Davie Hay: Celtic must get at Salzburg right away

However, with tomorrow's game against Red Bull Salzburg being at Parkhead, the Hoops manager will want matters taken care of right now.

I know we could still do it in Zagreb on the last day but you want progression done and dusted. Ronny won't want all his eggs in one basket when it comes to an away trip to Croatia.

Salzburg are probably the hardest opposition Celtic will face in this group stage.

It was difficult to judge the quality of the section when the team went over to Austria in their first match, but it was an encouraging performance.

In the end Celtic came away with a creditable 2-2 draw, but it could easily have been a win given the level of performance and the fact they led their hosts twice on the night.

Of course it will be difficult for Celtic to get the win they want tomorrow night but that first game also showed it will be very tough for Salzburg to get the result they want if they are to finish top of Group D.

The two teams are quite evenly balanced and the result will depend on who dominates proceedings on the night.

I have always said that if you win all your home games in Europe you are probably going to go through and so far that is something Celtic have managed to achieve.

It is within their grasp to keep that going. If they put Salzburg to bed it would prove the theory correct.

However, it will take a really good performance to achieve the three points and I'm sure Ronny is well aware of what is required from his team.

Adolf Hutter's men are top of their league after 16 games and have proven themselves to be capable of performing in Europe.

The key to the tie is starting well. Celtic must set the tone from the off, get at them and make sure concentration levels are at a maximum.

Sometimes it can be more difficult at home than it is on the road as you set up in a way that gives you lots of possession and allows you to dominate proceedings.

But that can often lead to complacency and ultimately cause you to be stung by a counter attack. I'm sure Ronny will have told his players to be aware of that threat.

One welcome addition to the squad for Thursday night is James Forrest. He has missed a lot of the season through injury but was in great shape on Saturday against Dundee.

James looked back to form and his pace could be very beneficial to Celtic as they look to exploit the Austrians.

They also have Scott Brown back from suspension after he missed the match with Paul Hartley's men.

He is always sorely missed when he doesn't play, as was proven at the start of the campaign when he was out of action for the Hoops' failed Champions League qualifiers.

I believe he is Celtic's most influential player and I know he will make his presence felt tomorrow night.

While it will be a benefit that Forrest and Brown are both available, the absence of John Guidetti is a constant thorn in the side to Ronny and his team selection.

He is not eligible to play in the Europa League group stage but he has caught the eye and done very, very well since coming on loan from Manchester City.

He scored another great goal at the weekend and always keeps on going. John looks an awkward customer to deal with and is a real goal threat about the box.

The Swede is also quite handy with a free-kick.

I WOULD imagine Ronny will play with a lone striker tomorrow night and Guidetti would have given the team a real focal point up front.

He will be missed, but Ronny will have the incentive that if he gets it right against Salzburg then John can be used in the knockout stages after Christmas. I'm sure the player will be hoping for the same.

All of these aspects go to show just how big a deal this game is.

After the Champions League qualifiers at the start of this season this tie now becomes Celtic's most important of the campaign.

It takes centre-stage and I expect a big crowd at Celtic Park to cheer the team on.

Slipping up against Astra earlier this month has at least given this game more meaning.

And with the group leaders in town, the match has the attraction to pull in a tremendous amount of punters.

Hopefully they will get an impressive result to match it.

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