Sweet memories from Amsterdam

BBC Scotland pundit Murdo MacLeod (above, left) was in the last Celtic side to play - and defeat - Ajax in the European Cup.

We knew it was going to be tough the moment we were drawn out of the hat against Ajax.

It was 1982 and Johan Cruyff had returned to Dutch club in the twilight of his career. They also had Jan Molby in midfield before he left for Liverpool and winger Jesper Olsen, later to play for Manchester United.

At the tender age of 16, Marco van Basten was on the bench.

We had Scottish international players like Danny McGrain, Charlie Nicholas, Davie Provan, Tommy Burns and myself in the team, while present Preston boss Davie Moyes came on as a substitute.

But the Dutch side went into the game as firm favourites as it had been some years since we did anything of note in Europe.

We were always up against it and found it tough in the first leg at Celtic Park as they were a quality side.

Charlie and Frank McGarvey scored for us, but it finished 2-2.

McGarvey opens the scoring at Parkhead

Ajax played really well and people thought that was our chance gone.

But they took the second leg away from their own ground to the Olympic Stadium to let in a larger crowd and that maybe worked in our favour as about 7000 Celtic fans were in the ground.

What followed was one of Celtic's best away victories against a top European side.

We scored first when Charlie struck a magnificent goal with a clever chip over the goalkeeper.

But they equalised when a curling cross went in off the post.

I thought that was it and they were going to go through on away goals.

Cruyff had to go off after falling awkwardly following a tackle by my good self!

He could not have reached the dressing-room when George McCluskey struck the winner in injury time after a quickly-taken free-kick.

I did not realise at the time how close it was to the final whistle.

It really was just one of those battling team performances and that is what Celtic will need to produce again when they play Ajax in this year's Champions League qualifier.

Davie Provan tussles for possession

I think it is a good draw for Celtic. Ajax will be strong opposition, but they finished well behind PSV Eindoven and Rangers recently beat PSV fairly convincingly.

Celtic could have ended up playing the likes of Barcelona or Liverpool, which would have been far more difficult.

Martin O'Neill's side can look forward to the tie with confidence.

They are always a hard side to beat and, if the players perform like they did last season, they have a good chance of going through.

Rangers have had one or two moments of European glory in recent years, like their defeat of Parma and Bayer Leverkusen.

Celtic have not had that, but they look stronger than they have done for some time.

If they can overcome this major hurdle, it will do wonders for their confidence and who knows what could happen from there.