Kenny Dalglish yesterday looked back on the two European matches featuring Scottish clubs on Thursday night and ahead to this Thursday when Dortmund and Celtic will be looking to turn around two gaol deficits from their home games in the second leg.
Both will certainly feel that they are not out of their ties just yet while both theRangers and Bodo/Glimt will have a dilemma in deciding how to play the 90 minutes this week. Sit in and allow the away side to come on to them, might mean the loss on a goal then suddenly the away side have their tails up chasing one more goal to take it to extra-time.
And for the Norwegians that scenario is perhaps most worrying given that their first match back after the winter break was at Celtic Park and 120 minutes of gruelling football might just be too much for their legs. That first goal in both games could turn out to be crucial. King Kenny praised theRangers for their impressive 4-2 win in Germany but admitted he was somewhat surprised at Celtic losing 3-1 to the Norwegian champions.
“Celtic face a more difficult task to overcome their 3-1 deficit to Bodo. It was a surprise to see Ange Postecoglou’s men lose by such a margin at home,” Dalglish wrote in his Sunday Post column.
“Bodo defeated Roma 6-1 earlier in the season so we were all aware of what they were capable of doing. Ange and his players now need to regroup and find a way of scoring over there. It’s still very much game-on and if they can score first then all the better.
“Ange will want to progress in this tournament and he will not be feeling that this game is beyond them.
“Callum McGregor and the players will be ready to go to Norway and turn things around. But they know they will need to defend better and also be more clinical.
“The evidence from this season is that Celtic can win this tie but it’s going to take a monumental display. It would be great to see both Scottish clubs in the draw for their respective European competitions.
“That’s what we’d all like, and that’s why I wish them both the very best of luck on Thursday evening.”
Of course there is an up-side to the results not going the way we would like on Thursday. Yesterday theRangers returned from Dortmund, played at Tannadice and dropped points. There progress past Dortmund into the last 16 of the Europa League will ensure another two very tough matches and with league games following on the possibility of more points dropped is clearly there.
If Celtic exit the Europa Conference League then the focus can be on the league and Scottish Cup and Ange Postecoglou will have two midweeks with no game when theRangers are playing in the Europa League.
But that’s worth thinking about only after the game on Thursday and Ange will be taking his team over there looking for the win that will see Celtic progress. As Kenny Dalglish notes it’s a more difficult task but it’s not beyond this Celtic team.
