THERE is a saying in poker that if you look around the table and can’t work out who the sucker is then chances are it’s probably you. Scottish football could do with a similar bout of introspection when it comes to our standing in the European game. High-handed talk about “taking on the minnows” looks increasingly misplaced when our clubs are losing to representatives from Gibraltar, Luxembourg and Malta. Clubs from all over Europe must rub their hands these days whenever they are drawn to face Scottish opposition. This is our level now. We are the suckers at the table, whether we care to acknowledge it or not.

There will be some uninformed Celtic fans who would have welcomed the news that standing in the way of their team and a place in the play-off round of the Champions League is a team from Kazakhstan, not a traditional hotbed of football. Times have changed, however. Whatever Astana may lack in historical pedigree, they more than make up for with ambition and plenty of money. Based in the country’s capital, they were late to the European table, not making their competitive debut until 2013. Since then they have played 12 ties at home and lost only two. They made the group stage of the Champions League last year – something Celtic failed to do – and then held each of Benfica, Galatasaray, and eventual finalists Atletico Madrid to draws. Granted, there are many factors that go in their favour at home – Astana is a six-hour flight from Glasgow over five time zones, something that must drain even the most athletic of players – but their recent record is still impressive. It is why it would be presumptuous bordering on arrogant to view Celtic’s passage through as a foregone conclusion.

“It’s a challenge, not just because of the logistics but also the level of opponent,” said Chris Davies, the Celtic assistant manager. “Maybe not many people have heard of them but they played in the Champions League last year in a group with Atletico Madrid, Benfica, and Galatasaray, didn't lose at home, and won all three of their qualifiers at home going through as well. We don’t know a lot about the Kazakhstan league and what level it comes in at but we all know the level of the Champions League and what you have to do to get some results there.

“So we’ve got a job to do over there and we don't want any excuses. They're a good level and we have to be prepared for it tactically, psychologically, every way we can.”

What will give Celtic, hope, however is Astana’s away record in Europe when it is they that must make the exhausting journey across the continent. Only two wins from that dozen ties is a statistic that will not have escaped the attention of Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers or his backroom team.

Celtic were in Kazakhstan just three years ago when they overturned a 2-0 defeat away to Shakhter Karagandy by winning 3-0 at home. They will not want to make it as difficult for themselves this time around but, giving the disparity in Astana’s home and away performances, it would make sense for Rodgers to deploy something similar to the rope-a-dope tactics used by Muhammad Ali when he defeated George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle. If Celtic can try to sit on the ropes and let Astana swing away to minimal effect in the first leg, then they ought to be able to knock out the Kazakhs in the return at Celtic Park.

Davies was not of a mind to give away the team’s tactics but did hint that Rodgers’ philosophy of passing, possession-dominant football may sometimes have to be adapted to suit the conditions and circumstances.

“Every game is different and so you prepare in a specific way for each opponent,” he said. “That’s all part of the build-up to the game that includes analysing the opposition and assessing our own strengths for that particular match. It’s part of a tactical plan that we’ll be working on over the next few days. The core principles of our plan are in place. That doesn’t change but we’ll see what plan we might need for this particular game.”

Ignorance is no longer an excuse for failure. Due to advancements in international travel and satellite broadcasting, there are few surprises for a football team in the modern era, even one travelling to northern Central Asia. Celtic sent scout John McGlynn to watch Astana in their victory over Zalgiris in the last round and his report, combined with other DVDs and dossiers, will have Celtic as prepared as they can be for the journey and the match next Wednesday.

“John was at the game on Wednesday but with all the technology you get these days we’ve already done a lot of work on them,” revealed Davies. “You get all the games, all the information on all the players, so it's a lot easier to know a lot about an opponent now, even for teams from countries like Kazakhstan.

“You always like to have the three or four games leading up to your match covered and have someone at each game. We need someone there to be eyes on the ground and then you get the video later. We’ve got the technology and all the resources available to analyse that.”