Chris Sutton issues verdict on Celtic qualifying for Europa League knockouts

Chris Sutton has been evaluating Celtic's chances of progressing in the Europa League after their statement win over Besiktas on Thursday night.

Having lost all of their first three games, Celtic needed a win against a very strong Besiktas side, and they produced one despite going behind. The Bhoys rallied back to 2-1 up and conceded with five minutes to go before getting back ahead two minutes later.

Celtic produced a very good performance, and while it was a tight game, they were still good value for their win, which makes a change after a number of inferior performances in Europe.

Celtic now need six or seven points from their remaining four games, facing Toreense, Omonia, Union Saint-Gilloise and Marseille. None of those will be easy tasks, especially with how Celtic have largely played against good teams this season, but the win over Besiktas is both a start and a much-needed confidence boost in Europe.

"Celtic looked dead and buried in the Europa League and while it’s still a tall order, at least they now have hope," former Hoops striker Sutton wrote in the Daily Record. "Toreense away won’t be easy as the Portuguese second division side have managed a couple of wins in the competition and pushed Sunderland all the way

"But it’s a winnable match for Celtic. Likewise, Omonia are no mugs in Cyprus but it shouldn’t be beyond Celtic to get a result out there. Marseille are struggling right now and they come to Glasgow after the New Year before a tough trip to Belgium for Union Saint Gilloise.

"Can they get to the 10 points they might need to get through? It’s possible. On the flip side though, anything is possible with this Celtic team right now. Would anyone hang their hat on a comfortable afternoon against Kilmarnock on Sunday? That’s the issue. Consistency is the key right now."

For now, Celtic need to concentrate on going into the international break with the wind in their sals and back-to-back wins behind them. Going into the last break, there was a horrible feeling around the club and they had to stew over than for three weeks.

This break is only two weeks long, but if Celtic can go into the break on the back of a European and league win, it would be a big boost. Beyond that, being able to beat Besiktas should give them the confidence they need to pick up home results in Europe, but the away games are going to be another task altogether.

For that reason, winning at Toreense could be key to build some away confidence, and it could be the perfect game for that. They have just sacked their manager, and the Portuguese second-tier club are also having to play their European games more than 50 kilometres from home.