Celtic's performance on Tuesday night gave St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright just as big a fright as that felt by Bayern Munich.
The German giants left Glasgow with vital Champions League points but were pushed all the way by a brave Celtic side roared on by the Parkhead faithful.
Wright's Perth side – without a win or a goal in five games – were the last domestic team to beat Celtic, who are now zeroing in on a UK record 63-match unbeaten run.
But the Northern Irishman admits the champions are a different animal under fellow countryman Brendan Rodgers – and are even stronger this season.
“I took in the Bayern game and I wish I hadn’t!” joked Wright, who has ruled out Brian Easton, Chris Millar and Murray Davidson from tomorrow’s lunchtime clash, with Stefan Scougall and Michael O’Halloran major doubts.
“Celtic were brilliant. Okay, Brendan changed his team last week for Kilmarnock but you look at what they did to Aberdeen and that’s what they’re capable of. They dismantled the team who have been by far the second best in the country over the last few seasons.
“They won comfortably at Pittodrie and on Tuesday night they were awesome. Celtic would have been extremely disappointed not to have won, never mind drawn it.
“It shows you the quality of their squad and the size of the task we’re up against.
“Other teams are better this season but it doesn’t mean Celtic are any less of a force. They’ll still win the league comfortably because they have the best players.
“Moussa Dembele is coming back which will make them stronger and he’s had a few injuries and made some personnel changes at centre back but if you look at the performance levels against Aberdeen and Bayern Munich they are better.
“I can’t think of too many times they’ve played better than they did at Pittodrie. Maybe the first 60/70 minutes against us last season when they went 3-0 up before it finished 4-2. They were brilliant that day.
“History tells you we were the last team to defeat them domestically 62 games ago.
“But one of the areas they’ve improved on is their results and performances after Champions League matches.
“Brendan doesn’t seem to have changed his team as much this season as he did last.
“We’re approaching the international break as well so I would imagine they’ll be strong again this weekend.
“They maybe had a problem before after Champions League games but I don’t see it this time, physically or mentally.
“You have to be mentally strong to play at such a big club so that won’t come into it this time at all.”
Wright came within 11 minutes of wrecking the Hoops proud record with a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park.
He said: “Our tactics worked that day and we also carried a bit of luck.
“You hope to press them high for as long as possible to disrupt their rhythm of the style they want to play.
“However, when you play against a side with players who are individually better you need to be brave and keep possession for longer when you win the ball back.
“If you keep giving the ball back the pressure builds and it can be a case of ‘bang, bang, bang’ and suddenly you find yourself 3-0 down.
“You’ve got to be cautious but at the same time also try to win the game.”
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