The Proud Cletic Crest
After Celtic received its biggest defeat in EUFA competitions in a 7-0 drubbing by Spanish champions, Barcelona in the first game of the Champions’ League group stage mid September, everyone thought it was the usual drill. Even though Celtic has appeared a record 31 times in the UEFA Champions League and 8 seasons in the Ueropa League, in recent times the Bhoys from Scotland have become mere participants at European football’s biggest stage.
Yet, that heavy loss at the hands of the traditional European heavyweights belies Celtic’s proud history in Scottish and in fact British football. Celtic was the first British club to win the UEFA Champions’ League title, doing so in a stunningly impressive run to earn an unprecedented quintuple in 1967, including winning the Scottish League Championship, the Scottish Cup, the Scottish League Cup, and the Glasgow Cup.
The Hoops also reached the 1970 European Cup Final, and the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. The club has won the Scottish League 45 times, most recently the 2013/14 season. It has lifted the trophy for the Scottish Cup 36 times and won the Scottish League Cup on 14 occasions. Since playing its first game in 1888, Celtic has never been relegated.
The Celtic Squad under Brendan
But it is Celtic’s superior domestic run since the appointment of former Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers in May and the return of the team to the prestigious UEFA tournament after three years that have sparked hushed talks of a revival. There’s also a good feeling Celtic could become real competitors in the Champions League this season under the guidance of the former League Manager of the Year in the English Premier League.
Neymar beast the wall for the 3rd Goal
Prior to the loss against the Catalan giants, Celtic had shown good home form in recent games, beating Israeli club Hapoel Beer-Sheva 5-2 in the UEFA Champions League playoffs, then recording a 4-1 win against Aberdeen and 5-1 against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. The team also remarkably bounced back after slumping against Barcelona, dismissing Kilmarnock 6-1 in the Premiership.
Celtic show resilience and strength to bounce back to a 6-1 Win
So when Celtic faced the legendary Pep Guardiola-tutored Manchester City, currently the best team in England, in the second game of the UEFA Champions’ League group stage on September 28, there was tempered optimism among fans of the Scottish champions.
Former Scottish footballer and talkSPORT host on radio, Alan Brazil told the Sunday Post that though he doesn’t give Celtic any real chance of beating Manchester City, he doesn’t see the former EPL kings putting as many as five, six or seven goals against the Bhoys.
Brazil without a doubt knows a thing or two about what it takes to compete at the highest level of football competition, having won the UEFA Cup with Ipswich in 1978 and featuring again in the elite tournament in 1984 with Manchester United. One of his finest moments in football was when he scored all five goals in a 5-2 Ipswich win against Southampton in a league match in February, 1982.
But on match day 2 of the UEFA Champions League, it was an incredible night of drama, passion and ecstasy at Celtic Park as the Bhoys played out a 3-3 thriller with Pep Guardiola’s City side, whose amazing record of 100% wins in all matches this season was halted by that result.
Celtic were in front three times in the game with goals from Moussa Dembele (3rd and 46th minutes) and exciting young talent, Kieran Tierney (20th minute), before being pegged back by strikes from Fernandinho (12th minute), Raheem Sterling (28th minute) and Nolito (55th minute) for a share of the spoils with Guardiola’s men.
Alan Brazil hailed the result in a tweet and congratulated every Celtic player and Rodgers, joking he almost got kicked out of the pub.
That man again Moussa Dembele putting Celtic back in front with their 3rd goal
Rodgers is now being credited with the new tactical, fluid and energetic style of play at Celtic this season that has seen them produce impressive football with brilliant composure in front of goal. That respectable draw with City, which included a spectacular bicycle kick goal from man of the match, Dembele, buoyed optimism around the Celtic Park.
However it was short lived as they lost to Borussia Monchengladbach at home. Kolo Toure was the villain on the night as he was unarguably at fault for both goals. Focus has gradually shifted to qualifying for the Europa League and going on a good run in it. After the match Alan Brazil - Bet on Brazil said "Celtic’s campaign after the group draw was all about beating the German side in Glasgow and taking a point off them away from home! The revenue from the group stages is fantastic and hopefully a good run in the Europa league will make Celtic financially stronger”.
The team managed the latter part, as they came from behind to draw 1-1 against the German side in the return fixture at the Borussia Park. The talented Dembele was pulled down in the area by Julian Korb with just under quarter of an hour left to play and he pulled himself up to convert from the spot. The complexion of the group would have changed if Celtic went on to punish the Germans for the red card received by Korb for the Dembele challenge. So, focus still remains on qualifying for the Europa League and the positives that come with it.
Dembele continues his fine form slotting home the equalizer penalty.
Rodgers full of praise for his growing Celtic side and proud of their performance in Germany.
For Hoops analyst, James Flynn, a certain confidence and energy that has been notably lacking under previous manager, Rony Deila, is back in the team since the arrival of Rodgers at Celtic, and the team has become exciting to watch again. Considering that the squad is more or else unchanged from the past few seasons, the Northern Irish coach has shown that Celtic’s poor form in the last couple of season was not down to a lack of quality in the team, but a lack of quality in the dugout, Flynn wrote in the UK Daily Record.
He echoed a popular view that even if Celtic posted poor results in the Champions’ League this season and even miss out on Europa League action, it wouldn’t be a true reflection of their new capabilities under Rodgers.