You won’t know until the end of the Champions League group phase whether Celtic’s 1-1 draw against Club Brugge is points dropped or gained.
Before a ball was kicked, Celtic fans were rightfully up for this match and expecting three points – even though Club Brugge beat Aston Villa last time out.
Added to that, Celtic had beaten RB Leipzig in their last European home game and that was rightfully seen as one of the best performances produced in recent times.
But all of that energy, spice and quality Brendan Rodgers watched his team play with was out of the window against Brugge.
Yes, Cameron Carter-Vickers’ calamitous own goal was the only goal scored by the opposition, but in truth, it could and probably should have been more.
Kasper Schmeichel was left red-faced with what went on with the Carter-Vickers own goal, but he did pull off some brilliant saves, including at 1-0.
The Belgian side were the better team, especially during the opening 45 minutes, and perhaps that was a reason why the Celtic Park crowd probably weren’t as vocal as usual.
Mark Wilson says Celtic fans were ‘pretty flat’ against Club Brugge despite Paul Merson’s comments
Celtic should still reach the knockout stages of the Champions League and it will provide the chance for the Parkhead crowd to show what they are truly about.
But against Brugge, Mark Wilson felt that it just wasn’t what everyone is usually used to and this is despite Paul Merson’s comments.
The former Arsenal and Aston Villa star suggested that it is an ‘electric atmosphere’ but that wasn’t the case because it was ‘pretty flat’, as he told Sky Sports News (27/11/24 at 10:05 pm).
“To be honest, I don’t think they did (do enough to win the game, Celtic),” shared Wilson. “To be honest, it was a pretty strange watch.
“Paul Merson is talking about the electric atmosphere at Celtic Park, it certainly was that before the game, but about five minutes in, it was pretty flat. Probably down to the way Brugge played.
“But slackness and slow play from Celtic in the first 45 minutes. Something we aren’t used to seeing. We saw Bratislava come here. We saw Leipzig and Celtic were electric on those occasions. But Brugge were pretty good – a point, fair result, not a disaster, didn’t lose the game and they are still in the fight for a play-off place.”
Celtic’s remaining Champions League games
It’s past the halfway stage of this revamped Champions League and there are three more games to deal with.
It’s still nip and tuck, as Rodgers still has a chance for a top-eight finish, but you have to probably win your remaining matches for that to happen.
Three points separate Celtic in 20th place and Atalanta in fifth, but equally, there are also four points ahead of the drop zone.
On December 10, it’s a trip to Croatia to take on Dinamo Zagreb, who are one point behind and then there is a break with European competition returning on January 22 against Young Boys.
Before Celtic round it all off by taking on Aston Villa at Villa Park in a mouthwatering all-British tie, with boyhood Celtic fan John McGinn leading the opposition out.
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