Callum McGregor has warned that it is too early to write Celtic off after their 1-1 draw with AEK Athens last night.

The Parkhead midfielder netted the opening goal against the Greek side last night and has backed himself to find the net again in the return leg.

The tie is tipped firmly in the balance of AEK, but McGregor believes there is time for Celtic to turn it around.

“The tie is not over,” said McGregor. “We’ve shown in the last couple of years we can go away and score goals and get results.

“It’s about having the tactical awareness over then and then letting our attacking players cause them problems.

“It’s far from over.

“You’ve seen over the past few seasons we’ve been tested and we’ve managed to come through, even in previous qualifying campaigns.

“We know how big a task it is. But we’ll definitely be ready for it.

“I think if I get a chance I can finish them. It’s just about us being positive, trying to get on the front foot.

“If a chance comes my way then hopefully I’ll stick it away.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed we didn’t win the game. Everybody looks from the outside, it’s against 10 men for half an hour and we don’t break them down.

“It might look a bit flat. But I think the players in there need to stay positive, we need to believe we can go over there and get a result.”

McGregor has become one of the key players for Celtic over the last 18 months and has insisted that he relishes the challenge of trying to push the Parkhead side into a UEFA Champions League play-off place.

“It’s always good to get goals, especially in the big games, so I was delighted to add to my tally,” he said. “It would be massive to get another on over there.

“We know what we need to do to get through. If I get a chance I think I’ve showed I can finish them.

“It’s about being positive and on the front foot. If a chance comes hopefully I’ll stick it away.

“We were disappointed. When they went down to 10 men you anticipate going on to score a few goals and win the game.

“Credit to AEK though. They set out their stall and made it difficult. We had a few shots and crosses but it never quite fell for us.

“We are still positive and upbeat. We created enough chances to think we can go over there and get a result.

“We expect more of the same. They are in a strong position but you could see tonight we can create chances.

“We need to be defensively strong because we can’t afford to concede over there. You could see we have enough to cause them problems.

“The standard goes up when you get through the rounds. You see it with the organisation and the standard of players.

“They didn’t have much in the game but they got one chance and scored a goal. Teams are more ruthlessness when you go through the rounds.

“We need to defend better but we are still positive. So, ultimately, the mood is disappointment. But we’re fully aware and fully capable of going there to get a result.”