Celtic v FC Porto: On the eve of the UEFA Cup final, Celtic's minds were full of history and hope. Having reflected on all that the club have achieved and the ambitions they nurse, Martin O'Neill's team must now narrow their thoughts and train all concentration on a Porto side whom the club president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa calls the best in 50 years.
By implication, Porto surpass even their European Cup-winning line-up of 1987. Tonight's game on a discoloured, rutted surface at the Estadio Olimpico could make even greater demands of Celtic than their meetings in the tournament with Celta Vigo, Stuttgart or Liverpool. There is a frisson along with the fear.
Celtic are challenged to square up to their own history and the nature of the reaction will be fascinating. It was this club, in 1967, that established Scotland as the smallest country ever to boast European Cup winners when they beat Internazionale. No one presently on the books could remain in ignorance of that.
"We have in our midst someone who actually wore the Celtic top in 1967," O'Neill said of John Clark, the kit man who was then the team's centre-half. "We are aware of the fantastic history the club possesses, but now it is up to us to do something for ourselves. The thing is to embrace history - don't be frightened of it. "All we can aspire to is to emulate the great Celtic teams. We've got some terrifically gifted players and the spirit is similar to 1967. Whether that's enough to win the game is another matter."
O'Neill wavers between a superstitious dread that expressions of confidence will be punished and a realisation that Liverpool would "feel strong" if they had survived to face Porto. He sidles towards the logical conclusion that Celtic, victors at Anfield, should be as sure of themselves but then shies away from the claim.
The manager was calm yesterday, but the kick-off will still be a relief. With the goodwill fax from the prime minister thoroughly studied by everyone, there is nothing left to do until then. Both line-ups are missing a forward, with Helder Postiga suspended for Porto and Celtic's John Hartson ruled out with a slipped disc.
O'Neill may well pick the 11 players who were swamped 3-0 by Porto in the autumn of 2001 in a Champions League away match. Then, the Portuguese club employed three forwards who stretched and overran a trio of centre-backs. Although Celtic sometimes switch to a back four, the same tactical patterns may be employed tonight, with O'Neill believing that his side, now better versed in European football, will engineer a different outcome.
Porto, 4-1 victors over Lazio in the semi-final, appear to be on the rise. Jose Mourinho, once Bobby Robson's interpreter at Sporting Lisbon and eventually part of his coaching staff at Barcelona, has been in charge for a little over a year, sweeping them to the Portuguese title and a place in next month's cup final. His side have a fluid style, with the Brazilian-born Deco to guarantee flair and Derlei, the leading scorer in this competition with a total of 10, to make the build-up count. Celtic, of course, have Henrik Larsson, who has already hit the net nine times in the UEFA Cup.
"Because of the heat we may have to start carefully," O'Neill said. "There may be a cagey opening to the game but at some stage you have to come out and express yourselves if you want to win, and that's what we'll try and do."
Estadio Olimpico, 7.45
On TV: Network 2, BBC 1
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
CELTIC: Douglas; Valgaeren, Balde, Mjallby, Agathe, Lennon, Lambert, Petrov, Thompson, Maloney or Sutton, Larsson.
FC PORTO: Baia; Ferreira, Costa, Carvalho, Valente; Costinha, Alenitchev, Souza, Ribeiro; Jankauskas; Silva.
Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia)
