Lambert believes Celtic Park’s ‘special atmosphere’ is now a tonic for Hoops’ Euro visitors
When Celtic beat Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona 2-1 at Parkhead in November, 2012, Lionel Messi made the claim which Hoops supporters have worn as a badge of pride ever since.
The greatest player of his era – who scored Barca’s late consolation that night – said: “It is the best atmosphere in Europe, and we all want to experience that again.
“Celtic Park is a tough place to go. It is never easy to get a result there.”
While there is an argument to be made that Messi’s first statement may still be true, the second no longer is.
The victory by Neil Lennon’s team – against a side which also included Alves, Pique, Xavi, Iniesta, Mascherano, Villa, Sanchez and Fabregas – helped them qualify for the last-16 of the Champions League.
It was Celtic’s seventh season in Europe’s most-prestigious tournament. Of their 21 home ties in the group phase, the Hoops won 15, drew five and lost just one – to a Henrik Larssoninspired Barcelona in 2004.
Since then, it’s been a different story, with Celtic winning just one and losing nine of the 11 home group matches since then.
Paul Lambert, who played in the club’s very first home tie in the competition – a 1-0 win over Porto in 2001 – fears the ground has now become opponents’ favourite venue for all the wrong seasons.
“The last thing you want is for the other team to come to Glasgow, turn you over and then pat you on the head and tell you what a marvellous crowd you have,” said the former Scotland midfielder.
“You don’t want Celtic Park to become everyone’s favourite stadium.
“It’s professional football, after all, and winning is what matters most in the Champions League.
“If you don’t win, you won’t be in it for long.
“From my own experience, European nights at Parkhead are the occasions top players thrive on – including the visitors.
“We always knew that we had to more than match their attitude in these ties because it’s the kind of crowd everyone wants to play in front of.
“I don’t like making comparisons between the teams I played in and the current side.
“But, under Martin O’Neill, we were strong all over the pitch, with international players everywhere.
“In fairness, this is the first experience of the Champions League for the current manager and most of the players as well.
“They’ll learn from it and, if they win the league again this season, they’ll be better equipped for next year.
“I’d imagine that Ange Postecoglou will look at this campaign, and think that he needs upgrades, two or three better players – a defender, midfielder and striker – for his next crack at it.
“Daezan Maeda gives you everything he’s got. But he had chances at 0-0 in the home games against Real Madrid and Leipzig.
“If they’d fallen to Henrik 20 years ago, we’d have been one up.
“There’s too much reliance on Kyogo Furuhashi to score, and you can’t keep creating chances and not taking them at this level.
“Ange will also have realised that you can’t press 100% for 90 minutes in the Champions League.
“I’ve spent time with RB Leipzig coach, Marco Rose, and he also favours a pressing game.
“But his team doesn’t do it all the time because it’s too tiring, and the better sides will take advantage once you start to fade.
“Celtic also need to protect the ball better.
“Ange usually makes three substitutions after an hour in domestic games because players have burned themselves out. But when you do that in Europe it can weaken your team.”
Lambert believes there are reasons for optimism, however.
He said. “The infrastructure of the club is good, they have money in the bank and the manager appears to have a free hand with the recruitment of players.
“For me, the team just needs a couple of tweaks and some better, more-experienced players to help the younger ones along.
“They made a hell of a fist of it for an hour against Real Madrid, and for a while away to Shakhtar as well.”
The Champions League table, however, tells you that wasn’t enough to stay in the competition.