RB LEIPZIG talisman Kevin Kampl believes his team is ready for the “beautiful atmosphere” of Celtic Park and will end the Scottish champions’ hopes of playing European football after Christmas.
A win for the German outfit would effectively secure finishing in at least second place, leaders Red Bull Salzburg have yet to drop a point, and even a draw would keep RB three points ahead of Celtic with two games of Group B remaining.
And because the head-to-head comes into play when all the fixtures are complete, Celtic really need to match or better last month’s 2-0 defeat in Leipzig to give themselves the best chance of qualifying for the last 32.
Kampl, a Slovenian international, cost £20m 18 months ago and is one of Leipzig’s star players. Celtic Park is one of his favourite venues but he’s confident the home crowd will be silenced on Thursday night.
“We’re going there in a very confident frame of mind,” said the 28-year-old midfielder. “I played at Celtic Park a few years ago with Salzburg and it was amazing.
“Of course Celtic want to win this game. They will try everything. But we go there and play with clear heads and know what is coming in the stadium. It’s a beautiful atmosphere but I’ve told the players that they have to enjoy this game and give everything. I think we can win there.
“I think Celtic will be better in their own stadium. They will play more offensive as they have to win it so will give everything. We know if we can win then we will go to the next round.
“It will be a tough game but I think our team is prepared for it and knows what is coming in the stadium. We will talk about this game, show videos and see what we can do better. But if we play like the first game and everyone is working for each other we can win at Celtic.”
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