O'Neill expects stern test

UEFA Cup quarter finals first leg: Celtic v VillarrealCeltic must beat Villarreal in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals to stay on course for a unique treble but manager Martin O'Neill believes the visitors will provide a sterner test than did their Spanish rivals Barcelona.Celtic Park, 8.0On TV: TG4

Celtic are favourites to reach the semi-finals for a second successive season but Villarreal will arrive at Celtic Park for tonight's first leg having proved their worth and played 14 games in Europe already this season.

They won the InterToto Cup last July to qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time and have ousted Torpedo Moscow, Galatasaray and AS Roma during their run to the last eight.

"I would say that Villarreal would turn round and say if they knock Roma out of the competition they should not have too many problems beating us," O'Neill said yesterday.

"I'm sure that's the way they would view it. But rest assured, they can play. This game will probably be harder then Barcelona and they don't come much tougher than that."

O'Neill's side hold a 17-point lead in the SPL and face Livingston in the Scottish Cup semi-finals on Sunday but would view winning the UEFA Cup as the highlight of their season.

Celtic lost last season's final 3-2 after extra-time to Porto in Seville and England midfielder Alan Thompson says his side are desperate to go one better.

"We'd like to think we are better equipped than last year because of the experience we had in reaching the final," said Thompson, who along with striker Chris Sutton yesterday extended his contract at Celtic for a further two years until 2007.

Celtic are defending a 76-match unbeaten home record and will again rely on that consistency to carve out a lead for next Wednesday's return leg in Spain.

O'Neill claimed the timely decisions of Sutton and Thompson to sign contract extensions had nothing to do with him.

He denies he has given either player assurances over his long-term plans and claims they have signed new deals without knowing whether their boss will remain at the club.

"I just think the players themselves, at this moment in time, enjoy their football and that's really important," said O'Neill.

Neil Lennon, Bobo Balde, Jackie McNamara and injured duo John Kennedy and Shaun Maloney are also in the frame for new contracts.

"We want to secure Shaun and John for a fair length of time and we will try to do that in the next weeks," he added.

Chief executive Peter Lawwell believes the contract extensions send a message of intent to everyone in the game that the Hoops are keen to maintain their high profile at home and abroad.

O'Neill will recall Lennon to his starting line-up; the midfielder missed the draw with Hearts because of a leg injury.

Captain Stilian Petrov is also expected to start after being rested against the Edinburgh side while Bobo Balde will also play after being suspended for the last round.

Sutton (groin), Thompson (hamstring) and Joos Valgaeren (hamstring) have also declared themselves fit while Liam Miller is pushing for a place.

CELTIC (from): Marshall, Lennon, McNamara, Balde, McManus, Valgaeren, Miller, Varga, Agathe, Pearson, Petrov, Thompson, Larsson, Sutton, Sylla, McGovern, Lambert, Mjallby, Beattie, Smith, Douglas.