Inter Milan v Celtic – Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds – Dublin Super Cup – 30 July 2011

Celtic player Scott Brown

“We’re trying to get closer to these teams,” he said. “We want to play European football. We’ve got a qualifier in two-and-a-half weeks and hopefully we can get past that and into the group stages.

“If we can manage that then it shows we’ve evolved over the last couple of seasons. It’s been a hard couple of years for the club but we seem to be going the right way and I’m looking forward to it.”

“It’s a great opportunity for us to come over and show the Irish fans who maybe don’t get to us play that much what we can do,” he said. “Hopefully we can put in two good performances and pull off good results.”

“I was devastated about missing the first two games but playing this weekend against quality opposition will help my fitness.”

Celtic manager Neil Lennon

“We are looking for more.”

“We started the season well last week with a good result, and we are looking for again an up in tempo. We’re delighted this tournament is going ahead as we needed the games – there is no doubt about that.

“So these two games will be important for us in terms of building again for Aberdeen in a week’s time, as there is still little a bit of rustiness in the squad which is understandable as they have only been back about three or four weeks.

“So these games are valuable for us as far as our preparation goes. We will be looking for them to be competitive.

“I’m sure Manchester City, Inter Milan and the Airtricity team will be exactly the same. Even though it’s deemed a pre-season tournament, I think there will be a bit more of an edge to it than there normally would be.”

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us and the players as well to gauge where we are in terms of comparisons with teams of the calibre of Inter Milan,” he said.

“It might give us an opportunity to look at a different formation and different personnel in different positions to see if we can adapt to that against a real quality of opposition.

“At a club like ours, not just domestic football is important.”

“The success we had in the last decade shows how much European football means to the club financially and to the supporters emotionally.

“For our older fans, tomorrow will be a pretty nostalgic game in terms of the greatest day in the club’s history in 1967. So European football is vital.

“The fans don’t demand it but they expect it. And we would like to have a concerted run. We feel Europe is important, not just for the club but the players and the backroom staff, including myself, as part of our development.

“We play a qualifier on the August 18, and we dearly want to get through that tie so we can at least have European football at the club until December.

“As a player, I was lucky enough to play some decent campaigns in the Champions League and got to the UEFA Cup final in 2003.”

“There is no better club to be at when that momentum is really going.

“We want to bring those days back to the club as soon as quickly as possible. We feel we have the nucleus and talent of a very good young squad. Again, tomorrow will be a good gauge to see where we are, against this calibre of opposition.

“The priority is the championship, there’s no doubt about that as it opens a few other doors for us. But while we have the opportunity of getting into the group stages of the Europa League, we’ve got to take that.”