Celtic hero overcome with Champions League confusion but is utterly certain it's winning time

Mikael Lustig is convinced Celtic are set to savour home comforts again in the Champions League.

But the Swede feels his old club must also perform on their travels in the pursuit of progression within the top bracket. And he says the elite-level experiences banked by boss Brendan Rodgers can make that happen. Lustig enjoyed epic Parkhead nights during his spell in Glasgow.

The defender was in the team that took the scalp of Barcelona in 2012 as Neil Lennon’s side charged to the last 16 of the competition. But Lustig was also in place as the times got tougher. After helping Celtic to defeat Ajax the year after the Barca triumph, it would be over 10 years before the club would win another Champions League group-stage game on their home patch.

It was Rodgers who ended the drought last term with the win over Feyenoord and his former right-back believes that will be built upon. Starting against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday week, Celtic also face RB Leipzig, Club Brugge and Young Boys in the East End.

Lustig eyes that quartet of key missions and sees potential success in the lot. The away trips are tougher with encounters against last season’s finalists Borussia Dortmund, Europa League winners Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb and Aston Villa.

But Lustig is also hoping for positive outcomes through those trips to further show progression for the club on the continent. He explained: “Every game at Celtic Park, I fancy a win. I fancy points.

“Obviously, I don’t know exactly what is going to happen in the competition. I can’t make the new system out. But I think we have a good group, if you can say that.

“So it is up to them to show now that they can also play good football away from home as well. If we can do that, we have good