Celtic can capitalise on 'kind' draw to reach play-offs'

BBC Sport Scotland chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your questions.

Gerry asked: Will Celtic do well in the Champion League? Can they qualify for the last 16 and how can they achieve this?

Tom answered: Hi Gerry. You don't need me to tell you about Celtic's poor record in Europe over the last decade or so, but there has to be hope that things are going to turn this season.

It's early days, for sure, but they're playing with an energy, an accuracy and a speed of thought that's pretty exciting. They were very slick against Rangers. Paulo Bernardo and Nicolas Kuhn were substantial characters on the day, Callum McGregor was, well, Callum McGregor. Kyogo Furuhashi looks effervescent again. I like what I’m seeing - and they have the new boys to come in yet.

The Champions League draw has been kind to them. The data companies reckon 15 points will be needed to get at top-eight spot and an automatic place in the last 16. There's little chance of that, I think.

The same boffins reckon nine points should be more than enough to make the play-offs. I can see Celtic getting to nine points - home win against Slovan Bratislava, home draw v Leipzig, home win v Bruges, home win v Young Boys. That’s 10 points. Comfy. Maybe, hopefully.

David asked: Do the Celtic defenders have more confidence this year playing in front of Kasper Schmeichel than previous years in front of Joe Hart?

Tom answered: It's hard to say because we're still in the infancy of the season. Hart didn’t do too badly, did he? I thought he was a terrific signing and Schmeichel is an excellent replacement. Let’s see how that defence looks after the Champions League.

It'll be interesting to see if Auston Trusty and Alex Valle usurp Liam Scales and Greg Taylor along the way. I don’t think Scales and Taylor are giving up their spot without a hell of a fight, which is exactly the way Brendan Rodgers would want it.