Arne Engels believes the Celtics belong in the knockout stages of the Champions League as they look to take the next step towards that aim against Young Boys on Wednesday night.
The Scottish champions had not played knockout football in European football’s elite club competition since 2012/13 when they lost to Italian giants Juventus in the last 16.
With six fixtures played in this season’s revamped and expanded Champions League format, Brendan Rodgers’ men are 21st in the 36-team table with nine points.
A win against the pointless Swiss side would secure a place in the playoff round and maintain hopes of an automatic spot in the last 16, with a trip to Villa Park still to come in the final game.
Engels believes the 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava in September – where he scored his first Champions League goal after signing from FC Augsburg for a record £11million in the summer – boosted confidence for the season ahead.
The 21-year-old Belgium midfielder revealed how ready his teammates are, feeling they possess the qualities to make a difference.
Speaking at the club’s training base in Lennoxtown, Engels recalled his memories of his penalty against Bratislava to put the home side 3-1 up. He expected a similar scenario at Celtic Park when Young Boys visit.
However, while Celtic will be heavy favorites to beat a side that has yet to garner a point after six fixtures, Engels insisted it was “too easy” to think a home win was inevitable.
He said: “It’s the Champions League, and every team in the Champions League has a lot of qualities. “Else, they wouldn’t be in the Champions League.
“So we need to be on top of our game and ready for it as a team.
Brendan Rodgers hopes to make an extra effort to take his side over the line into the following stages of the competition after several failed attempts in Europe over the years.
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