Celtic are fully focused on Scottish Premiership action away to St Johnstone this weekend but the upcoming fixture against Borussia Dortmund looms large on the horizon.
After thrashing Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in the opening week of a new-look Champions League, hopes are high that the Bhoys can make a significant impact on the tournament.
Facing last year’s finalists in Germany on Tuesday will be far from easy but the belief and confidence flowing through the Bhoys right now is a heady mixture.
Celtic fans are asking themselves after eight wins from eight in all competitions – if now is not a time to be excited, then when is?
There was more evidence of Dortmund fragility on Friday night, too. After suffering a 5-1 defeat last time out against Stuttgart, the black and yellow knew they had to bounce back with a win at home to the unfancied Bochum. But it initially didn’t go smoothly at all.
Bochum rush to an early lead in Dortmund
Dortmund had a shocker of a first half. The away side powered themselves to a 2-0 lead after 21 minutes thanks to winger Matus Bero and midfielder Dani de Wit.
Myron Boadu then had a glorious chance to make it a three-goal cushion 11 minutes later but fluffed his lines in front of goal, giving the home side hope of getting themselves back into the match.
The home defence were struggling with the pace and directness of their regional rivals, suggesting quick transitions will be key for Celtic to execute on Tuesday.
Dortmund’s quality counts in the end for the comeback
Serhou Guirassy’s header just before half-time was crucial, giving Dortmund something to fight for in the second half.
By the time Emre Can’s equalising 62nd-minute penalty went in, won by Guirassy, it looked inevitable that Nurit Sahin’s side would go on to win the match.
The influential Guirassy followed through on that promise to net his team’s third before Felix Nmecha made it comfortable at 4-2, ten minutes from time.
Going forward, they did turn up the heat and the quality they were able to bring off the bench to punish a tired Bochum was telling.
Celtic must sustain a complete performance in Germany
The scoreline doesn’t tell the full story of the fixture and given that Bochum are notoriously poor away from home, winning just twice on the road in the Bundesliga last season, it does seem that Dortmund can be ‘got at’, so to speak.
Nonetheless, in fighting back, Dortmund showed spirit and resilience. It’ll be a 90-minute battle for the Bhoys on Tuesday, make no mistake.
Celtic have to be prepared to go the distance. Friday night has shown that the Germans can and will, even with the pressure stacked on their shoulders.
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