It remains a chastening experience: the night a Rolls Royce purred – but at a rival’s performance.
Virgil van Dijk remembers it clearly. Celtic were facing Barcelona in the Nou Camp and the Catalan giants were in irresistible form.
But there was hope for Neil Lennon’s side. Lionel Messi was missing for Barca. Unfortunately for them, Neymar wasn’t.
The Brazilian tore Celtic apart, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-1 doing. Van Dijk was good that night, but Barca were better.
Now, as the Liverpool star prepares to return to Catalonia for another Champions League showdown, van Dijk is ready.
The Premier League’s player of the year has vowed to use that humbling as an inspiration as the two elite clubs do battle in the semi-final first leg on Wednesday night.
Virgil van Dijk pays Celtic a special tribute during Player of the Year acceptance speech
Van Dijk said: “It is not like we are going there for a holiday or something. I think this can be totally different than when I was there the last time.
“If you are losing 6-1, as a defender, you can’t say you had a good game but the good thing for me personally was I took a lot of experience from that night and that helped me, obviously.
“It is an historic stadium and it was my first time and my only time so far, so I am looking forward to playing them again."
Unlike in December 2013, Messi will be available. Not that van Dijk is intimidated.
He added: “I think he is the best player in the world.
"But you see how we play, how we defend, we don’t defend one versus one, we defend all together and we attack all together as well so we will see, we will be ready.
“It is not only him. The whole team has a lot of quality and we will prepare well and that is what we are going to do. We have also a very good team so we can compete there.”
