What a Champions League campaign it has been so far for Celtic.
The best is still to come after Brendan Rodgers guided the team to the play-off phase and the chance to cause a few upsets.
Celtic’s 1-0 win over Young Boys, albeit a bit nervy, did the trick and that’s play-off football confirmed and also the outside chance of finishing in the top eight.
It wasn’t so long ago that Rodgers was getting verbally battered for producing the same old, same old in Europe when Celtic were beaten 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in October.
It was another horror show on the road for the Bhoys and you wouldn’t have blamed the fans for fearing the worst.
But trust the process and that game, as well the reaction from Celtic, was discussed on BBC’s Match of the Day coverage after the win over Young Boys.
Celtic’s reaction to 7-1 Borussia Dortmund defeat praised
In the two away matches since Dortmund, the Bhoys have secured back-to-back clean sheets, including against Serie A title-chasers, Atalanta.
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha wanted to give Rodgers ‘credit’ for how he has reacted post-Dortmund.
New York Times journalist Rory Smith also explained how that heavy loss in Germany was ‘strange’ because the scoreline didn’t truly reflect what happened.
“They have faced a different type of pressure to what they normally expect,” said Smith. “There are three or four games there that Celtic fans would have thought ‘we can win that’.
“Ordinarily, in the old format, Celtic would have gone into it as underdogs in two or three combinations of group games. They have ridden it out and needed a bit of luck. They weren’t brilliant (against Young Boys), but they are in the knockout. I am sure that was the minimum Brendan Rodgers was aiming for.”
Nedum Onuoha added: “I have got to say as well, to give Brendan Rodgers credit, he didn’t overreact after they lost 7-1 to Dortmund. He had received a ton of criticism about how the style of play was going a particular way, but he stuck with it.”
Smith agreed and stated: “That was a slightly strange game. That wasn’t a 7-1. He said it afterwards, it wasn’t really a 7-1.”
Celtic have ‘matured’ in the Champions League
Celtic’s win over RB Leipzig was their best performance in Europe in many a year and that was the moment everyone noticed a change.
Chris Sutton rightfully pointed out how, this revamped Champions League format, has helped this team to ‘mature’.
The former striker noted the games against Dinamo Zagreb and Club Brugge, and how they have proven to be valuable points to the cause.
“In his presser before the game against Young Boys, he was asked about, has this team matured?” said Sutton on MOTD.
“I think they have. They have shown it because, Nedum is right, after Dortmund, going away and getting a draw against Atalanta, even Brugge at home when they weren’t great but ended up getting a point.
“In Zagreb, they drew 0-0. A game where people felt that Celtic could go on and win that. But they didn’t. Got a point. And it shows how valuable that point was for Celtic qualifying.”
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