Celtic’s on a trip to Kazakhstan against Shakhtar for the first time in the clubs’ histories, with the victor of the match assured a place in the group stage. The Scottish champions also have a record of a shocking win over Spanish giants Barcelona.
“I suppose after last year you are a little more comfortable,” Lennon said. “But it is still quite a nerve-wracking time for all us involved although we try not to let that permeate to the players. “We are relaxed, we had a great result at the weekend against Aberdeen and the players are in good form and looking forward to the game.
However, Lennon is still confident after losing some highly influential players like Victor Wanyama, Gary Hooper and Kelvin Wilson.He is quite a bit satisfied with the performance of his players.
Shakhtar boss Viktor Kumykov said the pedigree of Celtic should see the Scottish club through to the group stage, but Lennon refused to buy into his counterpart’s argument.
“Obviously we have more experience than Shakhtar but they are at home and they have an excellent home record,” Lennon said.