Former Celtic and Feyenoord forward Regi Blinker admits Thursday’s Europa League clash in Rotterdam is huge for his old clubs.
Both sides are in a fight to reach the next round at the midway stage of the league phase, with the Scottish champions a point better off than the Dutch prior to the match at De Kuip.
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“It’s a very big game, especially when you see that both teams have their own problems and their own situations,” Blinker told BBC Scotland.
“For Celtic, they haven’t won a lot of away games in Europe and Feyenoord now have lost three games in a row and also against opponents they should have beaten.
“It’s a very important one because I think even in the media they are saying Feyenoord might be in a very small crisis and van Persie doesn’t want to hear that at all.
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“But I think Robin is the right person at the right place, there’s quite a lot of injuries at Feyenoord. This is an important game for both teams because they both need that win.”
Blinker, who spent three years at Celtic between 1997 and 2000, believes it’ll be important that the visiting players handle the atmosphere.
“This is a difficult one for every team that comes to Rotterdam,” he said.
“You’re playing against 12 men, the audience are the 12th man here. But the Celtic players should be used to a loud crowd.
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“But here, the influence of the crowd is there and you can feel it, the players are motivated by it. But if it’s not going so well, you can feel that too. For Celtic it will be an extra hurdle.
“Celtic will also have to watch for Feyenoord’s attacking players.
“It’s great to have Celtic here in Rotterdam and obviously I am going to be there. It’ll be a very exciting game, especially with the pressure on it.
“I think the two teams are quite level to each other.”
