Arne Engels is no stranger to football in Germany and is relishing the prospect of facing Borussia Dortmund once again…
Celtic’s £11m record breaking signing has hit the ground running since arriving from Bundesliga side Augsburg in the summer.
He is hoping to continue the impressive perfect start to the season for the Hoops by picking up points on the road in Europe, something that is unfamiliar territory for recent Celtic teams.
The 21 year-old made his debut for Augsburg at the Westfalenatadion in which was a memorable experience for the Belgian, “I came from the second division in Belgium so to come here and play in front of 80,000 people was amazing. It was quite a crazy game, 4-3 for Dortmund. Also, it is close to Belgium, so all my family were here. It is amazing to be here and also to come back because I played here a few times. It is an amazing stadium, and it is always positive to be here.”
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When asked about the comparison between the rocking atmosphere of Celtic Park and the fanatical fan support at the Signal Iduna Park, Engels said, “I have not spoken to a lot of the guys about it because they know it and we also have an amazing atmosphere at Celtic Park. So, it is kind of the same, everyone knows how to handle it, if you can play at Celtic Park, you can play everywhere.”
Brendan Rodgers has instilled an elite mentality into the players for the coming season for the eight league phase games. Results must change away from home in Europe. Two wins in 33 Champions League away matches is lamentable. An outstanding start to the season domestically coupled with the 5-1 thrashing of Slovan Bratislava exemplifies this Celtic side has more than enough to make a dent in the Champions League.
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Engels has acknowledged the task on hand for tonight’s clash, “if you don’t have the belief, then you are better not to co come and say it is 5-0 for them. You always need to have this mindset.”
The Belgian continued, “everyone is really focused on their jobs and that is what makes us really strong as a team. We are setting the standards for ourselves every day as a team and doing a really good job there. It is up to us now to show it like we do every week.”
Conor Spence