CELTIC kick off another group stage campaign in earnest when they take on Real Betis in the Europa League tonight. You might want to look away now. Statistically, the history books do not favour Glasgow's green and white at all.

Ange Postecoglou's side is going to have to defy the odds in more ways than one if Celtic are to register a morale-boosting victory in their opening Group G encounter against the Spaniards in the Estadio Benito Villamarín.

Since 2001-02, Celtic have qualified for the group stages of European competition - Champions League and Europa League - some 17 times. Incredibly they have recorded just a solitary victory on Matchday One in the group stages.

That win came against Norwegians Rosenborg courtesy of an 87th-minute Leigh Griffiths strike at Celtic Park in a 1-0 success back in September 2018. It's a miserable sequence that also includes 11 losses and five draws.

Whilst the list of Matchday One conquerors may read like a who's who of European football - Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan, PSG, Atletico Madrid - it is of scant consolation to those of a Celtic persuasion.

Gordon Strachan miraculously guided Celtic to the last 16 of the Champions League in 2006-07 and 2007-08 - but only after losing their first group stage game to Manchester United and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively. Both qualifying campaigns were built on sporting perfect records at home with three wins out of three. Interestingly enough of those 17 groups stage campaigns, Celtic have advanced to the knockout phase just seven times.

If all of that wasn't bad enough then Celtic are also going to have to conquer their affliction to winning on Spanish soil. Since playing their first-ever European ties against Valencia in 1962-63 in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and losing 6-4 on aggregate, Celtic have endured 19 attempts against Spanish opposition with nothing to show in the 'W' column so far.

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It is two years since Celtic, under Neil Lennon, claimed their first away win to a major European superpower when they stunned Lazio in their own backyard to produce a 2-1 win in the Italian capital of Rome owing to Olivier Ntcham's late winner. Lennon's side even topped the group with games to spare.

Of the major European footballing leagues, Celtic have yet to taste the sweet smell of success in either Germany or Spain. To quote the words of the famous Celtic song Over and Over... "If you go to Germany, you will see us there, France or Spain it's all the same, We'll go anywhere."

This is ironic indeed considering Celtic have drawn Real Betis and Bayer Leverkusen in this particular Europa League group stage. The Celtic supporters may well go anywhere but amazingly in their illustrious European history the fans have yet to see their club win on both of these foreign shores.

If you know your history, though, there have been some triumphs in Spain without Celtic actually winning the tie. It has not all been doom and gloom. John Hartson's priceless counter against Celta Vigo in a 2-1 Uefa Cup defeat back in 2002-03 was enough to send Martin O'Neill's men through on away goals.

That strike was to prove crucial as Celtic marched all the way to the final where they lost 3-2 to Porto in Seville. Whisper it quietly, but this season's Europa League final will take place in Sevilla's Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. Just saying.

Twelve months later, David Marshall's goalkeeping heroics in a goalless draw in the Camp Nou saw Martin O'Neill's men knock out the mighty Barcelona 1-0 on aggregate by way of Alan Thompson's goal in the home leg. Celtic would then go on to lose at the quarter-final stage to La Liga outfit Villarreal. However such moments of triumph in Spain have been fleeting.

If that was not sobering enough for the Celtic manager somehow things went from bad to worse yesterday afternoon. During Postecoglou's pre-match press conference the Aussie revealed that the task in Spain had just become even more onerous.

Celtic Way:

Midfield linchpin Callum McGregor was ruled out with an injury and Israeli winger Liel Abada was also missing from the starting line-up due to religious reasons.

Ange said: "Cal's got a bit of a knock so he'll miss out. It's not great for us because he's obviously a very influential player for us.

Liel Abada will miss out because of Yom Kippur, which is obviously a significant religious day for him."

"Very influential player" is probably the most understated three words the 56-year-old has uttered since he took over the managerial reins.

McGregor is the heartbeat of Celtic. The skipper's absence will feel like a punch in the guts to Postecoglou. Of that, there is no doubt.

With Kyogo Furuhashi already out injured, defender Greg Taylor suffering a recurrence of his shoulder injury, winger James Forrest still a week to 10 days away from full fitness and Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis still getting up to speed fitness-wise, Celtic's threadbare squad has been stretched to breaking point.

On the brighter side, Anthony Ralston comes back into contention after missing out during Saturday's 3-0 Scottish Premiership win over Ross County.

Postecoglou will also have to throw ex-Hamilton, Everton, Hamilton and Republic of Ireland midfielder James McCarthy into the fray... as needs must and all that now.

READ MORE: Callum McGregor is a legendary Celtic captain in the making but he needs midfield help to add a new chapter in his storied career - Tony Haggerty

According to Football Database, Real Betis are currently 47th in the European rankings system and 52nd in the world rankings compared to Celtic's 66th and 79th European and world rankings respectively. Real Betis are the best side that Ange's men will have faced to date.

History and a chronic lack of first-team personnel most certainly do not favour Celtic. With the shape they are in this was never going to be a 'Spanish Stroll'. Postecoglou has never been one for excuses, to be fair, and won't look for them here despite all his first-team woes heading into this clash.

It is against such an adverse backdrop that unlikely footballing heroes are made, history is smashed to smithereens and legends are created.

If Postecoglou's men can pull off this particular mission impossible and reign in Spain against all the odds then the Aussie would quite rightly be 'Hail Hailed' as some sort of managerial miracle worker.

The Celtic supporters would also be forgiven for making tentative enquiries about a return trip to Seville come May 2022.