It wasn’t just the result in Glasgow last month when Celtic beat Lazio that might have raised a few eyebrows.
Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi started the game with Serie A’s top goalscorer Ciro Immobile on the bench, presumably with one eye on the impending domestic card that following the game at Celtic Park.
The anticipation is that Immobile will start on Thursday evening in a game that the Italians cannot afford to lose.
A Celtic win would leave them seven points off the pace of Neil Lennon’s side with Lazio expected to pursue an aggressive approach to taking the points.
Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer, however, has insisted that it would be foolish to focus on just one threat in the Stadio Olimpico.
“There are so many attacking players in the Lazio squad. It’s not just him [Immobile],” said the 21-year-old. “You know that you are going to have been on top of your game no matter who plays for them when we go there. Hopefully, we can do that on the night and get a positive result. I feel that on our day we can beat these teams and we have shown it in the past.”
Christopher Jullien’s last minute header gave Celtic a dramatic win when the teams met last month.
A change in personnel and approach is expected from the Italians but Ajer has maintained that Celtic remain capable of causing another surprise.
“Italy will provide a great challenge for us,” he said. “We know that we are going there and Lazio has to win the match. But, at the same time, we have got a really good chance of winning it also, so it is something that we are looking forward to.
“I’ve never played in Italy, so it’s going to be something new for me. Obviously, it is going to be a tough game.
"Lazio are a very good team. We know that they are a top, top side and have the ability to hurt you on their day if you are not fully ready for them, so it is down to us to perform as strongly as we can in Rome.
"It was great that we managed to beat them in Celtic Park, but, at the same time, you have to be humble. We know that we are facing one of the best teams in Europe on Thursday night in their own stadium.”
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