RB LEIPZIG may be relative newcomers to both the Bundesliga and Europa League, but Callum McGregor believes he has a fair idea of what to expect when Celtic take to the field in the Red Bull Arena on Thursday evening.

McGregor has, despite being just 25, built up extensive experience of continental football in general and the German game in particular during the past five seasons.

Not all of it has been positive – the midfielder missed a gilt-edged scoring chance late on in a 2-2 draw with Borussia Moenchengladbach away in a Champions League group game two years ago.

However, the man who netted against Bayern Munich in Europe’s premier club competition on a memorable evening in Glasgow last season feels those outings will be invaluable preparation for what promises to be a tough encounter.

“The German teams seem to have the same structure in terms of build-up play,” he said. “Everything is quick, one and two touch.

“They build through the pitch fairly quickly and then up top they have players who are slightly different, soloists who can take the ball, go on a dribble and hit a shot.

“They try to get the ball to those guys as quickly and efficiently as they can. That’s what I’ve found.”

McGregor added: “I think we’re better prepared for that now. The more European games you play, the more you get a feel for how the foreign game is played.

“It goes up a level in terms of the pace and tempo of the passing. We need to defend well against that then when we get the ball we’ve got to be quicker in our play.

“We have managed to nick goals away from home so that’s something we will try to do. We will try to be compact, hit them on the counter and use that pace at the top end of the pitch.

“It’s about us being organised, knowing our jobs. We got a draw in Moenchengladbach so we have to take as much confidence from results like that.

“When you play in these games and then something like that happens it proves to the player and the squad that you belong at that level.

“You take great confidence from that so when you go back into a big game you are full of confidence. That’s a big thing for Scottish teams, that we have that belief that we can match these teams.”

McGregor was heavily criticised by his own supporters after his miss against Moenchengladbach, but the opportunities he subsequently converted in big games against the likes of Bayern, Rangers and Zenit Saint Petersburg underline that he has improved and matured as a player.

“You miss one chance and then you go and score say the Bayern one,” he said. “That’s a great example because it was probably the exact same situation.

“A year on, I had a bit more confidence, game time and experience and I put it under the goalkeeper rather than try to find the far corner.

“Everybody is going to make mistakes in his career. You couldn’t mention a single player who has not missed a one on one. It’s all part of experience. You need to go and make these mistakes to become a better player.

“Since then my game has come on so much in terms of everything, tactically, finishing, getting forward. My confidence levels have gone high too. You are going to make mistakes in your career. It’s about being strong enough mentally to bounce back and try to prove people wrong.”

So, does McGregor believe Celtic can recover from the 3-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of Salzburg in Austria at the start of the month against such formidable opposition away?

“There are some really good teams in the Europa League,” he said “Salzburg got to the semi-finals and knocked out some really good teams along the way.

“These teams are taking it more and more serious every year. If we were to go and get a result against a team of Leipzig’s stature, with the money they have spent, it would probably raise some eyebrows. But we are capable.”