CELTIC'S Champions League challenge begins in the stadium where they last contested a European Cup final.

And, on May 24, 2014, the trophy will be handed over in the city where the Parkhead club were crowned European champions back in 1967.

Strong omens for anyone willing to believe Neil Lennon's Bhoys are tonight setting out on a an adventure which will once again take them all the way to the final.

However, the bookies may be more in touch with reality as they have Celtic available at 750-1 to win the second European title in their 125-year history.

Once again, genuine success will be to qualify from the very tough group into which they have been plunged, and even that task has Celtic priced at what seems to be a generous 12-1 bet.

Last season's achievement in gathering 10 points and second spot was as unexpected as it was welcome, given that Lennon was a young manager and his side of Champions League rookies had no real pedigree at this exalted level.

The opening day draw at home against a Benfica side whose strength no-one really knew left everyone wondering if it was a point gained or two dropped.

In hindsight, it was a game in which Celtic were too tentative, determined not to lose, but wary of going for the win.

The victory in Moscow which immediately followed cancelled out any error of judgment or disadvantage from game one, and also removed the monkey which had travelled on the back of Celtic since they first competed at group stage level 11 years earlier.

They had finally broken the away-win hoodoo, and, more importantly, had a four-point platform from which to launch their qualification challenge.

This season, the fixtures are reversed, with the Hoops starting on the road against Milan before welcoming Barcelona to their own patch on match day No.2.

If they can again emerge from these opening games with four points, everyone at the club will be delighted.

The claims that they can qualify from the group will no longer sound like required rhetoric but will have genuine substance.

A flying start to their six group games is essential, or it will quickly become a case of settling for a fight for third spot - probably with Ajax - and continuation of their European season through the Europa League from February.

By then, Celtic will have played a dozen games in the Champions League, four qualifiers, two play-offs, and half a dozen in Group H.

They will also have banked £15million minimum to add to the £22.4m they generated from their run to the last 16 last season.

When the club's annual accounts are presented in a few days' time, they are sure to make excellent reading. And that's before the income from the sales of Victor Wanyama, Gary Hooper and Kelvin Wilson have been added.

Thanks to their participation in the Champions League, turnover is well up, reversing the downward trend from the mid-point in the last decade when over £70m went through the company books.

However, the challenge everyone at the club has embraced is being as successful on the park as they are in their accounts.

Winning the SPFL Premiership title is no longer enough, financially, though it is key from the perspective of opening the door to the riches of the Champions League.

Of course, no responsible board could base their business plan on the possibility of winning a place in the lucrative group stage.

But it has become more and more obvious it is where Celtic now have to be, not least to meet the ambitions of Lennon, whose David v Goliath success last season brought him to the attention of even more club owners and chairmen.

His demand is that his side is not just present when the Champions League theme tune plays, but competitive.

The qualifiers and play-offs were tough for Celtic, but only from the point that they came so early and carried with them so much pressure because of the cost of failure.

Now Lennon's players have to measure up against real quality, even if Milan are light in numbers due to a horrific injury list.

The Hoops boss did not shy away from the challenge when he looked forward to tonight's match.

Lennon said: "We want to do well in this game and we have the experience to do it.

"It will be a tough game and it's a tough group. But we've definitely gained from last season's experience."

Having watched Milan battle back from 2-0 down to draw with Torino at the weekend, then closely monitored their growing injury list, Lennon must have been surprised to hear counterpart Massimiliano Allegri name his squad with only one or two provisos.

But the Celtic boss will continue to keep his cards close to his chest, saying: "I've thought long about the line-up.

"I saw Milan on Saturday, but I've decided not to change our formation and to play as we know how to."

The confidence gained from the success in Moscow, when Celtic finally won away from home, and the gallant display in Barcelona, has since been diluted by disappointment in Lisbon and again in Turin.

The struggle in Sweden then the defeat in Kazakhstan have done little to indicate they have rediscovered their away-day mojo.

But, all that could be turned round again in the San Siro.

The bulk of the side which took Celtic to the last 16 last season remains, augmented by the summer signings and the fit-again Anthony Stokes.

Lennon has worked hard on preparing them for the struggle to get here, and now the challenge of proving they are not out of their depth.

"There has been a change of personnel in the squad, but the core that was here last year will be stalwarts for this campaign," predicted the man who has continued to build while keeping his transfer dealings very much in the black.

Lennon will soon discover if his faith is well placed and said: "Expectation levels aren't as high as previously, but there is a new set of challenges for the players. Can they emulate what they did last year?"

That's the $64m - or should that be the £22.4m - question, and the answer will begin to filter through tonight.