Matt O'Riley adamant Celtic ARE Champions League level as he promises fight to save Euro campaign

Matt O'Riley insists Celtic ARE Champions League level as he vowed to fight all the way to keep their European dream alive.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have pocketed just one point from their opening four Group E games and need snookers if they’re to progress to the last 16. Even a place in the Europa League looks unlikely with the Hoops five points behind third placed Feyenoord with two games remaining.

Last Tuesday’s 6-0 battering away to Atletico Madrid, which was played mostly with 10 men after Daizen Maeda’s early red card, looks to have condemned Celtic to an early Euro exit. But O’Riley - who was excellent as the Hoops recovered from their 6-0 Madrid misery by smashing Aberdeen by the same scoreline on Sunday - says while there’s a chance then Rodgers’ troops will be fighting to stay alive in the competition.

And he believes they do have the quality to perform at that level. To complete a Champions League salvage job Celtic must win their final two matches against Feyenoord and Lazio and score at least two goals in Rome in a fortnight’s time while also hoping both sides lose to Atletico Madrid. Two wins and Feyenoord losing at home to Madrid before visiting Celtic Park in the final day would clinch third place and a Europa League drop down spot.

And O’Riley is adamant all is not lost as he talked up the Hoops performances especially in the home draw with Atletico. He said: “We’ve played well in Europe. Tuesday obviously wasn’t fun for anyone, but Champions League games are always very difficult when you have 10 men on the pitch, naturally. And especially against top teams. I think if we had kept 11 it would be a very different game. I know that is hindsight but I genuinely believe that.

“We showed that at home against