Celtic need midfield drive to beat Astra

With seven points from their first three Group D games, a victory would go a long way to ensuring they are in the next round and could even guarantee it if Salzburg beat Dinamo Zagreb in the other fixture.

Progression in the tournament would be a real plus for Celtic and they will be looking to get qualification wrapped up as soon as possible.

However, while it is easy to say that all Celtic need is a win in Romania the plain fact is that achieving this result will be no simple task.

You only need to look back at the first game between the teams in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago to know that Astra can cause problems.

Craig Gordon had to pull off a couple of great saves before goals from Stefan Scepovic and Stefan Johansen secured the three points.

Astra may be the bottom team in the group, but this is no foregone conclusion. In the first game they showed they can open the Hoops up.

But apart from one terrible night in Warsaw, Celtic have played reasonably well away from home in Europe this season. That will give Ronny Deila plenty of encouragement heading into Thursday's game.

If they can recapture that form they'll have a really good chance of getting a result.

Playing away from home in Europe is hugely different to playing at Celtic Park.

But Deila's players have achieved some decent results on the road and that will give them confidence when they fly out to Romania.

It could be a defining game for Celtic. Even if they can pick up a point, that would be a good result for them ahead of their final two group games against Salzburg and Dinamo.

The first game at Celtic Park will have shown Ronny exactly what Astra Giurgiu are about and he will have his players well drilled tomorrow night.

They will have learned from that game, but their approach and mentality has to be spot on. The Romanian team will be difficult opponents, but Celtic have the quality to win it.

I think the Europa League campaign has helped Celtic this season.

Winning games always gives you a boost and the Hoops have started to build some momentum over the last few weeks.

They have now achieved what was lacking for them up to this point - consistency of performance and results.

However, the big problem for Deila tomorrow is that once again he will be without star man John Guidetti. The big Swedish striker has played a huge part in their recent run of form and has really hit the ground running at the club.

He is the new hero for the Celtic supporters and it is easy to see why. His winner against Inverness on Saturday was his ninth goal in nine games.

GUIDETTI is proving to be a really good signing. He is playing with a high level of confidence and is having a major impact on the team.

With him being ineligible for selection tomorrow, someone else will have to step in and step up. It will be interesting to see who Deila decides to play up front against Astra.

Whoever it is, they'll have to stake their claim because it is almost certain Guidetti will be straight back into the starting line-up at the weekend.

There is no doubt Celtic will miss the Swede.

Scepovic has finally got off the mark for the club but, for me, he still has to do a lot more.

It is stating the obvious to say he hasn't caught the eye as much as Guidetti but, having spent £2.7million to sign him from Sporting Gijon, Celtic need him to make an impact. If Scepovic starts again on Thursday he will have to prove he is getting better.

It does take some players longer than others to settle when they move to a new club and new country, but the big Serbian has to take his chance when it comes along.

Another goal against Astra tomorrow would be the ideal way to prove he can have a real part to play this season.

We are beginning to see what Deila's preferred line-up is and that is paying off in terms of Celtic's consistency, with five wins in a row.

One of the key areas for me recently has been in midfield where Scott Brown, Johansen and Charlie Mulgrew have all performed well. Johansen has played a bit further forward in a role that had previously been filled by Kris Commons and he's been effective in there.

THE all-action Norwegian has that bit more energy than Commons and, while Johansen is not the key man, he is having a big part to play.

That triangle of Mulgrew, Brown and Johansen has been working well. If they can assert themselves on the game in Giurgiu it will give the Hoops a real chance of getting a good result. Even if Commons is fit, Deila might keep those three in place and play last season's top scorer in a different role.

No matter how Celtic line up, there is no doubt they have the quality to win the game and take a big step towards a place in the next round.

There will be no eyes on the other game in the group: it is all about what Celtic do. They need to take care of themselves and take care of Astra.

Only then will they look at what, if anything, they need from their final two matches against Salzburg and Dinamo.

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here