After a tremendous qualifying match against Dinamo Zagreb, Celtic wound up drawn into one of the numerous groups of death in the Champions League.
The Scottish champs will take on Barcelona for a second straight year and will also face Ajax Amsterdam and AC Milan in Group G of the tournament.
"It's the best and the worst draw we could have got," Celtic manager Neil Lennon said of the draw, according to ESPN. "In terms of glamour it doesn't come much better that Barcelona, Ajax and AC Milan. In terms of football, it is probably the most difficult group we could have got."
However, he noted that his team is excited for the challenge.
"There is a lot of excitement around this. After doing the hard work to qualify, we have to really go an enjoy this now," he said. "For our supporters and the players, this draw means is three great footballing areas to visit, playing three clubs with great pedigrees in this competition.
"We have three great games to look forward to at Celtic Park, but from a football point of view, it is going to be very hard for us."
Last season Celtic was drawn into a group with Barcelona, Spartak Moscow, and Benfica. Many expected the Scottish team to wither away quickly. However, they would not give in. The team earned a 0-0 draw against Benfica before stunning Spartak Moscow with a 3-2 win. In the first game against Barcelona Lennon nearly conducted his squad to a 1-1 draw, but a late Jordi Alba goal gave Barcelona the win. However, the rematch with the Spaniards saw Celtic win 2-1 despite being outplayed throughout the match. The team finished with a win and loss in the final two matches, but qualified for the knockout rounds where it was eliminated by Juventus on an aggregate of 5-0.
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