Chris Sutton has labelled Celtic’s 1-0 victory over BSC Young Boys and their subsequent qualification to the knockout rounds of the Champions League as a “massive achievement.”

The club hasn’t managed to make the Last-16 of the competition for over a decade until now, with 2013 the previous knockout meeting against Juventus at the time.
The Englishman was on Match of the Day’s UEFA Champions League group stage highlights show and was distinctly happy that the team managed to stay the course and clinch a Top 24 finish. When he was asked if he thought it was ever in doubt or if he was totally calm about it, as Brendan Rodgers revealed he was, he couldn’t believe the Celts boss was as calm as he claimed.

Speaking to host, Mark Chapman, he said: “I’m not going to disagree with Brendan Rodgers, but he must be lying! How could he have stayed calm? They made heavy weather of it in periods. It was fine margins in the first half, you could say poor play from Celtic to be caught offside. Celtic got the penalty, Young Boys might have thought that was soft but there was a tug on Taylor.
“Second half, Celtic lost control. Then they made the sub, brought Idah on, and he’s claiming that goal – not even I would claim that goal! But it’s a wonderful pass from Hatate. What an important goal, because a draw and Celtic would have been in all sorts of pressure against Aston Villa next week. That puts them through, and that is a massive achievement.”

It’s undeniably a great coup for the club and Brendan Rodgers managing to the make the illustrious later rounds of European football’s top tournament. Whilst richer teams and ones who play in far more popular leagues are floundering, the mighty Glasgow Celtic have proven their worth once again on the big stage. It would be really sweet now to go to Villa Park in the next fixture and further rub salt in the wounds.
Paul Gillespie
