The main objective for Martin O’Neill’s men will be getting out of Stuttgart without being humiliated

Less than 120 miles separate Munich from Stuttgart. For Celtic fans descending upon the latter city in Germany this week, their emotions will be a world away from those felt as they prepared to watch their side in the Allianz Arena a year ago.

Having finally delivered a strong performance in the revamped Champions League, Brendan Rodgers’ side were beaten but unbowed in the first leg in Glasgow.

The belief that the team would cause Bayern serious concern in the return the following week in Bavaria held true.

Had it not been for the concession of an unfortunate goal in injury time, Rodgers’ team were going the distance and looked capable of causing a monumental upset.

In the aftermath of a valiant 3-2 aggregate reverse, all the talk was of a new standard having been set.

Provided the club steered a steady course and backed the manager, regular appearances in the play-off round of UEFA’s premier competition and all the riches that would bring seemed eminently possible.

O’Neill has to balance changing his team with avoiding a humiliation in Germany

One year on, as Celtic prepare to sign off from the secondary competition at the same stage after a chastening first-leg defeat, the ineptitude of those who are supposedly running the show has been laid bare.

The Scottish Cup and the League Cup are now in the possession of Aberdeen and St Mirren, respectively. The Premiership trophy may not be under lock and key for much longer. Europe has almost become an afterthought.

Rodgers certainly looks none the worse for having his character assassinated by Dermot Desmond following his ‘resignation’ in October.

The man who was said by the billionaire to be the sum total of Celtic’s problems looked like he didn’t have a care in the world this week as he posed in traditional Saudi national dress, rifle in hand, as the country he now calls home celebrated a national holiday.

Now in charge of Al Qadsiah, Rodgers has resisted the temptation to respond to Desmond’s suggestion that his words and actions were ‘divisive, misleading and self-serving’. He hasn’t needed to. The shambles that has continued after he walked out the door at Parkhead has said enough.

Nothing illustrates the decline in Celtic’s fortunes across the past year quite like the scenario which awaits them in the second leg of this Europa League tie in the MHP Arena.

After being hammered 4-1 in Glasgow, any faint hope of progression has gone. The only objective for the Scots will be getting out of the place without being humiliated. Talk about a drop in standards.

Paradoxically, in one sense, Tiago Tomas’ 93rd-minute goal in the first leg might have done Martin O’Neill a small favour.

Bilal El Khannouss scores the first of his two goals as Stuttgart canter to a 4-1 win in Glasgow

El Khannouss can’t believe how easy it is as he celebrates his brace at Parkhead

At 3-1, the Celtic manager would have been compelled to play his strongest side in search of the early goal which might just make things interesting.

Stuttgart’s fourth rendered the second leg a formality. O’Neill, consequently, has no obligation to risk most players who he’ll need for Ibrox on Sunday. It’s a night when unfamiliar faces will largely be given a chance to shine.

In theory, the veteran could field a team of kids. Competing clubs submit two squad lists to UEFA – a 25-man A squad and a B squad comprising exclusively players born after January 1, 2004.

But while wrapping his star men in cotton wool ahead of the Rangers game will be the prime consideration, he’s compelled to field a side which will be competitive.

Kasper Schmeichel, who’d a nightmare in the first leg, could do with a night off. Viljami Sinisalo’s chance in goal is long overdue.

About to start a three-game domestic suspension after losing his appeal against the red card he received against Hibs, Auston Trusty’s inclusion would make perfect sense.

With Benjamin Arthur unavailable, Dane Murray would be favoured to partner the American. Colby Donovan and Marcelo Saracchi, who began on the bench at the weekend, could do with the minutes.

It’s middle to front where O’Neill’s capacity to rotate is limited. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was signed too late to be included in the European squad. Joel Mvuka could have been added but wasn’t. Michel-Ange Balikwisha, a £4.5million signing, was cut from the list and seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.

Benjamin Nygren, 18 goals and counting this season, surely cannot be risked.

O’Neill may decide to give Kasper Schmeichel a rest after the Dane’s nightmare in first leg

The Celtic boss will want to wrap Benjamin Nygren in cotton wool ahead of Ibrox showdown on Sunday

Luke McCowan, who hasn’t started since the Scottish Cup game against Auchinleck, would be favoured to enter the fold.

Ideally, the manager would also prefer to spare Callum McGregor yet that might not be possible.

What of Paulo Bernardo and Reo Hatate? The Portuguese started the first leg and made no appreciable impact. He fell out of the squad which faced Hibs.

Hatate replaced Bernardo last Thursday then came on for Oxlade-Chamberlain on Sunday. On both occasions, he was miles off the pace.

The Japanese is a shadow of the player he once was. As is the case with Bernardo, even in a game of little consequence, it would be a risk to start him. The captain may have to go again.

Purely on the basis that Seb Tounekti and Yang Hyun-jun will probably start on Sunday, the door might open for James Forrest and the out-of-sorts Daizen Maeda to play on the flanks.

With Tomas Cvancara the best forward option for O’Neill for Ibrox, the same logic applies to a first start for Junior Adamu.

The hope for O’Neill will be that some fringe players grasp this opportunity, stake a claim and restore some pride. The fear will be that the Germans show them no mercy.

El Khannouss enjoys taking a selfie after his goalscoring heroics at Celtic Park last week

Despite being in such a comfortable position, Stuttgart are taking nothing for granted. They are scoring goals for fun at the moment with 21 coming in their last eight matches. But on the back of drawing 3-3 at bottom side Heidenheim on Sunday, they have a point to prove to their supporters.

‘It’s not over yet,’ said their manager, Sebastian Hoeness. ‘I think the coach on the other side, he has experienced a lot of things and they won’t give up. We should not expect this. That’s why we will prepare.

‘We want to go to the next round and there should be no doubts about it when we have the right mindset. That will be really important.’

For O’Neill’s patchwork side, this has the makings of a long night. Thirteen years ago, under Neil Lennon, Celtic shipped five goals across both legs against Juventus to chalk up their heaviest aggregate defeat in Europe.

It will be considered something of a minor achievement if this team doesn’t create some unwanted history.