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Champions League: Celtic couldn’t be playing Anderlecht at better time

The Celtic team celebrate victory after the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox Stadium on September 23, 2017 ...
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Celtic travel to Anderlecht in the Champions League in what could effectively be a Europa League playoff and things look good for the Scots.

The Celtic team celebrate victory after the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox Stadium on September 23, 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland.The Celtic team celebrate victory after the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match against Rangers.

Celtic were handed a particularly tough Champions League group for this season when picked alongside Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

While finishing in the top two and progressing to the last-16 ahead of one of them would be brilliant, in reality the Glasgow side are likely to be battling for third place with Anderlecht and Europa League qualification.

Bayern Munich's German striker Thomas Mueller (C) vies for the ball with Anderlecht's Belgian defender Olivier Deschat (L) and Anderlecht's Romanian forward Alecandru Chipciu during the...Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller (C) vies for the ball with Anderlecht defender Olivier Deschat (L) and forward Alecandru Chipciu.

There is no shame in that because both Bayern and PSG will have genuine ambitions of the winning the competition outright, so therefore the Bhoys clash in Belgium this evening could be crucial.

Brendan Rodgers’ side travel to the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium with both teams without a point yet after the Scots lost 5-0 at home to the Parisians and Les Mauves et Blancs were beaten 3-0 in Germany.

Therefore it should be heartening to Rodgers and his team that their hosts would struggle to be in a worse position currently. Despite being the holders of the title, Anderlecht are currently seventh in the Belgian First Division A table and nine points off leaders Club Brugge after just eight games.

Celtic's head coach Brendan Rodgers talks during a press conference in Brussels on September 26, 2017 on the eve of the Champions League group B) football match against RSC Anderlecht.Celtic’s head coach Brendan Rodgers talks during a press conference in Brussels.

It is a run of form that cost manager Rene Weiler his job and they are yet to replace the 44-year-old with assistants Thomas Binggeli, Nicolas Frutos and David Sesa still acting as interims with no permanent replacement appointed so far.

There could be no better time for Celtic to face them.