Celtic’s pre-season preparations have all been leading to this moment, the start of competitive action that will see them play a heavy schedule, all going well, until May of 2018.
The calendar of the Scottish champions is much busier than most European clubs with the expectation that they reach finals in domestic competitions, progress through European qualifiers in the summer, win the league title and even perhaps reach the knockout stages in the Champions League or Europa League too.
First though they need to take care of a team fairly close to home. They make the short trip to Belfast on Friday to face Linfield in a hostile atmosphere with no away fans to back them up. It’ll have the feeling of a derby about it with the Northern Ireland champions desperate to get one over on the Hoops.
What does Brendan Rodgers need to do to ensure not only there are no slip-ups, but also provide the kind of comfortable victory that will fill Celtic fans with joy against a team they don’t have a lot of time for?
This is how we think the Hoops can get the job done in style…
The Key Man: Tom Rogic
Tom Rogic has had a long summer. Since scoring the massive treble winning goal against Aberdeen in May’s Scottish Cup final, he’s been on lengthy international duty with Australia including in the high profile Confederations Cup. However, that appears to have been the best thing for him.
You’ll remember that he struggled with injuries in the first half of 2017, gradually coming into the team more and more going into May. That was effectively his pre-season and it’s fair to say that right now he probably has more match fitness than anyone else in the squad.
Brendan Rodgers should exploit that and make him the focus of Celtic’s midfield play and attack against a Linfield side that has also had a short pre-season.
His goal against Germany last month points to a play in-form and full of confidence and in a high stakes match, that’s the kind of thing that proves to be a match winner.
The Secret Weapon: James Forrest
Due to the season Scott Sinclair has just had and the fact his partnership with Kieran Tierney is perhaps the best combination in the entire Celtic team, Linfield are likely to employ a strategy on Friday night that is focused on shutting down the Hoops’ left hand side.
Last term we saw teams like Alloa even finding limited success at doing that before falling away. It was the way to play against Celtic if you were to have any hope of getting a result against them.
Linfield likely know that but if they do employ such a strategy then it gives Brendan Rodgers the opportunity to focus on his other potentially devastating winger, James Forrest. The Scotland international has looked particularly sharp in pre-season and could be afforded a luxury amount of space and time on the ball on Friday night.
It’s up to Rodgers to ensure that he is supported in that endeavour but utilising Forrest’s pace and direct nature well could be another key to victory.
The Big Win Strategy: Unleashing the super-subs
Linfield have an epic task ahead of them and even if they perform beyond themselves in the first half, you’d expect them to tire as they match goes deep into the second half. Celtic will be hoping that they are ahead in the tie at that point, whether they are or aren’t though, Brendan Rodgers could have an absolutely elite bench at his disposal.
While we’re expecting the likes of Moussa Dembele and James Forrest to get the nod for the match in Belfast, Rodgers has some exciting talent he can use to really punish Linfield in the later stages of the match.
Leigh Griffiths as we know is a fantastic goalscorer and in Jonny Hayes they have another attacking player that can come on and run riot. Both of these players have pace and finishing ability and both will be motivated to not only secure a big result against Linfield but also stake a claim for their own personal places in Rodgers’ starting eleven.
Using substitutes effectively could be the difference between a pleasing one or two nil win and a massive victory that will kick-off their season with a bang.