CELTIC'S queasy reflection on being afflicted with yet another debilitating bout of travel sickness will soon ease into flutters of excitement. The line-up of group winners waiting in the draw for the knockout phrase of the Champions League makes that a certainty.
Finishing as runners-up in Group F was not the ideal finale Gordon Strachan had in mind, especially given the simplicity with which FC Copenhagen, hopeless in the Parkhead match between the clubs, managed to rout their defence. In coming second, though, Celtic have effectively matched the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and AS Roma.
None of those titans can be paired with the Parkhead side in the last 16, drawn a week tomorrow at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, but the list of possible foes for the double-header in February and March remains awesome.
What price a reunion with Jose Mourinho almost four years on from the UEFA Cup final in Seville? How the Chelsea manager would love the waves of derision that would crash down on him from the Parkhead stands. You could almost picture the smirk on Mourinho's face, lapels tugged up around it in trademark fashion, as he revelled in the role of villain.
Memories of the way in which his Porto team, employing every bit of gamesmanship to augment their superior technical ability, edged a 3-2 victory in extra-time linger on in the minds of many who would fill Parkhead for the first leg. The visit of Martin O'Neill's nemesis would add a further element of theatre to whatever drama may unfold, but the on-field challenge for Celtic would be brutal.
While the Stamford Bridge club rarely delight neutrals with the fluidity of their victories, they remain fearsomely difficult to overcome home or away. There is barely space to list the depth of stellar talent on which Mourinho can call.
Manchester United cannot be drawn at this stage, having competed against Celtic in their section, but there are other potential encounters with English opposition.
The enigmas of Liverpool, who continue to lurch from brilliant to bland, would be more palatable than Chelsea. A previously vaunted defence now carries suspicions of weakness, although Steven Gerrard remains capable of undoing almost any opposition single-handedly should he be granted positional license to do so by Rafael Benitez.
Arsenal could be viewed as equally unpredictable, given their propensity to fail when travelling to most venues north of Birmingham, but the speed of their attacking football remains unplayable when executed to perfection. One could, though, always cling to the memory of Thierry Henry being neutered on international duty at Hampden in October.
Lyon, with whom Celtic have Champions League history, are many pundits' tip to become the first French winners of the tournament since Marseille in 1993. The triumphant era developed by Paul Le Guen has been taken on by Gerard Houllier, who guided them to supremacy over Madrid in Group E. Anything short of a semi-final place would be a let-down for the club.
The domestic supremacy enjoyed by Lyon is something AC Milan would dearly love. Carlo Ancelotti's team have endured miseries in Serie A but made light work of admittedly timid opposition to win Group H before losing to Lille last night. Milan may still have Kaka and other stars in their squad, but their reputation has outstripped achievement in recent months.
Valencia have fared just as poorly in La Liga and currently lie in a lowly 10th position. Like Milan, though, they swept through their section, inspired by the brilliance of David Villa.
Finally, there is Bayern Munich. Unbeaten when trumping Inter to top spot in Group B, if not entirely convincing in the Bundesliga, Felix Magath's side have a habit of improving as the season progresses.
The dreary but important issue of UEFA coefficients is also a consideration for Celtic. This season's placement within the second pot of seeds for the group stage draw was an undoubted help but maintaining that elevated status in future years is far from certain.
Next season is the last that Celtic will enjoy the benefit of their run to Seville, as UEFA use a five-year period of European performances to work out rankings, and points need to be made up.
Dull stats are not, though, what really matters compared with the injection of glamour Scottish football will receive next Friday.
Possible rivals Chelsea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eng) Bayern Munich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Ger) Liverpool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eng) Valencia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Spa) Olympique Lyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Fra) Arsenal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eng) AC Milan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Ita)
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