Celtic have the chance to boost their top-eight chances in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
It’s a trip to Croatia for Brendan Rodgers and his players as Celtic take on Dinamo Zagreb, another rejuvenated team in the Champions League.
Celtic conceded seven goals to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two and morale was on the floor, but it hasn’t even been the worst loss of the tournament.
Zagreb shipped nine goals on the opening matchday to Bayern Munich and have since recovered to earn themselves seven points – one behind the Bhoys.
It perhaps shows that this revamped Champions League format is working well because it has allowed teams to recover and pick themselves up from some nightmares.
One man who, from an outside view, has been taking a keen interest in Celtic has been Ally McCoist and he was pretty honest about what he has been watching this season.
Ally McCoist lauds Celtic’s performances in the Champions League and Scotland
It’s the small matter of Celtic locking horns with Rangers in the League Cup final on Sunday at Hampden – and McCoist is going to take a keen interest in that.
But the former striker stated ‘you are telling the truth’ about Celtic fairing well in the Champions League this season and how they are ‘by far and away’ the best team in Scotland, as he told TNT Sport.
The champions have a nine-point lead over second-placed Aberdeen in the table and a further 11 points clear of Rangers.
“Only if you weren’t telling the truth,” responded McCoist on Celtic doing alright in the Champions League whilst representing Scotland.
“The results have been great. The performance at home to Leipzig was as good as anything I have seen from Celtic in Europe in a long, long time. They are a good team. Very good team, by far and away, at this moment in time. Breaks my heart to say it, but you have got to be honest. By far and away the best team in the country.
“They had a good performance in Atalanta. They came away with a draw. Good result. After a really shocking result in Dortmund where they got taken to the cleaners. But they haven’t half recovered well.”
McCoist thinks Brendan Rodgers had ‘question marks’ over his Celtic side
As the goals were raining in against Dortmund on matchday two, it was the worst possible feeling because it was a case of Deja vu.
But Rodgers changed his ways and earned a deserved clean sheet in Italy, which looks seriously good now given that Atalanta are top of Serie A and flying in Europe.
McCoist is another one who thinks Celtic have answered certain questions in Europe this season.
“There were question marks over Celtic,” added McCoist. “Could Brendan or would Brendan change the way Celtic played against teams who would technically perhaps be better than them and more fancied than them?
“And he did it, went over to Italy and got a great result. The game against Brugge was probably a little reminder. I wouldn’t say it was a wake-up call, but a reminder, at that level, you have to be at the top of your game all the time. They got a point at home against Brugge, which isn’t a disaster. Celtic have been very, very impressive this season, especially in Europe.”
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