Celtic 'don't fear Lazio' but may need to adapt to face quality side, admits Neil Lennon

Ciro Immobile scored twice against Atalanta yesterday

Yet, the obsession with claiming a nine-in-a-row to set-up a tilt for a record ten straight league titles next year for the club’s supporters is such that a result in the midweek encounter will be nowhere near as prized as a victory at Pittodrie next Sunday. Europe is Celtic’s cake this season; the league represents their greens. Neil Lennon won’t modify his approach to two draining games inside 60 hours according to their perceived nutritional value for the club’s followers. Not when he also has to satisfy the insatiable appetites of his playing squad.“I think most fans would say no,” the Celtic manager said when asked if he considered they would put both Celtic’s game this week on a level.

“I think they would see the league as a priority, and I get that. While you’re in it, though, you’ve got to compete and do the club’s reputation well. I think it’s good for the players’ development as well. If I said to some players that I was going to leave them out against Lazio because we’ve got Aberdeen on the Sunday I’d have a few expletives coming at me.”Supporters fret about going to the wheel too many times with the same players and in both Europa League group games Lennon has started with an XI that would be considered his strongest side, Mohamed Elyounoussi having made the left-wing position his own in recent weeks.

Yet, with the season still in its early stages, Lennon would argue he isn’t asking too much from his squad. He points to the fact that the loss at Livingston a fortnight ago was the first time they had suffered on the back of a European sortie.

“We went from [the 4-1 win in] Stockholm to Rangers and made one change, [the 1-1 draw in] Rennes to Kilmarnock we made one change,” he said of juggling continental and domestic commitments successfully with these two convincing league wins.

“We played so well [in the 2-0 Group E win at Celtic Park] against Cluj and when players are playing so well it’s hard to leave them out, they are in a match rhythm and confident. Things didn’t go for us at Livingston, the [Ryan Christie] red card was a big turning point, and it’s a difficult venue to go and win a game anyway. But from 1-0, I thought the attitude of the players was great and we were unlucky not to force a draw maybe at one stage, but the second goal, a poor goal from our point of view, knocked the stuffing out of us.”

The 6-0 blitzing of Ross County has set Lennon’s side up for a confrontation with a Lazio side that salvaged a 3-3 draw at home to Atalanta - after finding themselves 3-0 down inside 37 minutes.

Simone Inzaghi hasn’t always appeared to prioritise the Europa League this season, changing up to half his side from the one that regularly plays in Serie A.

With Celtic topping the section on four points, and the Italians on a three-point tally along with a Cluj outfit that beat them in matchday one, he may think twice about fielding a weakened side in Glasgow this week.

Lennon, meanwhile, is looking for a repeat of the winning Cluj display in the east end of Glasgow three weeks ago as he targets three home wins that would more than likely take the club over the line in the pursuit of the knock-out stages.

“We need to try and maximise home advantage in the group and we’ve got off to a good start with regards to the Cluj game,” he said.

“It was a good result and a good performance and I am hoping for more of the same against a quality side. We know what the atmosphere is going to be like and we can feed off that. I always think it is a huge advantage under the lights at Celtic Park and the crowd are in the mood for it and the players can connect with that.

“It is important to win our home games if we want to advance. We got a great result in Rennes and a win against Cluj and it is a solid start. This game could go either way but I want us to go on the front foot and cause them problems.

“Lazio have a great striker in [Ciro] Immobile and he will be one that will need to be watched as he scored a good goal against Rennes in the last round of matches.

"They have got some quality players but we do not fear them. We want another high-tempo performance like the Cluj game in the Europa League. We didn’t do that in the Champions League clash [against them when we lost 4-3] and that gave oxygen to the opposition.

“We are up against a quality side but we have to play our way. It was like that back in the day when the fans created these nights and we have a tradition in Europe and we want to extend that and protect it. We may have to adapt to Lazio but we will analyse and see how it goes.”