The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Brown eyes repeat of Paris shock result
Celtic: Captain part of Scotland team that stunned France in 2007
Scott Brown will take inspiration from his previous trip to the Parc des Princes when Celtic take on Paris St-Germain.
The Celtic captain was in the Scotland team that won 1-0 in the Paris stadium to complete a Euro 2008 qualifying double over the then-World Cup runners-up.
With a three-pronged strikeforce costing more than £400 million in the shape of Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe, Brown admits PSG are among the best teams he has faced.
The cash-laden French side won 5-0 at Parkhead in their opening group game and have since scored 12 goals without reply in their next three games, against Bayern Munich and twice against Anderlecht.
Brown and goalkeeper Craig Gordon were written off before facing the likes of David Trezeguet, Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele a decade ago, only for James McFadden to stun the hosts and the rest of the world.
And the midfielder insists Celtic can do the same against Unai Emery’s side tomorrow.
“They are definitely up there,” the 32-year-old said. “When they were playing one-touch football in their own box when we were pressing them with five men, it shows the confidence they are playing with and it shows what the manager wants to do as well.
“We probably need to play one of the best games of our lives to get something. We have to defend better as a team and be more aggressive in the tackle.
“I think we maybe showed them a little bit too much respect in the first game and let them dictate what they did at Celtic Park. That’s not like us to be honest.
“Nobody in the world expects us to get a result in Paris but you never know. Last time I was over there I got a result with Scotland so you never know what can happen.
“It was 10 years ago, I was in my prime then! Me and Craigy (Gordon) were speaking about it and half the lads in the team didn’t really remember the game or remember that we played.
“But to do the double-header against France back then was phenomenal because they were one of the best teams in the world at the time and we managed it home and away so you never know what can happen.”
Brown also believes there will be plenty of interest in the vacant Scotland manager’s post.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has been given permission to hold talks with the SFA. And Brown believes there will be other good candidates if no deal can be struck after Scotland went unbeaten in their final six World Cup qualifiers under Gordon Strachan.
The Celtic captain said: “He’s in line for a few jobs and he’s done really well. We will wait and see what happens.
“There’s loads of candidates, it’s a good job to take.
“There’s a great chance for the lads and us to get to the Euros, so there will be a manager hoping they can do that.”
We probably need to play one of the best games of our lives to get something. SCOTT BROWN