THERE’S been a lot of people with Celtic connections singing from the same song sheet over the last few days.

And as any child will tell you, just two people saying the exact same thing at the same time is the surest way to jinx anything.

Many former player has spoken of their belief that Celtic have a chance, and a good one at that, of beating Valencia on Thursday and then getting through to what for the Glasgow club would be the rarely chartered waters of the Europa League last 16. What officially could be termed a latter round.

Supporters, long used to their team falling just short when Mr J Foreigner pays a visit, fight any feelings of confidence because they will betray said fan not long down the line. Expect defeat and when it comes then at least you’ll can say you were right.

Valencia are not enjoying a classic season and have been hit by injury and suspension, which does seem to happen whenever bigger names from Spain, Germany, Italy and elsewhere head to Glasgow’s east end - prior to a home defeat.

But they are, by Spanish football standards, mediocre. So mediocre, in fact, that they have drawn 13 of their 23 La Liga games. One of those came at Barcelona when a late double from Lionel Messi saved a point for the leaders. That was earlier this month.

Valencia last year beat Manchester United 2-1 in Spain and drew with them 0-0 at Old Trafford. Spain’s average is Scotland’s very good. All of this is not to say that Brendan Rodgers’s team don’t have a hope.

Celtic have yet to lose or even concede a goal this year, a defeat to an excellent RB Salzburg is the only home game they haven't won.

Every seat will be filled on Wednesday. Scott Brown is playing well, Callum McGregor brilliantly, while Scott Bain has brought a calmness and clean-sheets to the back five. This is a step up, by several notches, but there is a better feeling now than a year ago when Celtic faced Zenit St Petersburg.

That so many positive noise surrounds this first game is progress itself in a way.

“I think Celtic have a chance, based on the fact that Valencia have drawn a lot of games in La Liga,” stated Chris Sutton with his familiar confidence.

“They beat Manchester united and they’ve got some good players but Celtic will take hope from the Leipzig game at home, where they won 2-1, and the level of performance from the night.

“Valencia aren’t a team who are tearing La Liga up, by any stretch. But a lot of the Celtic story this season has been about which Celtic team will turn up. So, while I give them a chance, it’s a 50-50 game – and the big players have to start turning up for them.

“Not enough of them have done that so far. And they have to hit the ground running when they come back.”

A 50/50 chance is more than Sutton’s Celtic team in 2001 were given when they faced a far better Valencia side who Martin O’Neill’s excellent team (whisper this but they were better than the double treble winners) met in the UEFA Cup fourth round in 2001.

Rafa Benitez was manager. Valencia had reached the previous two Champions League finals, losing to Real Madrid and then Bayern Munich on penalties. They were to win the Spanish league the season they met Celtic.

Much has been written about the return match and rightly so. It was a classic with a sad ending, at least for Celtic.

Henrik Larsson with a brilliant goal made it 1-1 on the night two weeks after a remarkable first leg which saw Rab Douglas somehow keeping the scoreline to 1-0.