable.

“It’s something we have to get used to,” he said. “Five or six of us are new to the Champions League format.

“We don’t know what to expect before and after the games.

“I’m getting the full impact of what it’s like to manage a Champions League team now.

“Last year it didn’t work out right. Last year it was just Scottish and Glasgow football madness, this is a bit more relaxing, but there’s also an intensity to it.

“I have less time to work with the players.”

But Strachan insists retaining the SPL title and taking Celtic as far as possible in the Champions League is a more pleasurable task than his former jobs when he was battling relegation instead.

“At Coventry and Southampton it was win at all costs,” he said.

“It was how not to get beaten.

“Here it’s how to win games and this is far more enjoyable than taking over teams bottom of the league. Far more enjoyable.

“Time flies in quicker in this environment.”