Celtic have mountain to climb in delle Alpi

According to Johan Cruyff, the expanded nature of the Champions League has made it a "decaffeinated" competition. Cruyff's opinion counts and there are many who will sympathise with his view. But there are still fixtures in the Champions League that can provoke a charge of energy, fixtures which are as much events as matches. Like when Celtic run out against Juventus in Turin tonight.

When Celtic emerge into the Stadio delle Alpi for their first proper taste of the new tournament, it will rekindle memories of when they were a continental force.

Martin O'Neill does not strike one as the kind of individual who requires a double espresso to get him going and he was suitably relaxed about the nature of the occasion on arrival in sunny Turin yesterday.

"It is not a situation where you can allow yourself to go into that stadium and be frightened," said O'Neill as he stressed the tangible self-belief which is a major characteristic of his team, "because if you are you will get done and you will get done well."

That has not yet happened to Celtic under O'Neill. He leads a team that it is almost insulting to call resurgent. Constantly surging is a more appropriate description, given Celtic are already four points ahead of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League, have scored 17 goals, conceded two, and are unbeaten.

Of even greater relevance to Europe is the recent memory of Celtic's dismantling of Ajax in Amsterdam five weeks ago. That thrilling victory - Celtic played with a swagger that must have shocked even their most ardent fans - opened the door to the riches of the Champions League. This is the big-time.

Like Celtic, Juventus are top of their league. They have won their three games to date and with Marcello Lippi reinstalled as manager after his walk-out two and a half years ago, they are determined to recapture the Scudetto after two consecutive last-day second-place finishes.

But there is also a desire to re-establish Juve's reputation in Europe. Three seasons ago they had the indignity of appearing in the InterToto Cup and the last two Champions League expeditions have seen clubs such as Hamburg and Olympiakos leave the Stadio delle Alpi with three points. Levski Sofia and Deportivo La Coruna left with one.

"We would want to go there and play as refreshingly as possible," said O'Neill at the weekend, "in a similar sort of vein to the Ajax game, if possible."

That will not be easy, of course. Bobby Petta, so influential in Holland, will not be risked and Juventus had the best defence in Serie A last season.

They believe they have strengthened it further by selling Edwin van der Sar to Fulham and buying Gianluigi Buffon from Parma. Buffon's cost - £32m - is a world record for a goalkeeper. He is only 23.

Zinedine Zidane may have departed for Madrid but Pavel Nedved has come from Lazio - though fortunately for Celtic he is suspended tonight - as has Marcelo Salas. Salas is likely to feature in a dazzling front line alongside Alessandro del Piero and David Trezeguet. Aberdeen could do with them when they visit Parkhead on Saturday.

Then there is the small matter of the £22m Lippi spent on Lilian Thuram. Widely regarded as one of the top defenders on the planet, Thuram will reacquaint himself with Henrik Larsson, some 10 years after they last met in a France v Sweden under-21 game. "I remember Henrik Larsson very clearly," said Thuram, "because he was good." Larsson now has a Golden Boot to prove Thuram's point. It will be a key confrontation.

And Celtic also have hope. On Saturday Buffon dropped a clanger as Chievo - Italy's Wimbledon - took a two-goal lead in Turin. Eventually Juve came back to win, but it was only via a debatable late penalty from Salas.

JUVENTUS (probable): Buffon; Thuram, Montero, Iuliano; Zambrotta, Tacchinardi, Davids, Pessotto; Salas, Trezeguet, Del Piero.

CELTIC (probable): Douglas; Mjallby, Boyd, Valgaeren; Agathe, Lambert, Lennon, Petrov, Thompson; Larsson, Sutton.