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Celtic Park was rocking on Wednesday because the Bhoys defeated Slovan Bratislava 5-1 of their Champions League league part opener. Whereas a few of that was a celebration for Brenden Rodgers’ aspect working riot with 5 totally different purpose scorers hitting the again of the web, there was one thing totally different there — a real feeling of perception.
Final season, Celtic had a Champions League group stage to neglect solely choosing up one win, scoring 5 targets and conceding 15. Now, they’ve already equaled their targets complete from a whole six-game group stage, and two thirds by means of the tip of the primary matchday, they’re second within the single desk behind Bayern Munich.
For a refresher, the highest eight groups within the Champions League league part will routinely qualify for the spherical of 16 whereas the groups from ninth to twenty fourth will play a two-legged knockout stage with the intention to qualify for the final 16. So primarily based on that, Celtic solely wants to complete as a top-24 group on this match with the intention to have a shot on the final 16 versus final season once they wanted to make it within the high two of a loaded group together with Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Feyenoord.
The Bhoys could have defeated one of many worst groups on this season’s version of UCL however they will not thoughts because it’s three factors nearer to securing a spot within the subsequent spherical. Their upcoming schedule is slightly harder but when Celtic can deal with enterprise at dwelling, there isn’t any purpose why they can not make a run.
Celtic UCL schedule
Matches: Borussia Dortmund (a), Atalanta (a), RB Leipzig (h), Membership Brugge (h), Dinamo Zagreb (a), Younger Boys (h), Aston Villa (a)
The RB Leipzig sport is the one which stands on the market as a result of even getting a draw could possibly be sufficient if Celtic can win the video games in opposition to groups that they are imagined to defeat. Try this, and there is even an opportunity they may sneak into the highest eight which whereas it will be stunning, it is also precisely what the brand new Swiss format of Champions League is meant to do.
Celtic are removed from the one benefactors from this as Sparta Praha additionally secured a 3-0 victory however being UCL regulars who generally get into unhealthy group stage attracts, ensuring that the Bhoys face groups round an analogous energy to them is a big increase. That is an skilled aspect with a powerful home-field benefit the place no group needs to journey. At a bigger stage, Sporting Lisbon is one other group who advantages from this however below Brendan Rodgers, Celtic have a giant key to development.
They’ve dominated play in Scotland the place they’re good within the league and the league cup, and Rodgers has loads of UCL expertise as a supervisor, however his document was a poor one. Rodgers has gone 4-6-15 within the group stage of Champions League play however he may double that quantity of victories by the tip of this league stage.
In fact, it is early within the match and issues can change rapidly however with groups preserving their ft on the gasoline and scoring early and sometimes, they’ve gotten the message of what these matches imply. With the addition of two matches to the league part, getting factors early additionally permits probabilities to rotate because the match goes on. If Celtic can construct on this, it could possibly be their first look within the spherical of 16 because the 2012-13 season. Eleven years is a very long time to go with out knockout soccer however Celtic returning would present the advantages of the format shift and open the door for smaller groups trying to really play the position of Cinderella.
