There is no pressure on Brendan Rodgers as he will still be winning even if Celtic lose in Barcelona

Whatever happens, the Northern Irishman remains a hero. Even a bad night won’t take the smile of the supporters’ faces.

Lose heavily in the Nou Camp and the manager can point to the fact it was his team’s first game of the group stages and against arguably the best team on the planet at their home ground.

Read more: Brendan Rodgers: Celtic shouldn't be on the same pitch as Barcelona but we can get a result in the Nou Camp

These things happen and there will still be five games, three in Glasgow, to improve.

And, anyway, Rangers were beaten 5-1 last Saturday.

If Celtic are defeated but go down bravely and even score a goal, then Rodgers would be more than satisfied with a performance he could build upon. Onwards and upwards and all that.

Read more: Lineker: There may not be a better time for Celtic to be playing Barcelona

Take anything from the game, as Celtic teams of the past have done against Barca, and Rodgers would start to wander into the Martin O’Neill territory, his fellow countryman having had the support in the palm of his hands after just a couple of months.

And O'Neill also beat Rangers by four goals in his first Old Firm match.

Rodgers can’t lose right now, even if Lionel Messi and his pals turn in one of their wonder performances and run riot.

The thunder Neil Lennon once spoke about is well and truly back.

That wet night in Molde when Ronny Deila made every conceivable wrong decision seems a lifetime ago.

From Celtic Park not selling out on Flag Day at the end of last season because watching the team had become such a chore to the many who were staying away, to now when the stadium is more or less full for every home game because the new manager has got his team playing entertaining, winning football.

It is a remarkable turnaround and one even the most optimistic supporter would not have seen coming.

The return of Rangers does help sell tickets. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. However, it is the flair of the football which has really enticed so many back.

It’s not just that Rodgers’s team is winning, although that helps, it is that they are a thrilling side to watch.

There is also competition for places and those who some time ago showed they were not up to being a Celtic player have been moved aside.

They are not perfect. The abject display in Israel against Hapoel Be’er Sheva proved that and if they can score twice and make the Celtic back five, as it was by the end, work hard then Barcelona sure can.

It will be interesting to see what Rodgers does in terms of his formation. He might opt for a five at the back and if he does go with a 4-2-3-1 you can be sure that will become a 6-3-1 every time Barcelona get anywhere close to the Celtic goals.

But unlike previous Celtic managers, Rodgers does have genuine pace in his team. Scott Sinclair might not be at the same level as Andres Iniesta but given the opportunity he will run past the Barca captain.

If Sinclair, James Forrest, Patrick Roberts and Moussa Dembele can get one-on-one with an opponent then they could cause problems.

If Celtic can keep it level for say the first half an hour, even Barcelona will get frustrated and according to a couple of member of the local press pack, it is at these times when even the likes of the peerless Iniesta make mistakes, hard as that is to believe.

Celtic are not there simply to make up the numbers; however, nobody should be fooled into believing their task of even finishing third and thus qualifying for the Europa League is a mammoth one.

It could be argued that should Rodgers achieve what many believe is impossible and actually finish in the top two of their group then it would be as impressive as O’Neill’s side reaching the Uefa Cup Final.

The supporters should enjoy tonight even if there are times when hiding behind the sofa is a good idea when that wee Argentine genius is running at green and white shirts. Celtic are there and that really is all that counts.

A big player is going to be Kolo Toure who has been a brilliant signing. He is the organiser at the back and will talk his team-mates through the sticky moment. The defender is a class act.

Where Celtic do have the upper hand is if they win any corners or free kicks. Barcelona don’t have much height in their team and so the likes of Dembele, Toure, Nir Bitton and Erik Sviatchenko could do well if they get good service.

It’s not impossible, it’s merely improbable.

If Celtic can take a point from Barcelona three days after humiliating their old pals then life for the fans could hardly get much better.