Parkhead power can help silence Gunners: Caldwell

A packed Parkhead stadium can help Celtic overcome Arsenal when the two sides clash in the play-off for a place in the Champions League group phase.

That’s the view of Scotland defender Gary Caldwell who on Saturday evoked memories of some of Celtic’s home wins against the likes of Manchester United, AC Milan and Juventus to win over doubters to Celtic’s cause.

The all-British encounter in Europe’s premier club competition was confirmed when Celtic and Arsenal were paired together in Friday’s draw.

And Caldwell told Saturday’s Herald: “It will be up to us to try to get one of our famous results and get a big victory on home soil and then see what we can get down there.

“The European games at home, with our support and the kind of atmosphere they generate, are always special and this will be absolutely massive.

“It is a big glamour tie, another ‘Battle of Britain’, and everyone is looking forward to it. We are delighted to still be in the competition and this is an exciting game for us to look forward to.

“In a funny way, I think the first leg at home actually helps us. We will have our home crowd and if we can get a positive result then it will give us something to hold on to when we go to the Emirates, whereas if we went there first, it could be over by the time we played the second leg.”

Despite his bullishness, Caldwell admitted Arsenal were the one team he wanted to avoid.

“Everyone kind of said that Arsenal were the tough ones to get in the pot and it just so happens that we’ve got them,” he said.

“But we have all said that we are happy to be there. It is probably the hardest draw we could have got and we know that it will be very tough for us.

“But we have to have a bit of belief if we are going to get anything.”

Celtic may have to switch the date of the tie as it clashes with a U2 concert taking place in Glasgow’s Hampden Park on the same night, it was reported on Friday.

The British Press Association said that police in Glasgow have concerns over two major public events being staged in the city at the same time on August 18, the date of the first leg of the tie.