Tuesday, 15th July, 2014



Celtic midfielder Kris Commons feels his side are under added pressure to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League this season.

Two big Scottish clubs, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian, were relegated from the Scottish Premiership last season, thus depriving Celtic of a number of notable clashes in the upcoming campaign.



Celtic, who won the Scottish league for the third time in a row last term, are scheduled to face KR Reykjavik in Iceland today in the second qualifying round of the Champions League.

And Commons, who believes Celtic reaching the group stage of the competition is of paramount importance in keeping Scotland interested in the Champions League, was quick to add that his side are also determined to rub shoulders with Europe’s top clubs.
 


"We've lost a couple of big hitters in our top flight so it's vital for entertainment value that we are coming up against Europe's elite," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.  

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"European football keeps everyone interested, not only at Celtic but in Scotland.

"But for our own personal pride the Champions League is the place to be and we want to be putting ourselves up against Europe's elite."

Celtic, who were grouped with Barcelona, AC Milan and Ajax in Group H of the Champions League last season, failed to reach the knockout stage after finishing rock-bottom in the group.

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