The fever is high this week as Rangers and Celtic play on the European theater this week. Even the setbacks in recent days have done little to dilute the widespread conviction that Celtic, Rangers and the national team remain capable of progressing from their groups in the various continental tournaments. If this isn't optimism then what is?

Scotland's defeat by Georgia in Tbilisi a fornight ago has left Alex McLeish's team requiring at least a draw in their final outing at home to Italy on 17 November to retain any hope of qualifying for Euro 2008. In that event, the Scots would need to rely on Ukraine beating France in Kiev in their last match four days later.

A victory over the world champions would ensure passage to Austria and Switzerland next summer and, as McLeish said after the 2-0 loss to Georgia, in that respect nothing much has changed. 'We always expected it would come down to the Italy game,' said the manager, 'and that's how it's turned out.   The reversal in Tbilisi, where the absence of too many influential players through injury and suspension left the Scots more vulnerable than at any time in the campaign, appears not to have been disturbing enough to severely dent the spirit of the dark-blue shirts and a certain faith in their future prospects.  

As for the light-blue shirts, as worn by the Rangers players on their productive sweep through Group E of the Champions League they are at the halfway stage, Walter Smith's progressive side share the lead with Barcelona on seven points - four clear of third-placed Lyon - following their scoreless draw with the celebrated Catalan club at Ibrox on Tuesday two weeks ago..

The return at Camp Nou tomorrow represents a widely-expected defeat which is unlikely to diminish their prospects of reaching the last 16 of the tournament. With a visit to Stuttgart and the home match with the French champions to follow, Smith's resolute and astutely-managed squad are clearly in a very strong position.

However, on the evidence of last week, defeat in Barcelona should not be presumed. Smith has been at the top of his form through the competition and his astute planning has, so far, made his team hard to beat, confirmed by their earlier victories over Stuttgart in Glasgow and Lyon in France. There was an unmistakable lack of conviction about Barcelona at Ibrox, especially in forward areas, as evidenced by their inability to cause the Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor much bother despite their having enjoyed almost uninterrupted possession.

Thierry Henry, for example, appeared to be a monument to Arsene Wenger's brilliance in the matter of judging the precise moment when a great player is about to go into decline. Henry's characteristic explosiveness was never in evidence, the Frenchman generally imparting the impression that he is only the latest in a list of notable sales to other teams just at the point when they are on the way down. This list includes Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars and Patrick Vieira.

If squirrels gathered nuts at the rate at which Celtic accumulate defeats in away matches in the group phase of the Champions League, they would have enough to keep them nourished through a decade of winters. The 1-0 defeat to Benfica in Lisbon on Wednesday was their thirteenth from 14 such expeditions - the other a draw in Barcelona - a series that has long since become an embarrassment and which, alarmingly for their followers, shows no signs of coming to an end.