CELTIC midfielder Barry Robson insists the Parkhead side have a 'great chance' of qualifying through to the last 16 of the Champions League, despite needing to create history to make it past the group stages for the third season in succession.
An encouraging 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Celtic Park on Wednesday night, which followed a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford last month, still left the balance of Group E tilted away from the Scottish champions.
To give themselves any chance, Celtic need to win their first Champions League game away from Glasgow when they travel to play Aalborg in Denmark on November 25.
If Manchester United win away at Villarreal on the same night, Celtic would go through to the knockout stages if they then beat the Spaniards by two clear goals at Parkhead on December 10.
Mindful of those permutations, the Scotland midfielder remained positive about his side's European prospects.
He said: "I thought we did very well in the first half against United and deserved to be winning at half-time.
"You have to give us credit, we dug in and played better than we did in the first game and could have got a win.
"So I think we can still do it and if we win our next two games then we are right in there with a great chance."
Robson admits he expected the second-half onslaught Manchester United provided.
The Parkhead side refused to stick to the script in a pulsating night in the east end of Glasgow where Celtic were expected to be brushed aside by the English champions.
Scott McDonald's clever lob over United's stand-in keeper Ben Foster in the 13th minute gave Gordon Strachan's side a deserved lead at the interval.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson threw on Dimitar Berbatov, Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney in search of the equaliser but it looked liked the Scottish champions would survive until Ryan Giggs popped up with an 84th-minute equaliser.
Robson said: "They were always going to come at us in the second half especially when they brought on real quality in Berbatov and Rooney.
"We knew they had quality to bring on but the quality they started with was unbelievable."
The Scottish champions turn their attention back to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League where they entertain Motherwell at home on Saturday.
The Fir Park side lost their third-place spot to Dundee United after the Tannadice side grabbed an unexpected point against Rangers at Ibrox on Tuesday night.
Motherwell are likely to have an unchanged squad with skipper Stephen Craigan still out with a groin injury.
To give themselves any chance, Celtic need to win their first Champions League game away from Glasgow when they travel to play Aalborg in Denmark on November 25.
If Manchester United win away at Villarreal on the same night, Celtic would go through to the knockout stages if they then beat the Spaniards by two clear goals at Parkhead on December 10.
Mindful of those permutations, the Scotland midfielder remained positive about his side's European prospects.
He said: "I thought we did very well in the first half against United and deserved to be winning at half-time.
"You have to give us credit, we dug in and played better than we did in the first game and could have got a win.
"So I think we can still do it and if we win our next two games then we are right in there with a great chance."
Robson admits he expected the second-half onslaught Manchester United provided.
The Parkhead side refused to stick to the script in a pulsating night in the east end of Glasgow where Celtic were expected to be brushed aside by the English champions.
Scott McDonald's clever lob over United's stand-in keeper Ben Foster in the 13th minute gave Gordon Strachan's side a deserved lead at the interval.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson threw on Dimitar Berbatov, Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney in search of the equaliser but it looked liked the Scottish champions would survive until Ryan Giggs popped up with an 84th-minute equaliser.
Robson said: "They were always going to come at us in the second half especially when they brought on real quality in Berbatov and Rooney.
"We knew they had quality to bring on but the quality they started with was unbelievable."
The Scottish champions turn their attention back to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League where they entertain Motherwell at home on Saturday.
The Fir Park side lost their third-place spot to Dundee United after the Tannadice side grabbed an unexpected point against Rangers at Ibrox on Tuesday night.
Motherwell are likely to have an unchanged squad with skipper Stephen Craigan still out with a groin injury.
Copyright (c) Press Association
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