Source: Daily_Mail
Go for glory: Ousting Arsenal would be a new high, says Celtic's Scott McDonald
Scott Macdonald believes beating Arsenal to the group stage of the Champions League would be an achievement to match reaching the last 16 of the tournament itself.
The Premiership aristocrats arrived in Glasgow on Monday as overwhelming favourites to progress from the final qualifying round for the fourth successive year.
Buoyed by a raucous 60,000 crowd and a formidable home record, however, Celtic believe they can enhance their impressive record against English clubs in Europe and clinch a £12million bounty.
Losers in just four of their 16 games against top ranking teams from south of the border, victory for the Parkhead side would rock both British and European football.
Australian international McDonald insisted: 'This would be as good as reaching the last 16. We'd have involving Europe's biggest clubs which, in turn, would generate greater gate receipts and more valuable television rights.
If the momentum towards such a European league proves unstoppable then Wenger insists the integrity of the sport must be protected by a promotion and relegation system from the national leagues.
'Personally, I believe only in sporting merit,' said the Arsenal boss. 'So, if one is created, it has to be a transfer up and down. That is very difficult to resolve practically.
'We do not want to kill the national leagues. Teams would have to play in both the European league in midweek and the national league at the weekend. It means all these clubs basically have two teams.'
Wenger claims the Gunners are not going into the tie with Celtic motivated by money but by the prospect of a 12th successive Champions League campaign.
'We are not under any financial pressure but we want to play against the best,' said Wenger. 'We want to be there, of course, and it is a very important game for us. There is high pressure on us to perform. It is a massive game for us.'
