Alex Jones 
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Former Scotland star and ex-Ipswich manager Paul Lambert has claimed that Celtic can shrug off pre-season malaise by coming out on top against FC Midtjylland.
Celtic have it all to play for with the Bhoys’ home tie at Celtic Park resulting in a 1-1 stalemate between the two Champions League hopefuls in the qualifying round.
A well-worked goal from Ange Postecoglou’s side saw some impressive and incisive play from Ryan Christie saw a powerful effort rebound off Midtjylland ‘keeper Jonas Lossl.
New Bhoy Liel Abada opened his Celtic account on his debut as he poached on the rebound, but a red card for each team and a misjudged free kick saw Celtic’s hard work come undone.
Celtic also suffered a concerning 6-2 defeat against Premier League side West Ham in a home friendly, but Lambert has cautioned against reading too much into friendly results.
Lambert admired Celtic’s play against Midtjylland and backed the Bhoys to come out on top in Denmark in tomorrow night’s return leg.
He told the Scottish Sun:
“I learned a very long time ago that you can’t read too much into results in friendlies — even if you have shipped six goals at home.
“These games are just fitness exercises and about helping to try new formations — the results don’t really matter.
“When I went on trial with Borussia Dortmund in 1996 we were turned over in our first couple of bounce games but we ended the season beating Juventus in the Champions League final.
“I also remember that when Martin O’Neill came to Celtic in 2000 he took us to Germany and we lost 2-0 to Sachsen Leipzig, who were just a little regional club.
“They pumped us that day but we went on to win the Treble.
“I’ve also had pre-seasons when we looked good and beat everyone but ended up without a trophy. So there’s no need to panic just yet.”
Read Celtic Verdict
Celtic fans have certainly endured a mixed bag in terms of results with several areas of concern announcing themselves, but there is some truth in Lambert’s words.
The Celts have endured a testing baptism of fire under Ange Postecoglou, though Celtic’s Midtjylland draw was a freak event given the incredibly physical nature of the game.
With both sides reduced to 10 men, Postecoglou will be hoping to galvanise the team and wipe the slate clean with the Bhoys keen to advance to the next qualifying round.
