A look at Celtic’s Champions League opponents

As well as the obvious allure of lining up against Spanish giants Barcelona, they will also be reunited with former star Aiden McGeady, now at Spartak Moscow, and will face the challenge of a rejuvenated Benfica.

BARCELONA, SPAIN

Many a neutral’s favourite team and undoubtedly one of the finest footballing sides on the planet, Celtic fans are in for a treat when Barcelona come to Glasgow. Boasting a squad peppered with World Cup winners - as well as a little Argentine called Messi - they will be putting all their energies into the Champions League campaign after their shock semi-final exit to Chelsea last season. Their former talismanic coach Sep Guardiola may be gone, but replacement Tito Vilanova has inherited a side with a fearsome ability to pass any opponents out of contention.

How they got here: Barcelona finished second in La Liga

European Cup record: Four-time winners (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011), and three-time runners-up (1961, 1986, 1994)

Star player: Lionel Messi, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner, cemented his reputation last season as the world’s finest footballer with 73 goals in all competitions.

Latest odds: 5/2

BENFICA, PORTUGAL

Based in Lisbon and great rivals to Sporting, the capital’s other major footballing force, Benfica’s pomp undoubtedly fell in the 1960s, when Eusebio helped them to eight consecutive league titles and two European Cups. The club endured a torrid time in the 1990s with an overinflated squad, rising debts and a high turnover of managers. But they have gradually restored their pride, winning the Primeira Liga in 2005 and 2010.

How they got here: Benfica finished second in the Primeira Liga

European Cup record: Two-time European Cup winners (1961, 1962)

Star player: Nicolás Gaitán, a tricky Argentine attacking midfielder, is the club’s most prized asset and his contract contains a release clause worth £38.5m.

Latest odds: 125/1

SPARTAK MOSCOW, RUSSIA

One face who will of course be familiar among the Spartak Moscow line-up is Aiden McGeady, who left Celtic for £9.5m in 2010 after six successful years in Glasgow. Spartak are historically one of the dominant forces in Russian football and play at the 78,000 capacity Luzhniki Stadium. They have won the Russian championship nine times since the fall of the Soviet Union, although more recently they have been kept at bay by Zenit St Petersburg and Rubin Kazan. With a strong South American contingent among their first team, they will pose a stern challenge, especially on home soil.

How they got here: Spartak Moscow finished second in the Russian Premier League.

European Cup record: Reached semi-final of European Cup in 1991

Star player: Romulo, who signed for 8m Euros in the summer from Vasco da Gama in Brazil, is known as a rising star of South American football and Celtic will have to be wary of his incisive passing ability.

Latest odds: 300/1