After suffering a cruel 7-1 demolition in Dortmund, Celtic have dropped 18 places in the new Champions League format following two rounds of fixtures…
The post-mortem from another abject away performance in Europe has been in overdrive in recent days. The consequences of the loss have been hit hard as Celtic languish slightly above the crucial top 24 places.
Having beaten Slovakian title winners Slovan Bratislava in the opening Champions League fixture, Celtic sat 2nd out of 36 teams with a +4 goal difference. Fast forward two weeks, and the goal difference has been reduced to -2. The Hoops have dropped to 20th in the table. Considering nine points is the objective for similar level teams in pots 3 and 4, goal difference could play a vital role in securing that elusive play-off tie.
Up next for Celtic is a trip to Bergamo to face the Europa League winners of last season. Atalanta have got off to a flyer, drawing with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal 0-0 in their opener and then convincingly putting aside Shakhtar Donestk 3-0 in Poland. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side will be heavy favourites heading into the encounter in less than three weeks time.
Furthermore, Celtic’s next home game in Europe’s elite club competition is against RB Leipzig. Despite having an extra man and leading 2-1, the Germans blew their lead and lost the game 3-2. Ominously, Leipzig’s next opponents are Liverpool, should they lose three on the trot, the Germans will be coming to Celtic Park needing to win.
Matches five to seven are where Celtic will be looking to pick majority of their points up. Club Brugge sit one place below the Celts having recovered from an opening game 3-0 defeat from Borussia Dortmund. A 1-0 victory away to Sturm Graz has propelled the Belgians up the table.
Meanwhile, Dinamo Zagreb who sacked their manager post-Bayern humiliation, blew a two goal lead at home to Monaco to draw 2-2. A sore one for the Croatians who are sitting on one point with a -7 goal difference after only two games.
Celtic’s penultimate opponents in the league phase, Young Boys, sit bottom of the table. Aston Villa and Barcelona are a tough first set of fixtures. However, the Swiss side have started their own domestic league season terribly and come game number seven, they may well already be down and out.
Of course, the final match in Celtic’s mini-league is in Birmingham against high-flying Aston Villa. Unai Emery’s side replicated the 1982 European Cup final with a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. Opposite to Young Boys, Villa could have secured a top 8 finish by then with Brendan Rodgers hoping that the game has little riding on it for our opponents.
When the fixtures were first published, sitting on three points after two games seemed to be the consensus. With six games to play and more importantly, three massive home games, top 24 is a realistic ambition. Performances away from home must significantly improve though, and that must start in Italy.
Conor Spence
In reality to be sitting on 3 points after the first 2 games, is where we expected to be, when the CL draw was first made?
The difference in quality between opposition faced, and the performances produced, couldn’t have been as vastly different, which wasn’t expected imo?
Always felt 10 points should hopefully be enough, to get into the knockout phase?
Yet I still believe that at least 12 points should be a realistic target to be aiming for?
Again, we are going to have to face this prospect of a big SPFL match, followed by a trip to Italy?
Still believe that the biggest learning factor for Rodgers, could well be within the playing time for players, with such a short turnaround for these massive CL matches?
Thinking Rodgers may well have to start utilising his squad more so, when these CL matches come around imo?
We seen in Dortmund that taking the chance with AJ and Taylor as full backs, didn’t work with both not fully fit, going into the game?
Had no issues with Trusty covering for CCV, yet the question arises as to whether Trusty as a left CB, really the best option available for CCV now?
Was noticeable just how off the pace Paulo was, and this after playing the full St Johnston match, with such a short turnaround, and the difference Hatate bought to the game in dortmund, but was also a much fresher player also?
So enough evidence on show, to suggest that our squad possibly has to be used in a better way, then in how it was used, over the past 2 games?
Especially when the performances produced, where again vastly different, to what we are capable of producing?
May call upon Rodgers having a bit more trust within his fringe players within our squad, with the use of McCowan possibly the most noticeable one to date?
Still think that taking a chance with a lesser starting 11 within SPFL matches, and protecting bigger players for the more demanding CL matches, is going to be the way to go for ourselves going forward imo?
I am in full agreement with Brendan about us playing our game. We should always play to our strengths and that is attacking football.! A leopard does not change its spots, and if we get a bleaching now and again, so be it. We are doing to teams every week what Dortmand done too us, so let’s carry on and we will improve, and win games. The Germans had millions of pound of talent ,and did not use them,! So let’s carry on and we will qualify for the later stages,!, Hail Hail. Never give up!,