Celtic’s 5-1 thrashing of Slovan Bratislava feels like the turning of a page in Europe. In doing so, the Hoops dismantled more than a few records last night…
Brendan Rodgers became the first Celtic manager to win his opening Champions League fixture since the competitions revamp in the early 1990s. Postecoglou, Lennon, Strachan and O’Neill all failed to win an opener. This brought to an end a stretch of 12 unsatisfactory attempts.
Until the breakthrough goal last night, you would have had to have gone back to September 2006 the last time Celtic netted in a Champions League opener. That was Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink’s stunning strike past Edwin van der Sar at Old Trafford. Liam Scales put an end to an 18 year record which spelled across eight tortuous games.
It is easy to forget that Celtic’s biggest victory in Champions League history makes it back-to-back wins for only the second time. The dead rubber three points against Feyenoord last campaign did have some importance after all. It is back-to-back Champions League victories for the first time since the 2001/2002 season where we consecutively defeated Porto and Rosenborg 1-0.
🐐 Liam Scales 🤳 pic.twitter.com/RJJBp9DDqO
— Celtic Curio (@Celticcurio) September 18, 2024
On the topic of Celtic’s Player of the Match, the Irishman was colossal once again. He won 11 duels against a Slovan Bratislava side devoid of any ideas. That is the most duels won by any player so far in this Champions League matchday. It is also the most recorded by a Celtic player in the competition since Mikael Lustig against Anderlecht in September 2017 (13).
That bullet header on 17 minutes meant that Liam Scales became the first Irishman to score in the Champions League since Darren Gibson 13 years ago. Thankfully, Irish football fans did not have to wait that long for the next Irishman to net in Europe’s top club competition. An hour to be exact, as Adam Idah made it five and his first goal since signing for Celtic permanently.
The Irish duo of Scales and Idah became the first time two Irishmen to have scored in the same game for Celtic since Daryl Murphy and Anthony Stokes netted in a 2-1 away victory at Rugby Park in September 2010.
Historical context is important when analysing Celtic’s five star display in a packed Paradise yesterday evening. Celtic played 12 Champions League group stage campaigns in the old format. In four of those group campaigns the Hoops scored five goals. In three campaigns we only managed four goals. In the 2013/2014 Champions League campaign under Neil Lennon there were only three goals scored. Five in our opening game is an unrivalled start.
The thumping over the Slovakian title-winners also has two significant links with our memorable 4-3 win over Italian giants Juventus in 2001. Firstly, prior to last night, Celtic had only scored four or more goals in a single Champions League game. That came against Marcello Lippi’s side 23 years ago.
Secondly, Celtic’s record signing Arne Engels became only the second Hoops player to ever score and assist in a Champions League game. The only other player to do it? Henrik Larsson against the Old Lady in September 2001.
Bratislava manager Vladimir Weiss better hope he is not coming back to the East End of Glasgow any time soon. His only other visit prior to last night was a 4-0 hammering as Artmedia coach back in 2005 which saw his side miraculously reach the group stages after a disastrous first-leg for Gordon Strachan’s side. Another four goal margin of defeat meant that history repeated itself for the 59 year-old Slovakian.
This Celtic side opened a new chapter with a stunning performance. Record books were dismantled. Quite fantastically, it is second where they sit in the League phase after matchday one. Hopefully in two weeks’ time there will be another piece on ripping up the away stats record. Only time will tell, but this Celtic team have us believing again on the continent.
Conor Spence
☘️ RECORD BREAKING CELTS!
Adam Idah and Liam Scales put themselves in the history books tonight, becoming the first two Irishmen to score for one team in the same Champions League game!
What a night for both lads, doing our country proud!💚 pic.twitter.com/Xf0dlb6uYS
— Rep of Ireland Player Tracker (@reptracker) September 18, 2024
🏟 #UCL Matchday in #Paradise! 🙌⚽🎉#CelticSlovan | @CelticFC | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/YpzdpiNRLa
— UEFA.com DE (@UEFAcom_de) September 18, 2024
🎶 YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE 🎶
What an INCREDIBLE Champions League atmosphere at Celtic Park 😍
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/JKEJDh6Duv
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 18, 2024
COMING SOON ON CELTIC STAR BOOKS…CELTIC IN THE THIRTIES, VOL 1&2 BY MATT CORR…
If you want to read a report of the match last night from the point of view of a hurting hun check out the one in the ‘I’ paper by a freelancer called Jason Mellor. Boy, is this guy sore.