Caldwell calls for Celtic spirit

Celtic FC defender Gary Caldwell believes the Scottish title-holders will need to show spirit and determination if they are to survive their San Siro examination at the hands of UEFA Champions League holders AC Milan and reach the first knockout round for the second year running.

Point to prove
The Glasgow club travel to Italy knowing a point against Group D leaders Milan – who qualified with a 1-1 draw at SL Benfica on Matchday 5 – will be enough to secure progress while victory would take them through as section winners. In last season's first knockout round second leg Celtic held Milan 0-0 for 90 minutes and, although Kaká's extra-time strike ended their hopes, Caldwell will be drawing on that experience, saying: "We were beaten by eventual champions last season and I think Milan said we were the toughest match they had in that run. We got a lot of adulation for those performances and hopefully we've learnt from them and can build on that this time."

Familiarity breeds respect
This may be the fourth meeting between the sides in less than ten months but Caldwell has lost none of his admiration for Milan, saying: "There is [an element of familiarity] but they're the European champions, have some great players and these are the matches you look forward to. These are the nights you want to be part of and that you look back on at the end of your career. So we'll be ready when the challenge comes."

Kaká threat
A key part of that challenge will be stopping the newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Kaká, and although his team have not kept a clean sheet away from Celtic Park since 1 October 2006 and have lost 14 of their 15 away games in the UEFA Champions League, Caldwell is relishing the task. "There's not a defender in the world that can stop Kaká one-on-one," the 25-year-old Scottish international admitted. "As a team you have to come up with a strategy to prevent him getting too much of the ball and doing what he's best at. I don't know why we haven't managed to keep a clean sheet for so long, but it's been too long since we had a victory away from home. As defenders we have to do something about it."

'Absolutely amazing'
It may be a tall order but given the surroundings – Caldwell described San Siro as "a fantastic stadium, the atmosphere is absolutely amazing" – and the stakes, Celtic have ample motivation. "In big games you need spirit and to be together because there are going to be long spells when we'll have to dig in and try to stop them from playing. We're going to need that spirit because if you chase the game for long periods, they can score. So we need to keep the ball and cause them a few problems. We know what we need to do and we're looking forward to it."