Mowbray: We won't underestimate Rapid

Tony Mowbray admits his players have to be wary of becoming Rapid Vienna’s next victims in tonight’s Europa League Group C clash at Parkhead.

The visit of the Austrian club to Celtic Park for the first time since they won through a controversial European Cup Winners’ Cup tie against the Hoops in 1984/85 has been enveloped in bitterness.

UEFA controversially ordered a third game to be played after Rapid player Rudi Weinhofer claimed to be hit by a missile in the second leg in Glasgow and current manager Peter Pacult scored the only goal of the match to take the Austrians into the next round.

Amid the growing rancour ahead of tonight’s match, the quality of the recent Rapid side has been all but ignored.

Mowbray, however, knows that the Austrian side – who beat Group C favourites Hamburg 3-0 on matchday one while Celtic were losing at Hapoel Tel Aviv – will have to be treated with respect.

“They have taken people by surprise, Hamburg were top of the Bundesliga when they were beaten,” the Celtic boss said.

“It is also not a small feat to beat Aston Villa, who finished sixth in the richest league in the world, in the round before.

“So they have surprised a few people and we have to make sure they don’t surprise us tonight.”